Breads

Breads

Baked, fried or steamed, bread is often called the "staff of life." It has been basic foodstuff for a variety of cultures for millenia. Bread isn't just a source of nutrition. It has taken on remarkable cultural and symbolic significance, from its inclusion as an element of the Christian Eucharist to its use as a metaphor for money.

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Bread Recipes

Arepas

(Venezuelan corncakes)

Arepas were originally made by the indigenous inhabitants of Venezuela and Colombia. These small corncakes are sold in Venezuelan restaurants called areperías and are stuffed with all manner of fillings like a sandwich. In Colombia, arepas are made a little smaller and are spread with butter or topped with cheese. Read more »

Baking Powder Biscuits

(American breakfast quickbread)

Here is an easy, quick recipe for basic American breakfast biscuits. Spread with jam or serve topped with a generous portion of sausage gravy. Baking powder biscuits make a great addition to any Sunday morning breakfast. Read more »

Bammy

(Jamaican cassava flatbread)

Bammy, or bammie, is a cassava bread descended from the simple flatbread eaten by the Arawaks, Jamaica's original inhabitants. In Jamaica, bammy is usually bought from a local vendor and served for breakfast or as a side dish with fish. Read more »

Banana Bread

(Caribbean sweet quickbread)

Banana bread is eaten in many countries, of course. But it is especially popular in the Caribbean, particularly in Aruba, Jamaica and the Bahamas. Serve slices with dollop of whipped cream and a cup of coffee or hot tea. Also great for breakfast or as a snack for kids. Read more »

Bao

(Chinese steamed, filled buns)

Bao, also known as baozi, are pillowy, soft buns that are either steamed or baked. They come with a variety of fillings and are a common item in dim sum shops. Bao are a favorite breakfast or mid-morning snack. Read more »

Barmbrack

(Irish fruit bread)

Barmbrack is a tea bread popular in Ireland, especially around Halloween. This lightly sweet bread, studded with dried fruit, is best served toasted with a good smear of butter and a hot cup of Irish tea. Read more »

Bauernbrot

(German farmer-style rye bread)

Authentic-tasting German bread is easier to make than you'd think. Bauernbrot, or farmer's bread, is a hearty rye bread that is the standard loaf in many German homes, especially in the south. It was traditionally made from scratch in farm homes and baked in age-old, wood-fired ovens. It takes a few hours from start to finish, but most of that time is spent resting the dough or baking it. The final product has a dense crumb, full flavor and a chewy crust. Read more »

Boston Brown Bread

(American steamed wholegrain molasses bread)

What goes best with Boston baked beans? Why, Boston brown bread, of course! Lightly sweet, with a deep, rich color, brown bread is a scrumptious, whole-grain treat made from a batter that is steamed, sliced and spread with butter. Most New Englanders are familiar with a version that is sold in cans, but it's so easy to throw together, there's no reason not to make your own. Read more »

Boxty

(Irish potato pancakes)

Boxty comes from the northern regions of Ireland and goes well with a breakfast of sausages, bacon and eggs or as a side dish to Irish stew. Read more »

Buñuelos de Queso

(Puerto Rican cheese fritters)

These small cheese fritters are an excellent and easy side dish for a Puerto Rican meal. Read more »

Cachapas

(Venezuelan fresh corn pancakes)

Cachapas are rib-sticking pancakes made with fresh corn. They are sold as road-side snacks in Venezuela, wrapped around queso fresco, mozzarella, chopped ham, chorizo or spread with butter, cream cheese or sour cream. Cachapas are a great, gluten-free option for people who can't tolerate pancakes made with wheat flour. Read more »

Challah

(Israeli Jewish braided Sabbath bread)

Challah is the traditional bread that begins Sabbath meals in every observant Jewish home. These braided loaves are a symbol and reminder of the miraculous manna that fell from the heavens to feed the Israelites as they wandered in the desert. For Rosh Hashanah, a round challah is favored and symbolizes the cycle of the year. Read more »

Chapati

(Indian wholewheat flatbread)

Chapati, or chapatti, is a popular bread accompaniment to a northern Indian meal. It is a simple wheat flatbread typically baked on a hot griddle, or tava. Pieces are broken off and wrapped around food before it is popped in the mouth. Read more »

