Types of Bread

Around the globe, we have now grown accustomed to a wide variety of bread.

From artisanal sourdoughs to gluten-free loaves, it is clear that there are many options when it comes to what type of bread you want for your meal.

To get an overview of some types of bread and their differences, read on.  

Bagels

A bagel is a bread product that is boiled before it is baked. This process of boiling and then baking gives the bagel its unique texture and shape. Bagels are typically made out of wheat flour, malt, water, sugar, yeast and salt.

You can buy bagels in many different flavours, including poppy seed and sesame seed.

A bagel can be served with various toppings, including cream cheese, salmon, jam, peanut butter, bacon or just a little jam.

Baguette

A baguette is a long, thin loaf of French bread (sometimes called a French stick) created initially to hold the ingredients for meals as they were carried from their place of origin to nearby towns.

The baguette gets its unique taste and texture from using flour, yeast, water salt, and sugar instead of using more specialized ingredients like whole wheat or rye flour.

Baguettes are made by baking in an oven at high temperatures for a short time, typically between 10 and 15 minutes. The crust of a baguette is golden brown and generally crunchy.

Baguettes are usually sliced and served as a dinner side or starter, with butter or a dip, or they can be used to make garlic bread or as a roll with cheese, ham or another filling for lunch.

Beer Bread

Beer bread is made with beer – usually a pale lager or stout. The bread can have yeast, baking powder and eggs added to the mix for extra leavening if desired.

Beer bread has a distinct flavour – people who are not fans of beer, in general, may find this bread’s taste unpleasant if consumed on its own.

Brioche

Brioche bread is a French bread that has the texture of a rich, buttery loaf.

Brioche gets its unique taste and texture from using flour, yeast, water salt and sugar instead of whole wheat or rye flour used in other types of bread recipes.

The dough remains wetter for much longer than traditional types of bread – usually 3 hours at least before it’s baked, which also allows for more flavour to be absorbed by the dough.

Brioche can be made into many shapes, including rolls, cakes, or loaves and served with jams, sour cream, or chocolate spreads.

Brown Bread

Brown bread or sliced brown bread uses wholemeal flour. Bread such as this takes longer to bake but is very popular with people who prefer bread containing more fibre and complex carbohydrates.

Brown sliced bread has also become increasingly popular with people on restricted diets due to its nutritional values.

Ciabatta

In Italian, ciabatta means slipper.

This type of bread has a crunchy crust and an interior with large holes due to it being made quite wet before it is baked.

Ciabatta originated in Italy and was named after the types of shoes that the fishermen in Genoa wore when they came back from work.

Ciabatta is made with very few ingredients and is one of the types of bread that does not need to be kneaded before baking. Ciabatta does, however, need to be fermented for 24 hours before being baked to allow for the yeast and gluten in the ingredients to work well together.

Ciabatta tastes best when consumed fresh – it can become overly dry if stored for longer than a few days.

Ciabatta is perfect for dipping in olive oil.

Chapati

Chapati is an Indian flatbread that is made with a combination of wholemeal flour, plain flour, hot water, salt and olive oil.

The dough is often cooked on an iron plate over a fire or in a tandoori oven which gives the chapati its distinctive smoky flavour – if you don’t have either of these, a chapati can also be cooked in a hot frying pan.

A chapati is very thin and round in shape, much like a tortilla, holding many types of fillings, including vegetable curry or meat dishes for lunch or dinner.

Challah Bread

Challah bread is a typical Jewish bread that is braided into three sections.

Challah is made using flour, eggs, water, yeast and salt.

Challah sometimes includes honey, raisins or is topped with sesame seeds.

Cloud Bread

Despite the name, Cloud bread isn’t actually bread at all. Cloud bread is a low-carb, high protein, light way to enjoy a bread alternative.

There are various recipes for cloud bread, but it typically consists of egg whites (use the freshest eggs possible), together with cream cheese, cream of tartar, a little sugar, and any fresh or dried herbs to add some flavour to this somewhat bland bread substitute.

Cornbread

Cornbread is a type of bread that is crumbly and moist. It can be made with cornmeal, flour, sugar or brown sugar, butter or margarine and eggs. Cornbread has historically been associated with the southern United States.

Cornbread is sometimes eaten at breakfast with maple syrup or honey, on its own, or as an accompaniment to soups or vegetable dishes and crumbled into salads.

Cornbread is especially popular during the Thanksgiving holiday season in America, where it can be used for turkey stuffing (often together with some type of dried fruit).

Crumpet

A crumpet is a small, round pancake-like bread that originated in the UK and is very popular with both adults and children.

Crumpets are made from yeast which makes them rise before they are then fried in butter, margarine or oil until lightly browned.

Damper Bread

Damper bread is a traditional Australian bread that was made initially by pioneers out of flour, water and salt. It’s been popularized in recent years as a favourite camping recipe due to its simplicity and shelf life.

Damper bread has no yeast and requires no kneading making this a quick and easy bread recipe to make.

