Types of Bread

Very short bread

Bread is a food product obtained by baking a leavened dough made from wheat flour (or other cereals) and water in the oven; it can be simple, as described, or contain many other ingredients (mix of flour, seasoning fats, milk, vegetables, spices, salt, seeds, achenes, drupes etc.).

The types of bread made from wheat flour, barley, rye or oats contain gluten (gliadin and glutenin), therefore they are NOT suitable for celiacs; on the other hand, there are some varieties of bread, obtained by means of alternative systems to natural leavening, which represent a valid food substitute in case of celiac disease.

According to Italian legislation, the "common" bread must:

• contain only essential ingredients (water, leavening agents and soft or hard wheat flour);
• be subjected to cooking (total or partial).

The addition of any other ingredient, besides the essential ones mentioned above, classifies the product among the " special breads "; some of the best known examples are: oil bread, walnut bread, milk bread, 5-cereal bread, butter bread, sesame bread, etc. On the other hand, the possible combinations of ingredients and cooking and leavening methods give life to countless types of bread. Among these, types of bread are also considered products such as piadine, tigelle, pinzini, crescentine, crackers, breadsticks, rusks, carasau bread, friselle, taralli ... although, in my view, consider the considerable differences in the appearance and consistency, they should be grouped together into a set that can be defined as "like bread" or more generally "baked goods".

Below, rather than listing the types of bread distributed in the various regions of Italy, I will emphasize which nutritional differences characterize the different products based on the ingredients that make them up.

Differences in the basic flour

The "basic" flours (and the related mixtures) that can be used for the production of bread are really many; in addition to the classic wheat, we recall the others containing gluten (such as barley, rye and oat) and also those without gluten (obtained from other cereals or legumes, mixed and leavened with chemical agents).

Then, with regard to the same products, wholemeal and refined flours differ, possibly distinguished by the further criterion from fine or coarse grinding; obviously, a thinner grinding corresponds to a greater ease of amalgamation and a better activation of gliadin with glutenin.

A further level of differentiation of the basic flours concerns the "strength" (W), that is the relative concentration of the gluten and the consequent capacity of the dough to retain the gases (relationship between toughness and extension). Obviously, the higher the gluten concentration, the more uncomfortable for celiacs.

From the chemical-nutritional point of view, the difference between the various flours is linked above all to the share of dietary fiber and, to a lesser extent, to the ratio between carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. Whole flours are the richest in carbohydrates NOT available and perform a greater prebiotic, satiating and stimulating function of intestinal peristalsis. On the other hand, some inequalities can be highlighted in the speed of digestion and nutritional absorption; if it is true that a greater contribution of fibers (but also of proteins) indiscriminately reduces the speed of these processes, it is also evident that the difference in the structure of the starch can speed up or slow down these reactions. To take a trivial example, rye bread and whole wheat bread are known for their characteristic digestive and stimulating "laziness" on insulin (a condition suitable for weight loss and for the dietary treatment of type 2 diabetics).

Finally we recall that, together with the fibrous component, in wholemeal flours are contained in greater quantities certain mineral salts (such as magnesium), certain vitamins (such as niacin) and some anti-nutritional components.

Differences in Water, Yeast and Cooking Salt

Also the choice of various types of water, yeast and salt can induce a certain change in the physical-chemical characteristics of the bread.

As far as water is concerned, unfortunately, it is not clear how this can affect the final product; the fact is that changing its composition (understood as a fixed residue and balance of minerals) reveals several differences in leavening and in cooking behavior (some micro and macro elements such as calcium and chlorine are probably involved). NB . When milk is used in the dough, this almost completely replaces the portion of water.

On the contrary, the presence or absence of table salt is a much more known and tested variable. I start by pointing out that the kitchen one (intended as sodium chloride) is an ingredient to ELIMINATE in the diet of subjects with high blood pressure or at risk of hypertension; such subjects should prefer insipid types of bread, such as pita or Arabic. As for the effects on the dough, salt is known to be a natural preservative; this means that its addition to the mixture could have an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of saccharomyces (yeasts). In fact, by adding it or not, it is possible to obtain a speeding up or a slowing down of the dough rising. Be careful though! It is not always said that a rapid leavening (at risk of "collapse" of the dough) is better than a progressive one (slower but manageable); also the measurement of salt is therefore fundamental to the success of the various types of bread.