Cherniy Hleb

(Russian black bread)

A hearty loaf of sourdough rye bread represents for many Russians the core of the Russian soul. As an old Russian saying goes, "porridge is our mother; bread is our father." Read more »

Cornbread

(American cornmeal bread)

This recipe is for Southern cornbread, a drier, crunchier cornbread than its more cake-like Northern counterpart. It is best eaten same day it is baked. Stale leftovers can be used to make cornbread dressing. See the variations to make the Northern version. Read more »

Cornbread Dressing

(American cornmeal bread dressing)

Cornbread dressing is the only dressing there is for many Southerners. It's a favorite for Thanksgiving. The recipe below is a basic foundation for innumerable variations. Each cook has his or her favorite version. Read more »

Crêpes

(French thin pancakes)

Savory or sweet, stuffed, rolled, stacked or drenched in a boozy orange syrup, crepes are a versatile favorite from France. These thin, delicate pancakes originated in Brittany in the northwest of the country, but they have spread in popularity around the world. Crepes are available as a quick snack in France from small carts or shops called crêperies. In Brittany, it is traditional to accompany crepes with a glass of the local cider. Read more »

Focaccia Genovese

(Italian olive oil bread with sea salt and rosemary)

Focaccia is a rich Italian bread with roots in ancient Rome. It's name is derived from the Latin panis focacius, meaning "hearth bread," and authentic focaccia is still baked in wood-fired ovens. There are endless variations made in the Italy's various regions, but the most famous focaccia comes from the Ligurian town of Genoa on the northwest coast, where it's called a fugassa in the local dialect. Read more »

Irish Soda Bread

(Irish soda-leavened bread)

This is the traditional recipe for Irish soda bread, containing only flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Soda bread became a popular hearth bread in Ireland in the mid-19th century when baking soda became available as a leavener. A baked loaf of bread is called "cake," while flattened wedges baked on the stovetop are called "farl." Read more »

Kulich

(Eastern Orthodox sweet Easter bread)

Kulich (кулич) is a tall, cylindrical sweet bread that is served for Easter in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. It is traditionally paired with paskha, a sort of cheesecake. The two confections are taken to church on Easter Sunday to be blessed by the local priest. Then for the Easter meal, slices of kulich are spread with paskha and eaten. If you don't have a kulich mold, you will need a 2-pound coffee can for this recipe. Read more »

Lavash

(Southwest Asian thin flatbread)

Authentic lavash isn't the soft, doughy version used for wraps that is found in most American markets. While freshly baked lavash has a soft, flexible texture, it quickly becomes crisp and crunchy. Fittingly, this thin flatbread is sometimes called "crackerbread." Lavash — also spelled lahvash, lawaash, lavosh, lawasha — is one of the most common breads in southwest Asia and the Middle East and is baked by slapping dough on the blisteringly hot sides of a tandoor oven. Read more »

Lefse

(Norwegian potato flatbread)

Lefse is a flatbread from Norway — similar to a flour tortilla or chapati — that is generally made with a potato-based dough and grilled on a flat griddle. Traditionally lefse is rolled out with a grooved rolling pin that prevents air pockets and is turned with a special wooden paddle. Read more »

Naan

(Indian tandoor-baked bread)

Naan is the famous bread from northern India that is baked in a distinctive tandoor oven. Variations of naan are found from India to Central Asia on into the Middle East. The intense heat of a tandoor is most closely replicated in the modern home by a very hot oven. Read more »

Nacatamales

(Honduran, Nicaraguan meat and vegetable-filled tamales)

Nacatamales, are popular steamed corncakes from Nicaragua and Honduras. They are similar to Mexican tamales but are larger, filled with meat and vegetables and steamed in banana leaves. Nacatamales are special occasion food and are most often served as a Sunday morning meal or at Christmas, weddings and other large celebrations. Read more »

Pan de Jamón

(Venezuelan ham, raisin and olive bread)

Pan de jamón is a traditional Venezuelan Christmas bread, but you can enjoy it any time of the year. A sweet, soft dough is rolled up around savory ham, sweet raisins and pimento-stuffed olives. The result is like a gift from heaven. Read more »