Dinner Rolls

Dinner rolls are typically served alongside the main course and used to accompany other types of food.

Dinner rolls come in various styles, including sourdough, crescent-shaped, fluted or regular round.

English Muffin

An English Muffin is a cross between a crumpet and a pancake. It’s made from flour, milk, water, yeast and egg.

English muffins are best served warm with butter or margarine or topped with jam – they can be eaten as breakfast bread or as a snack.

Focaccia Bread

Focaccia bread is a flat, round Italian style bread baked in a very hot oven. It’s made using simple ingredients, including flour, water and salt. Fresh herbs or chopped olives can be used to add flavour to this traditional Italian recipe.

Focaccia originated in Italy but has been popularized by supermarkets throughout the UK and in the United States.

Focaccia is excellent for dipping into olive oil, balsamic vinegar or pesto – it also goes well with a variety of types of toppings, including cheese, spinach, tomato or various kinds of meats.

Flat Bread

Flatbread is a very thin type of bread that’s often made with just four main ingredients; flour, water, salt and oil.

The types of flatbread most commonly used throughout the world include chapatis (Indian flatbread), tortillas (Mexican flatbread) or pitta (Middle Eastern flatbread).

Focaccia is a variation of flatbread that’s typically baked in a scorching oven.

Garlic Bread

Garlic bread starts life as a French stick that’s sliced horizontally and spread with garlic butter, then sometimes topped with cheese.

Garlic bread can be served as an appetizer or used to accompany pasta dishes, pizza or soups.

Gluten-Free Bread

Gluten-free bread is made from types of flour that don’t include wheat or gluten. There are a variety of types of flours and mixes available to use in gluten-free bread recipes, including quinoa, soy or almond flour.

The texture of gluten-free bread will vary depending on the types of ingredients used. Gluten-free bread tends to be drier than regular types of bread, and it’s usually better suited for sandwiches or toast rather than snacking on by itself.

Gluten-free types of bread are becoming more popular these days due to an increasing number of people who suffer from gluten allergies, and so the choice and quality of store-bought loaves are improving.

Grissini Bread

Grissini breadsticks are typically served as an appetizer in types of restaurants that specialize in Italian cuisine.

Grissini breadsticks are usually flavoured with garlic, and, like most types of breadsticks, they’re typically dipped into a sauce or olive oil before being eaten. Grissini is customarily made using white flour, yeast and water, but there are types that use other types of flour instead.

Multigrain Bread

Multigrain bread is a type of bread that doesn’t fall into any one specific category but instead contains types of flour from wheat, rye and oats.

Multigrain types of bread can be found in all supermarkets as well as sold in health food stores where they’re usually flavoured with seeds and grains such as sunflower seeds, sesame or linseeds.

Naan Bread

Naan bread is a type of flatbread that originates from types of Indian cuisine. It’s generally served alongside types of curries and can also be used as an accompaniment to types of grilled food.

Naan types of bread are best served warm from the oven, and they can be topped with butter or various types of cheeses – it’s also popular to use types of bread like naan as a pizza base.

Naan bread flavours include garlic, coriander or plain.

No-Knead Bread

No-knead bread types are types of bread that don’t require kneading. Instead, they’re types of recipes that use a natural rise technique to allow the dough to rest, ferment and then bake on its own.

There are many types of no-knead types of bread available, including artisan or sourdough types.

Panettone Bread

Panettone is a sweet bread that originated in Italy but is now famous around the world, especially at Christmas time.

Panettone contains raisins, dried fruit and candied fruits that are then mixed into the dough.

Panettone is best served slightly warm or at room temperature with butter.

Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)

Pão de queijo is a type of bread that’s popular in Brazil as well as other countries around South America. It’s traditionally shaped into small balls and served warm with drinks or used to accompany meals such as types of salads or main dishes.

Pão de queijo is made from tapioca flour, eggs and cheese, and it contains no yeast or salt.

Pão de queijo recipes can contain different types of hard cheese, soft cheese and even combinations of both.

Pitta Bread

Pitta bread is a type of flatbread that originated from types of middle eastern cuisine. It’s usually thinner than other types of bread, and it can also be eaten warm or cold.

Pita bread is very popular in countries such as Greece and Turkey, where it’s served with virtually every meal, including soups, salads and main courses, as well as dipped into hummus and other middle eastern appetizers.

Pita bread is typically made using white or wholemeal flour, yeast and water, but some recipes do contain other ingredients such as salt, sugar or oil.

Pizza Bread

Pizza bread, otherwise known as pizza dough, is the base for pizza. It’s a flatbread or bread dough that usually uses yeast and salt plus herbs.

Despite its name, it doesn’t have to be used just to make pizza; it can also be used to make other bread types, including calzone and focaccia.

Pretzel Bread (Soft Pretzels)

Soft pretzel bread is a type of flatbread that originated in Germany and is now famous around the world. It’s normally sold as an accompaniment to dips or salads, but it can also be served with main courses such as sausages or other types of meat dishes.

