Bread From Around the World

When you think of foods with a significant cultural and historical impact, bread is one of the first things to come to mind. Bread is a beloved staple in many different diets, and you’ll find multiple variations across the globe, each offering a unique texture, taste and smell. Some of the many kinds of breads around the world and their region of origin include:

Africa

Due to its versatility, there are many different types of African bread to enjoy and serve with each meal:

• Injera: A spongy bread similar to a crepe and is a staple of Ethiopian and Somali cuisine. One can serve injera with soups, stews and salads. 
• Sourdough: Many believe that the Ancient Egyptians accidentally discovered sourdough when someone left out bread dough, and wild yeast drifted into the mix. Any bread made with a sourdough starter qualifies as sourdough.

Asia

As you travel across Asia, you will experience bread in many different cultures for a unique culinary experience:

• Challah: A braided egg bread typically enjoyed on the Sabbath and holidays to commemorate the Jewish people fleeing Egypt. This slightly sweet bread is golden brown, and many people fold raisins into the dough and top the loaf with poppy or sesame seeds.
• Dosa: There are many varieties of Dosa, but most recipes involve soaking rice and lentils overnight before grinding them into a paste and letting them ferment for up to eight hours. Chefs in India cook the batter on a hot grill to create a thin, light and airy bread similar to a crepe.
• Lavash: A flatbread commonly made in Turkey, Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Most bakers make the bread in a clay oven, but you can bake it on a griddle if you make it at home.
• Naan: Naan is a popular Indian flatbread containing flour mixed with milk or yogurt. There are many variations of naan breads all over the world, including stuffed options or variations where the outside has been brushed with coconut oil instead of butter.
• Nan-e barbari: This golden brown Persian flatbread is often dusted with sesame seeds and has a similar texture to focaccia bread.
• Pai bao: A fluffy, sweet bun from Hong Kong that uses the tangzhong method in which one cooks a small amount of milk, yeast and flour on the stove before making the dough. Using the tangzhong method helps the dough stay fresh longer after baking.
• Roti: An unleavened flatbread that contains durum wheat. You can flame roast or cook roti on a grill for light crispiness.
• Pita bread: Pita bread is one of the most famous Middle Eastern bread types and features pockets that form during its quick rise during baking. Typical applications include serving it with hummus or falafel.
• Ube bread: This popular bread in the Philippines contains ube or purple yam stuffing. Ube bread is unique from most bread because it contains both milk and yeast.
• Japanese milk bread: Japanese milk bread is a fluffy white bread that uses the tangzhong method. You can pair Japanese milk bread with sweet sides such as jam and butter or savory options like egg salad.
• Cream cheese garlic bread: Cream cheese garlic bread is a popular street food in Korea. Most recipes feature a round yeast loaf with a garlic cream cheese filling and an herb topping. 
• Krendl: A pretzel-shaped Russian holiday bread reserved for Christmas. Most applications involve stuffing the sweet bread with dried fruit for an enticing centerpiece.
• Chapati: This Asian bread is like naan but thinner and baked in a tandoor. Many people pair their chapati with curry or use it as a sandwich wrap. 

Caribbean

Flatbreads made with many different types of flour are a popular bread option across the Caribbean. Some of the top kinds of international breads enjoyed include:

• Antiguan butter bread: A tender, buttery Caribbean bread commonly enjoyed with breakfast. Most people enjoy Antiguan butter bread with cheese, and you can pair each loaf with sardines or salami.
• Pain Haïtien: This famous bread in Haiti consists of flour, sugar, butter and salt. Bakers prepare pain haïtien bread in many different sizes and shapes, and most people enjoy their bread with a cup of coffee.
• Dhalpuri roti: Dhalpuri roti is a cooked roti with ground peas. Most people wrap dhalpuri roti around curries, meat or other ingredients and eat the finished result as a sandwich. 
• Yaniqueque: A fried bread from the Dominican Republic. Bakers roll the dough into thin circles and fry it in hot oil until golden brown.  
• Coconut bake: This is a popular Trinidad bread with a dense yet light texture. Most recipes include flour, coconut milk, butter and brown sugar, and many people pair the bread with butter, tomatoes and cheese.
• Bammy: Bammy is a traditional Jamaican cassava flatbread in which the dough soaks in coconut milk before frying, steaming or baking.

Central America

Central American bread combines native ingredients like corn, wheat and flour, with European aesthetics to create many exciting and different types of bread in the world, such as:

• Tortilla changa: A traditional flatbread from Panama that combines dried corn, salt, butter and cheese. Most people eat these thick fried tortillas as an open-faced sandwich with eggs and queso. 
• Fry jack: Many people in Belize eat this popular golden fried dough for breakfast. One can serve fry jack with savory or sweet sides, and it pairs well with coffee and mango juice.
• Hojaldres: A fried dough breakfast bread typical in Panama. The texture of hojaldres is similar to donuts, with a savory taste.
• Pupusa: Pupusa is a corn tortilla served with salsa and coleslaw and is the national dish of El Salvador. As a fundamental dish of Salvadorian cuisine, pupusa has its own holiday, which involves eating contests and other celebrations.