Finally, how not to mention the various types of yeast; these are essentially three: sourdough or sourdough, brewer's yeast (compressed or dry) and chemical yeast (generally cream of tartar, but there are various types). The choice induces some important organoleptic changes, such as to make an alternative product unrecognizable with respect to the traditional recipe.

Chemical yeast is mainly used in gluten-free types of bread and uses the gas release mechanism following the mixing of an alkaline base with an acid in the hydrated mixture.

Brewer's yeast, on the other hand, is the most common of natural yeasts and is sold dry or compressed into cubes; these are real live and active saccharomyces that, poured and left to replicate in the dough, hydrolyse the starch, releasing carbon dioxide, alcohol and water. CO ₂ remains trapped in the gluten network by doubling the bread and - together with water vapor and cooking alcohols - contributes to the formation of the typical bubbles in the bread. The leavening can be divided into several phases and requires more time than that with chemical agents which, on the contrary, is instantaneous; this leaves a pleasant aroma of alcohol.

Finally, natural yeast, also known as sourdough or sourdough. It should be preserved and kept "alive" without interruptions, since it is made up of a mixture of microbiological colonies in continuous replication. It is different based on the area, the conservation and a thousand other factors of which we ignore the existence; its quality is the main discriminating factor in the production of the various types of bread that require it. Compared to the previous one, in addition to the alcoholic note, it gives a slightly more acidic aroma due to the presence of lactic bacteria.

There are also some types of unleavened bread; among these, the best known is undoubtedly the unleavened bread.

Differences in the Other Ingredients

All the ingredients that are not wheat flour, water, yeast and salt fall into this group.

First we mention the condiment fats, an element that improves the overall palatability, the softness of the crumb, the crispness of the crust and the preservation of the product. They can be of different types, namely: extra virgin olive oil, seed oils, lard and butter. Obviously they contribute to significantly increase the energy supply of the food and, in some cases, make it unsuitable for eating against hypercholesterolemia. To be precise, the types of bread unsuitable for this circumstance are those with lard or butter, due to the high concentration of saturated fat and cholesterol.

Among the other optional ingredients there are both foods of plant and animal origin. Among the vegetable ones, the most important (from the nutritional point of view) are certainly the flours of legumes (soy, chickpeas, peas, etc.). These contain the limiting amino acids of cereals. But they are totally gluten-free, therefore favoring the increase of the overall biological value to the detriment of the leavening capacity; it goes without saying that their percentage must be lower than that of glutinous flour and proportional to the times dedicated to leavening.

The types of bread containing dried fruit are very "fashionable" lately. Among the best known we mention the following ingredients: sesame, poppy seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, pecans, sunflower seeds etc. They do not particularly affect leavening or cooking but, also in this case, it is necessary to be careful not to exceed. Too many oily seeds - though precious because they are rich in vitamin E and fatty acids beneficial to the body - excessively increase energy intake; moreover, they would cause an exaggerated friability of the crumb that would tend to fall apart.

Then, other ingredients are quite common such as: olives, aromatic herbs (rosemary, oregano, etc.), eggs, cheeses, diced bacon, tomatoes and other vegetables etc. Eggs, cheeses and cured meats contribute to enriching the amino acid profile, the contribution of certain vitamins (A, group B etc.) and some salts (iron, calcium, etc.); however, they increase the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat in bread. The vegetable ingredients, on the other hand, favor the supply of antioxidants (phenolic substances), other vitamins (pro-vit A, vit. C, vit. E etc.) and some minerals (magnesium and potassium) but without producing any kind of side effect (except for olives which are also quite energetic).

Video Recipes - Types of Bread

Select the type of bread to access the recipe video and consult the respective nutritional values.