We Love Our Bread

When I sit and look at my toast this morning, a question strikes me. What is it about bread that makes it so delicious? Is it the yeasty aroma that wafts through the air the moment it emerges from the oven? Or is it the crumble and crunch of the warm loaf as it is sliced, buttered and served. Or purely just the excitement of seeing the product of a four hour long process of mixing, kneading, rising and baking, finally complete and waiting to be eaten.

Whatever the case, bread has to be the most amazing staple of all time. Not only is it scrumptious, but it exists in many forms, both big and small. It amazes me to think that the simple combination of flour, water and yeast has been adapted to create an endless list of uniquely shaped, flavoured and textured breads.

Just a quick visit to the local bakery proves my point where besides the generic sliced loaf, it is possible to pick up bagels, buns, sourdough, rye, cheese and bacon rolls, spinach bread, brioche...and the list continues.

I sit and think but I can’t decide where bread must have originated. It seems that just about every nation on Earth has its own recipe, all suited to adapt to the tastes of the region in which it was created.

When it comes to breads of the world, the first image that comes to mind is a crunchy ciabbata loaf from Italy. Best cut on the diagonal, toasted and served as bruschetta.

You’ve got the French croissant – those silky, buttery parcels of pastry which go perfectly with a mug of incredibly dense and rich hot chocolate. And who could forget the humble baguette, sliced open and stuffed with a range of deli meats and condiments.

Jump across the channel to the English country side and you will find the British Cottage Loaf, an unusual wonder consisting of two rounds placed one-on-top of the other with a central hole, almost like a double-decker donut.

Germany cranks it up a notch with a variety of recipes for rye bread, which is dark in colour and nutty in flavour, and makes a mean sandwich. A real specialty is the Christmas Stollen, a fruit loaf with a log of marzipan through the centre.

Sri Lankan (and my ancestral) Indian nations prefer an unleavened style known as roti or chapatti. It is eaten with the meal and pieces are torn off and used as a spoon to scoop up the sopping goodness off the plate. This is not unlike the range of Arabic flatbreads which are used in much the same way.

And this article wouldn’t be complete without the iconic damper of our homeland, simply made with flour and water and cooked over an open fire, the perfect camp food!

However made or eaten, the bottom line is that the bread on our plates is enjoyed time and time again. Recipes are cherished and recreated daily to continue this wonderful art.

By Brendon D’Souza a.k.a. The Smiling Chef :)