Europe

Throughout history, many different countries in Europe have developed recipes and techniques for making bread, such as:

• Bagels: While many cities have their variation of the bagel, this popular breakfast item originated in Poland. This ring-shaped yeasted dough is well-loved for its golden brown exterior and soft yet dense interior. Some popular variations include sesame seed toppings and mixing raisins into the dough.
• Baguettes: Baguettes are among the most well-known breads of the world. They are long and thin with a crunchy exterior and soft interior and pair well with olive oil and butter.
• Brioche: Brioche is a French bread that uses enriched dough to make it light and fluffy. The outside of the brioche is shiny and golden, while the inside is yellow due to the added eggs.
• Ciabatta: Ciabatta is an Italian bread and means slipper in reference to its flat shape. The holey interior of a ciabatta is similar to a baguette and has a brown crust lightly dusted with flour.
• Focaccia: There are many variations of focaccia throughout Italy, and most bakers add olive oil to the dough to create a crisp crust. While you add yeast to a focaccia dough, it is typically a flatter bread.
• Rye bread: While each Scandinavian country has its own version of rye bread, Denmark is the most famous with a rugbrød. This dense bread is dark in color with a nutty flavor.
• Soda bread: There are many different versions of soda bread across the globe, with the Irish version being the most famous. Soda bread is a leavened bread that uses buttermilk with baking soda to create gas bubbles in the dough.
• Pretzel: While the true origin of pretzels is unknown, many believe that this European bread was created in Germany. Regardless of their source, these salty twisted snacks are famous across the globe.
• Basque pumpkin bread: Pumpkin and cornmeal are not native to France, but after their arrival from the Americas, they quickly became a popular add-in for many recipes, such as Basque pumpkin bread.
• Chocolate babka: There are many variations of babkas across Europe, and this sweet twisted bread is a staple in many Jewish bakeries.
• Stollen: Stollen is a Christmas bread from Germany and features nuts, candied fruit and numerous spices. Many bakers add a glaze or powdered sugar to make stollen a dessert option.
• Lefse: This Norwegian potato flatbread is a Christmastime classic and includes toppings like butter, jelly or deli meat and cheese.
• Beigli: Beigli is a stuffed brioche-like dough with a nut or seed filling.
• Pulla: This sweet braided Finnish bread features the zesty smell of cardamom, making it perfect for teatime.
• Hot cross buns: While these sweet buns with dried fruit are a Good Friday tradition in the United Kingdom, you can enjoy them throughout the year.
• Poteca: Sometimes called potica or povitica, this Eastern European yeasty pastry features a sweet nut mixture filling and layers and can be round or in a loaf.
• Limpa: Limpa is Swedish rye bread and features an orange, fennel or anise flavor and is often toasted with butter or served as a sandwich.
• Julekage: A rich sweet Scandinavian bread packed with fruit and cardamom.
• Tea ring: There are numerous variations of tea ring bread across the world, and you can fill them with dried fruit, spices, jam or cream cheese for a perfect brunch treat.
• Paska: A rich polish bread that contains eggs, milk and butter with a beautifully braided top.
• English muffins: While they drop the English in the United Kingdom, the nooks and crannies of this popular bread treat remain the same.
• Pane di pasqua: Also called Italian Easter bread, Pane di Pasqua features a uniquely beautiful braided shape with the flavors of anise and orange.
• Socca: A traditional flatbread from France. Bakers cook the dough on a grill and serve the bread in a paper cone with salt, pepper and other toppings.

North America

Bread has a long and fascinating history in America. From the unleavened bread of the Native Americans to the rapid industrialization of bread today, this staple has taken many different shapes and forms over the years. Some of the many kinds of North American bread that have emerged throughout history include:

• Tortillas: This corn-based flatbread is a staple of Mexican cuisine and serves as a base for dishes ranging from tacos to pinwheel sandwiches.
• Pain de ménage: Pain de Ménage is the French-Canadian version of one of the most traditional breads of the world — simple country bread. This simple bread only requires water, flour and yeast to make.
• Pan de muertos: Many people in Mexico will bake pan de muertos on the Day of the Dead to honor the departed. The sweet egg bread typically contains anise and orange flower water with a skull and cross-bones decoration. 
• Frybread: Frybread originated with the Native Americans in the Southwest and is a flat dough fried in oil or lard. One can eat the dough plain or with butter and honey.
• Conchas: This fluffy brioche-like Mexican sweet bread features a crispy streusel topping and deep scores to resemble a shell. 
• Cornbread: A staple in the American south, cornbread is ideal for absorbing butter, and many modern versions add honey or sugar.

Oceania

The cuisine in the Oceania region features many sweet and savory delights. Of the many meal options available, one of the most beloved is bread which includes numerous variations such as:

• Takaku bread: This traditional bread from New Zealand is round and often features lines on the surface, similar to a cartwheel. One can enjoy takaku bread directly from the oven or chilled with butter, jam or a cup of tea on the side.
• Rewena bread: Rewena is a traditional sourdough potato bread with a sweet and sour flavor.
• Damper: Damper is a conventional Australian bushman’s bread, and in standard applications, one would bake the bread in the coals of a campfire.

South America

There are many delicious bread recipes to enjoy from South America:

• Pão de queijo: This cheesy South American bread features tapioca flour to make it extra crisp on the outside and light and airy on the inside.
• Arepas: Arepa is a cornmeal-shaped bread from Venezuela and is often stuffed with meat and vegetables to make sandwiches.

Enjoy High-Quality Bread From Gold Medal Bakery

Regardless of the region or country, it’s clear that bread has significantly impacted humans across the globe since its creation. Whether your customer wants to enjoy bread with breakfast, lunch, dinner or all three meals, the versatility of bread allows for many different applications. 

At Gold Medal Bakery, we proudly manufacture and distribute bread options such as sliced bread, English muffins, rolls and specialty bread. When you utilize our services, you experience many benefits, including:

• A dedicated sales staff who visits stores frequently and reviews all orders with store personnel.
• We help partners by distributing their products.
• Customers using our direct delivery services can take advantage of our 72-hour adjustment window to correct or change their orders.
• We offer a wide range of products from private labels.
• Since 1912, we have been helping customers get the bread products they need, making us an experienced choice.

Place an Order Today!

Order high-quality bread for your needs from Gold Medal Bakery today! To learn more about our company and the many benefits we provide, complete our online contact form today!