Bread is present in many of our meals, that's why knowing its origin is important.

Bread is the most famous food around the world. Everyone knows and has a favorite type, but do you know how old it is? Or what is its origin? The reason behind its success is because it’s portable and compact, besides being a vital source of carbohydrates.

The first bread is recorded to be from the Neolithic period where men put cereals and seeds to be crushed and mixed with water to get a blend. This mixture was let to rest by mistake, so the final result was a flat, granulated, and dry kind of bread. Since then, this food has become part of history and men’s evolution.

Bread in history!

Egypt, Greece, and the Roman Empire

In Egypt, the Nile river offers great conditions for growing cereals, specially wheat. It was the first civilization that used the process of fermentation, which allowed them to have a bread with more texture. Egyptians also created the first ovens to bake it, since it was the food of slaves and common people.

Greece had commercial relationships with Egypt that brought the bread to its lands. Greek bakers improved baking techniques and created a great variety of loaves with different cereals and ingredients like honey and nuts. In the beginning, this food was part of the ritual to worship the gods, although it converted to a popular food.

The Roman Empire is the reason of bakeries’ expansion: at first, it was only for the highest class, but -as other civilizations grew- it became the commoner’s food. Romans improved mills, kneading mechanism, and ovens; in fact, the direct heating furnace is called “Roman oven.” There were more than 300 bakeries, ruled by professional greek bakers, with prices controlled by the magistrates which expanded the bread culture throughout the empire (except in Hispania where these techniques were well known).

The Middle Ages

This was a dark period for human history; therefore few improvements in baking were made, such as the growing of rye. However, the cereal cultivation descended to its lowest level and the famine -hunger- started: bread was only for the wealthy class, illness broke free because of contaminated food, and many people died in those hopeless days.

After all these disasters, the cities started to become more famous around Europe, the appearance of professional guilds was common (including the Baker’s Guild), and the governments controlled productions and sales of bread.

Modern Age

At the end of the 18th century, farming was making progress, plus the refinement of flour helped in the baking production. The bread price descended thanks to the increase of its supply. In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution was a massive event in history, which turned baking more mechanical because of the creation of the steam mill. In every home, you could find a loaf.

Nowadays

Bread this days is a basic in every house; Europe, Middle East, Oceania, and America have it as a vital part of their cuisines. The most common cereal to bake is wheat, but barley, rye, corn, and rice can be used to create specific types. There are tons of ways to eat it, you just have to be creative.

Types of bread

The basic ingredients are flour, water, yeast, and salt. Other elements can change the flavor and consistency of it. Every country and region have their types, let’s take a look:

Ciabatta: classic white bread, great for sandwiches and panini.
Whole wheat bread: uses flour that contains the entire wheat grain with the bran and germ intact, good for sandwiches and toasts.
Sourdough: a yeasted variation made with a starter (a fermented mixture of flour and water). It has a crusty exterior and a soft and loaffy center, perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches.
Rye bread: made with a combination of bread and rye flour, which results in a strong rye flavor and tight crumb. Good for pastrami and beef sandwiches.
Pita bread: the star of the Middle East, made with wheat flour and yeast that is baked at high temperatures, which creates the popular flat form. Falafel sandwiches and snacks are the top ways to eat pita.
Focaccia: an Italian creation with a similar dough to pizza, for that reason it is a flatbread. It can be eaten alone, dipped in soup, or with meat and cheese.
Multigrain: the name says it all, it is made with a selection of grains like barley, flax, millet, and oats; ideal for breakfast.
Brioche: it’s a French variation made with eggs and butter which gives you a loaf with super light and tight crumb, perfect for French toasts.

As you can see, it is an essential food around the world, and it can be paired or eaten with any sweet or salty ingredients. It is up to you how to enjoy the fresh loaves that you just bought. Come to Davide Punto Cucina to enjoy a good meal accompanied by a fantastic bread.