15 Types of Bread - Different Types of Bread, Explained - The Pioneer Woman
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For so many of us, bread is a comfort food. That's true of Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman herself. "When I was growing up, my mom always made her cornbread in those cute cast-iron corn-stick pans—I still remember the delicious crispy edges!" she recalls. These days, she bakes all types of bread in cast iron. "Cast iron gets screaming hot," she explains, "so it's perfect for giving biscuits, rolls, and other breads a beautiful crust." If you also love bread that's freshly baked in the oven, good news: there are so many different kinds to try!
There are dozens of types of bread, all of which are baked differently and used in cooking differently. For instance, the best bread for French toast isn't the same bread best for sandwiches. Many of them are baked with different types of flour (and don't even get us started on comparing bread flour versus all-purpose flour). If you're learning how to make artisan sourdough bread, you'll want a good starter recipe for the dough. And if it becomes enough of a daily household to-do, you can shop the best bread machines on the market! It makes the job so much easier.
From sandwich bread to loaves with names that are hard to pronounce (looking at you, boule), there's a bread out there for every taste! To learn more about them all, here's a list of the most popular types of bread you'll find at the supermarket.
1White Bread
The granddaddy of all sandwich breads, white bread is practically an American icon—the bookends housing a lunchtime PB&J, the slice upon which butter is slathered, the mop for all the barbecue juices and sauce pooled beneath a meaty stack. White bread comes from white flour, which is the result of milling once the bran and germ are removed from the wheatberry. This process removes the natural oils found in wheatberries, which allows for a longer shelf-life, as it's the oils found in the bran and germ that go rancid first. This also means that white bread lacks the nutritional benefits found in breads using whole grains.
2Whole Wheat Bread
Whole wheat bread is made from flour that uses just that—the whole wheatberry. This means that whole wheat bread boasts more nutritional value, as the flour is milled from the whole grain, which boasts more fiber and protein than flours milled without the bran or germ. Whole wheat bread also has a deeper, richer flavor than white bread.
3Multigrain Bread
Technically, multigrain bread is made from at least two different grains—think oat, barley, millet, flax, etc. However, this doesn't mean whole grains are always used, so if seeking a nutritional boost from multigrain bread, be sure to check the label to ensure that whole grains were used and the the bread does in fact pack in more nutrients.
4Rye Bread
Without the rye berry, there would be no rye bread—and without rye bread, there would be no Reuben sandwich. And if you've ever had a Reuben, you know that a world without this classic sandwich would be a travesty of epic proportions! Okay, okay... maybe that's stretching it, but rye bread is among a category of breads that should be deemed "unforgettable." There's a wide range when it comes to rye bread, as varying levels of color, texture and even flavor are dependent on the amount of rye flour used as well as which part of the grain is milled. Most sliced rye bread found in supermarkets also contains caraway seeds, which add another distinctive level of flavor. Crispbreads, a popular northern European snack resembling a crispy flatbread, are often made using rye flour.
5Sourdough Bread
Unlike most leavened breads that include commercial yeast found in the baking aisle, sourdough is made from entirely wild yeast, which feeds and grows on a water-flour combination known as a "starter." Wild yeast requires more time for dough to rise, compared to commercial yeast, and the process results in the signature "sour" flavor beloved by sourdough-lovers everywhere. Essentially a white bread with a much more pronounced flavor, sourdough is known for having a crisp, crusty exterior and porous, fluffy interor.
6Pumpernickel Bread
True pumpernickel bread is a German variety of rye bread made using only rye flour and a long baking time set at a low temperature. However, some supermarket varieties of pumpernickel bread are made from a dough combination of rye flour and regular white flour that is then colored with molasses in order to achieve its signature brown color.
7Baguette
Is there anything more French? Considering over 30 million baguettes are sold in France daily, there's a reason why the baguette also gets labeled "French bread" in some parts. These long, crusty loaves can range in length to upwards of two-and-a-half feet and are beloved for their crisp exteriors and soft, chewy interiors.
The French word for "ball," a boule is named after the shape the dough takes on before being baked. Some boules are made with a dough comprised of the same classic ingredients used to make a baguette, but others are made with blends of flours or even mix-ins like olives or fresh herbs.
9Ciabatta
This Italian loaf came about in 1982 as a response to the popularity of the French baguette. Made from a dough that includes olive oil, ciabatta is known for its porous interior featuring alveolar-like air pockets and was developed for the sole purpose of being a better match for classic Italian food than other existing breads. It's also used to make Italian sandwiches known as panini.
10Challah
A symbolic bread within the Jewish faith, challah is often braided into loaves and made from an egg-heavy dough, which gives the bread its signature yellow hue. It's soft, fluffy, and tender with occasional toppings like poppy seeds or salt that symbolize different religious meanings.
11Brioche
This sweet, fluffy bread is French in origin, but has become omnipresent in its use thanks to its fluffy, buttery consistency. It's a a rich dough made using both eggs and butter, which lends itself well to dishes like French toast and bread puddings.
12Flatbread
The word "flatbread" will appear on some bread labels, but when it comes down it, flatbread is more of an over-arching type of bread that applies to multiple international options including—but not limited to!—naan, pita, tortillas, lavash, focaccia, roti and matzoh. Some are leavened, others are not, but they're all doughs that are rolled flat before being baked or cooked over a heat source.
13English Muffin
A yeasted bread that's less like a muffin and more akin to an English crumpet, English muffins are known for their craggy interiors. The dough is cooked over a heat source on both sides, which gives them their signature browned exteriors.
An icon of the Jewish delicatessen, bagels differ from standards breads for two reasons: They have a hole in the center and the dough is boiled before being baked, thus giving the bagel it's signature glossy exterior.
Bialys are the more rustic cousin of the bagel, as they're also a beloved staple of Jewish delicatessens. However, instead of the hole in the center, bialys have a depression instead that is filled with many of the same toppings that appear on bagels; the bialy is also baked straightaway from dough, skipping the boiling part that defines the bagel, and thus giving it more of a traditional bread-like exterior.
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