The obsession with having a beach-ready body and all the low-carb, diet fads booming everywhere—be it from friends, gym buddies, fitness buffs, or online—make it look like enjoying a slice of bread would be equivalent to gorging on a whole box of large pizza on your own in one sitting.
Just like many seemingly sinfully delicious foods, eating them in moderation comes with health-boosting benefits! So if you’re ever craving a toast for breakfast, or a French baguette dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or even a rye bread sandwich, then it’s perfectly fine to indulge in these decadent delights.
The wonderful thing about bread is that you have colorful choices to choose from around the world, all of which have their distinct flavor, texture, and nutrients. If you’re craving bread, but don’t know what kind would satisfy your taste buds, then let’s explore three main kinds of bread baked across the globe.
A Gastronomic Exploration of the Three Primary Kinds of Bread
There are three main types of bread, those that rise and are baked in pans, bread with medium volume, and bread that remains flat throughout the process. Different baking processes and the ingredients used can completely alter the way bread is enjoyed, so the three primary types of bread mentioned paves the way for the creation of the following perennial favorites:
Wholemeal Bread
One of the go-to choices around the world, wholemeal and wheatmeal bread are some of the most popular kinds, thanks to their incredible flavor, softness, and versatility. Any bread is considered “wholemeal” so long as it primarily contains wholemeal flour no matter the processing, though some differences alter the structure, texture, and nutrient contents.
For instance, wholemeal bread needs more water during the mixing stage to boost its consistency since wholemeal is more water-absorbent. Since it’s wetter, the dough has a weaker dough structure; that’s why it’s often added with a protein known as gluten to restore its strength.
Multigrain Bread
When you mix multigrain with wholemeal, you’ll have kibbled bread mixed with other ingredients like rye, oats, corn, barley, millet, soy, alfalfa, rice, and more. With so many additional grains thrown into the blend, multigrain bread also needs more gluten to strengthen the dough.
Combining different grains creates one of the most artisanal, flavor-packed multigrain bread that you often see in quaint and charming bakery shops.
Rye Breads
Blended with rye and wheat flour, rye bread was a delicacy in Europe and became a delicious treat in other cultures. It has a weaker dough due to the low protein content, though its amylase enzyme content makes it sweeter since it has more starch to break down into sugars.
The Bottom Line: The Many Wonders of Bread
There’s no one way to enjoy bread, and the best part is there is a world of choices you can explore and sate your cravings. The types of bread mentioned above only categorize the incredible baked goods you’d find lining up bakery shops, but they’re an excellent starting point that can put you in the right direction when looking for the best one that suits your taste.
Are You Looking for the Best Bakery in Centennial, CO?
Nothing beats the comforting freshness, fluffiness, and flavorsome palate of baked goods. While there are different kinds of bread and cakes popping up in mom-and-pop bakeries, Ana’s Norwegian Bakeri serves Norwegian pastries like cinnamon rolls, school rolls, sunshine rolls, and more to sate your craving for sweet or savory, Scandinavian goods.
Explore our mouth-watering selection of Scandinavian desserts and see how our recipes can transport you to an idyllic cafe somewhere in the scenic streets of Norway.