Pretzel bread is made using dough that contains a large amount of yeast and a small amount of salt and flour. Pretzels are cooked in saltwater and then topped with coarse salt or other types of seasonings.

Potato Bread

Potato bread, otherwise known as potato rolls, are a type of bread that’s made out of potatoes.

They’re normally served alongside types like steaks and other types of grilled food, but they can also be used to make burgers as well as toasties.

To make potato bread, potatoes are cooked together with yeast, water and salt until they’re soft. This mixture is then added to the flour before being baked in the oven.

This type of bread originated in Germany, but it’s now popular around the world.

Raisin Bread 

Raisin bread is a sweet bread that has raisins added to it. The raisins provide flavour, moisture and sweetness to the bread. Raisin bread is normally served cold with spreads, jams or butter.

Raisin bread can be made using several different types of flour, including wholemeal flour (whole grain) flours as well as white flour.

Roti Bread

Roti bread is a type of flatbread that has originated from South Asia and is now popular all over the world.

It can be made with wholemeal flour, white flour or a mixture of both, and it contains no salt.

Roti bread contains different types of herbs as well as garlic, and this helps to provide flavour to the bread.

Rye Bread

Rye bread is one of the most popular types of bread in northern Europe, especially in Sweden. It’s made using rye meal, and this accounts for its dark brown colour.

Rye bread contains different types of seeds, such as poppy seeds, sesame seeds or caraway seeds which provide flavour to the bread and help to keep it moist.

It’s normally sold in small, round loaves and many people use it for sandwiches as well as to accompany main meals such as dinner.

Seeded Bread 

Seed bread, otherwise known as seeded bread, is a common type of bread that’s made out of flour with different types of seeds added to it. It can also contain sugar and yeast, although some recipes don’t use either ingredient.

Seeds used for seeded bread include poppy seeds, sesame seeds or caraway seeds.

Seed bread is normally sold in round loaves, and it can be used to make sandwiches as well as to accompany main meals such as dinner. 

Pumpernickel bread is similar to seed bread, but it’s a little sweeter than other types of bread with the addition of sugar.

Soda Bread

Soda bread is a type of bread that originates from Ireland, and it’s made using ingredients such as buttermilk, baking soda and salt.

Soda bread consists mostly of flour, so it contains very little sugar or fat, and this makes it low in both calories and fat. This also means that it tends to be fairly dry, so most soda bread versions will also contain additions such as oil, currants or seeds, which help to give it flavour and to make it softer.

Spelt Bread

Spelt is another alternative to wheat that you might want to consider when you want to make your own bread.

Spelt is an ancient grain that was first developed in Egypt, and it’s believed to have been used by the ancient Romans. It can also be eaten raw, but when it’s cooked, its texture is similar to rice.

Spelt contains a higher percentage of protein than wheat, so many people who have gluten allergies choose this type of bread instead because it’s easier to digest.

Spelt bread is available in many different varieties, and it can be found in most supermarkets as well as health food stores.

Sourdough Bread

Sourdough bread has been around for hundreds of years, but it’s now very popular.

Sourdough bread is different from other types of bread because it’s made using fermented dough rather than yeast. This means that the flavour in sourdough bread is much stronger and deeper than in most other types of bread.

Sourdough bread is normally made using a sourdough starter which provides the fermentation process with natural lactic acid bacteria that produce acids to give the bread its sour taste.

The benefit of sourdough bread is that it contains high amounts of nutrients because yeast doesn’t fully break down all of the starches in flour, so they’re released into the bread.

Stollen Bread (Christmas Bread) 

Stollen bread, otherwise known as Christmas fruit bread, is a type of bread that originated from Germany but has now spread across the world. It’s mainly made using nuts, fruit and sometimes marzipan, which provides flavour to the bread as well as a delicious taste. 

Stollen bread is available throughout the year, but it’s prevalent during the Christmas period in Germany because it contains dried fruits such as cherries. It’s also often sold at German Christmas markets or fairs where you can purchase it fresh.

Tiger Bread 

Tiger bread originated in the Netherlands but can now be found in the freshly baked bread section of many supermarkets.

Tiger bread is a white bloomer loaf with a rice paste painted on the top giving it the stripey ‘tiger stripes.’

Tortilla Wraps 

Tortilla wraps are flatbreads that originated from Mexico. It’s similar to pitta bread, but it doesn’t contain pockets for filling, and it can be folded over, so the ends join together. 

The main ingredients of tortilla wrap are wheat flour, water and salt, although other liquids such as oil are sometimes added, too.

Popular fillings for tortilla wraps include chicken, beef or even avocado, and they can be eaten as a snack or main meal.

Fajitas are a popular recipe that includes tortilla wraps.

White Bread Loaf

White bread is made using wheat flour which undergoes a mixing process to ensure the dough rises evenly.

White bread is normally sold in small or large round loaves, and it’s very popular for making sandwiches.