6 Irresistible Types of Bread from Around Europe

Bread is an integral part of human history. Believed to be one of the first 'prepared' foodstuffs that didn't require foraging or hunting, the story of this seemingly simple food begins some 30,000 years ago, with evidence in Europe and Australia suggesting that a primitive form of flatbread was cooked over an open fire. From those humble beginnings, bread in all its guises has conquered the world. It's a universal food, eaten in every country around the globe in some shape or form. Each variation has its own culinary backstory, so let's have a look at some of Europe's most popular bread types.

Each bread type has its own distinct origins, characteristics and flavours, making it a versatile complement to a range of cuisines. It's also an immensely adaptable food, making anything from egg soldiers to club sandwiches, a tasty French croque monsieur or a Portuguese francesinha, both oozing with ham and melted cheese. You can fry bread croutons to sprinkle on soups, or use up stale bread as stuffing for the Christmas turkey... your options are virtually as endless as the bread types you can buy. 

Made with white wheat flour, water, yeast and salt, long, thin baguette loaves have a crunchy outer layer with a soft and light texture in the middle. They began to appear in Gallic gastronomy by the early 19th century, and today are one of France's most iconic foods. Baguettes are bought daily from bakeries and cafés across the country, and are devoured with hot chocolate or strong coffee at breakfast, as a side dish at lunch and dinner, or as a quick, filling snack with butter, jam or cheese for kids after school.

As prevalent in Italy as baguette is in France, ciabatta is a light bread with an irregular, open texture (a bit like Emmental cheese) and a crisp crust. Shaped into a flat, oblong loaf, it's made using high-gluten flour, with olive oil, herbs or spices sometimes added for flavour. To create its signature holes, the dough is left to rise for about two hours. As this bread has quite a hard crust, it does not crumble easily and is the star of the show when it comes to making a toasted panini filled with mozzarella and tomatoes. 

Made from at least two different grains or seeds – which could include barley, oats, wholewheat, flax, linseed or sunflower among countless other options – multigrain bread types are dense and hearty in texture, making them excellent sandwich material. However, not all multigrain breads are made equal, for some contain a combination of refined grains (like the ones found in white bread) as well as whole grains; to get the full wellness benefits of multigrain bread types, you'll need to check the ingredients of the loaf before buying. 

This nutty, earthy bread type is made with 100 percent rye flour, has a distinctly malty, sour taste and aroma, and a very dense texture. Caraway seeds are nearly always added to rye bread – its darkest incarnation is known as pumpernickel bread – which gives the loaf its distinctive aroma. It serves as a foil for strong food flavours, and is the best-known accompaniment to the deli favourite pastrami-on-rye sandwich served with mustard and dill pickles, a staple of Jewish cuisine. 

With a sour aroma and taste – as its name suggests – sourdough needs a long fermentation process involving natural yeasts and 'good' lactic acid bacteria, which feed on a mixture of water and flour to become a 'starter' – a portion of which is added to dough to make it rise, taking longer than the yeast used in white bread. Having originated in Ancient Egypt around 1,500 BC, sourdough is one of the oldest-known breads, and is a delicious accompaniment for smashed avocado sprinkled with paprika. 

White is the most common bread type eaten across Europe and indeed globally. It's produced on a commercial scale and is usually made from wheat flour with the bran and germ layers removed during milling, which allows it to be stored for long periods before it goes stale. With a mild flavour and aroma, plus a light colour and slightly moist texture, it lends itself to breakfast sandwiches and toast with all manner of toppings; just be sure to look at the ingredient list to check for additives. 

Bread making can be an unforgiving art, with precise ratios of flour to water required, along with lots of mixing, kneading, fermenting and rising to form the perfect loaf. Understanding all those stages makes baking bread easier. 

Roughly speaking, the magical process is as follows:

• Measuring out the flour, yeast, salt and water plus any additional flavourings like fruit, seeds or nuts
• Mixing the dough to the right consistency
• Resting, stretching and kneading the dough
• Waiting for the first rise or fermentation
• Shaping the dough
• Waiting for the second rise or fermentation
• Pre-heating the oven
• Scoring the top of the loaf
• Baking
• Cooling

To this basic list you can add various flour and ingredient combinations to produce a virtually infinite variety of bread types, differing in shape, size, consistency, texture and aroma – ah yes, that wonderful smell of freshly baked bread. Of course, you can always cheat when it comes to making bread; buy a breadmaker and that will do all the heavy lifting for you.

Although the consumption of bread has been somewhat vilified in recent diet-aware times, it can be a surprisingly healthy food option, containing the vital complex carbohydrates that our bodies need for energy every day. 

Multigrain loaves made of whole grains and seeds are one of the healthiest bread types, being high in fibre and nutrients. Seeds and grains added to bread, from hemp, sesame and sunflower to black poppy or watermelon, act as mini-powerhouses bursting with fibre, protein, unsaturated fats, minerals and vitamins. If you're looking to nurture your wellbeing, buy wholemeal rather than over-refined white bread; traditional baguettes and ciabattas are also lower in fats than white options.

Gluten-free bread types are increasing in popularity as health-conscious buyers look for alternatives to wheat flour; the use of almond, coconut, chickpea, buckwheat or oat flour – the latter is also very sustainable as it's low on water usage – is on the rise. Confusingly, rye bread types don't contain wheat flour but are not gluten free; nevertheless they have a lower glycemic index than wheat-based loaves and so impact less on blood-sugar levels. Sourdough is another healthy bread type as its starter is a live culture packed with yeast and bacteria, which react with the gluten found in flour and make it easier to digest. 

A growing global interest in wellness and sustainability is the driver for the current popularity of artisanal bread types. Consumers are looking for healthier produce but don't want to compromise on taste, and high-quality baked goods are an easy way to aid wellbeing and boost nutrition – reducing sugar levels while using sourdough and gluten-free or organic flour – so we can all snack on something deliciously comforting without feeling guilty about calories. Buying a handcrafted cottage loaf from a small, local bakery helps us feel more connected with our food and what goes into it, and may also contribute to reducing food miles. 

So what are five characteristics of artisan bread? 

• They often have a rustic appearance.
• They are created with complex layers of flavour and a dense texture.
• Each has a unique shape as the dough is hand-mixed and kneaded using top-quality ingredients.
• The dough is often fermented for long periods.
• The bread is baked in small batches.

All this is reflected in the price, of course, and you'll generally pay more for an artisanal bread than a factory-produced loaf – the taste is definitely worth it, however!

Bread is one of the oldest foods in human history. Enjoy eating it in moderation to feel the full benefits of its nutritional values.