17 Different Types of Bread to Savor,

From Baguettes to Whole Wheat

And they're all so good.

BY JILL GLEESON
UPDATED: APR 15, 2022

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While low-carb diets might try to cut out bread, for most of us it remains, as the
old saying goes, "the staff of life." Yes, it might get a bad rap, but bread has been a
staple of the human diet since the Neolithic period, about 10,000 years ago, for a
good reason. No only is it delicious (there is nothing better than buttered toast!),
it’s also inexpensive and filling. Different types of bread have been beloved by so
many for so long, it’s not surprising that a crop of superstitions about the foodstuff
has arisen, like the legend that whoever eats the last slice has to kiss the cook, or
the old wives’ tale that eating crusts will make your hair curl (is that why kids
always want the crusts cut off their PB&J's?).

While Merriam-Webster defines bread as "usually baked and leavened food made

of a mixture whose basic constituent is flour or meal," it can also be boiled,
steamed, or fried. Just about every culture around the globe has their own type of
bread, from Australia’s iconic damper, a wheat-based bread traditionally baked in
campfire coals, to mantou, a Chinese steamed bun made with white flour, to the
ever-popular American banana bread, a "quick" bread that might better be
classified as dessert, but shhh, don't tell.

There’s a whole wonderful world of bread beyond basic white, so why not liven up
your table with one of the following bread types? (Love to cook? Then check out
different types of pasta and types of flour too.)

1Banana Bread
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To this category, we can also add zucchini bread. Both banana and zucchini bread
are dense, moist, sweet treats, usually chemically leavened with baking soda or
baking powder. It’s supposed that both of these “quick” breads got their start in
the United States, where 18th-century bakers first used pearlash, a refined form of
potash, to create carbon dioxide in dough. Today, American bakers search online
for banana bread recipes more often than any other bread. It’s so popular, it even
has its own holiday: February 23 is National Banana Bread Day.

Try our recipe for One-Bowl Chocolate Banana Bread.

2Baguette
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Nothing else in the bread family, not even the wonderfully flaky croissant, conjures
images of the Eiffel Tower and all things French the way the baguette does. The
long, stick-like loaf, also called French bread (thanks to its origins), is made with
flour, yeast, water, and salt. From those simple ingredients rises the iconic
baguette, distinguished by its chewy crust, feather-light interior, and topside
slashes, which allow for gas expansion during baking.
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3Breadstick

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Would it really be an Italian meal without a serving of this pencil-thin dry bread
sitting atop the table as an appetizer? Much smaller than a baguette, breadsticks
are said to have originated in the boot-shaped country in the 17th century.
Nowadays, American restaurants sometimes serve them soft and warm, topped
with cheese and garlic, or as a dessert with icing and cinnamon.

4Brioche
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Our tastebuds owe the French a huge debt of gratitude for inventing brioche, a
traditionally sweet yeast bread loaded with eggs and butter. People have been
enjoying the golden, soft-as-a-pillow pastry for ages—the word brioche dates to
1404—and it’s now commonly used as hamburger buns, dinner rolls, and even in
French toast recipes.

Try our recipe for Rosemary Brioche Rolls.

5Challah
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Challah, which is made with eggs and most often braided, is integral to the Jewish
faith. Served on the Sabbath and holidays, it was originally called  berches before
the word challah was adopted in the Middle Ages. The bread continues to carry
rich meaning, from the poppy and sesame seeds sprinkled on top that symbolize
manna from God, to the plaited shape, which represents love.

Try our recipe for Challah.

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6Ciabatta

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Ciabatta hails from Italy, where the word means "slipper" in the native language.
Usually broad, flat, and somewhat collapsed in the middle, it’s the perfect bread to
use in paninis and sandwiches. Unlike most of the types of bread on this list, this
wheat flour–based bread is a recent invention, first produced in 1982.

Try our recipe for Ciabatta.

7Cornbread
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The bread maybe most associated with the region below the Mason-Dixon Line,
cornbread originated with Native Americans. Made from finely ground corn,
wheat flour, eggs, and milk (or buttermilk), Southern-style cornbread is
traditionally baked in a skillet, either unleavened or with baking powder. Crumbly,
rich, and crispy, classic cornbread should be enjoyed quickly because it doesn’t
store well.

Try our recipe for Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter.

8Focaccia

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Another bread originating from Italy, focaccia is a flat, dimpled yeast bread
resembling pizza dough that's baked at high temperatures in sheet pans. Often
topped with olive oil, rosemary and coarse salt, focaccia’s exact origins are
unknown, though it might date back to Ancient Rome. Focaccia’s name is derived
from the Latin panis focacius, which means fireplace bread. Modern varieties
include savory toppings like olives, tomatoes, and mushrooms.

Try our recipe for Flower Focaccia.

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9Multigrain Bread

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Seemingly, not a lot of creativity was used when naming multigrain bread, since
it’s defined simply as bread made from more than one grain. It can include flax,
oats, and barley, but be aware that even bread made from wheat and a smidge of
flour from a second grain can be called multigrain. If you’re looking for dense,
hearty multigrain, which is terrific for sandwiches, be sure to check the label.

Try our recipe for Five-Grain Bread.

10Pita Bread

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Like tortillas and naan, pita is a flatbread. Soft and round, this slightly leavened
bread, which originated in the Middle East some 4,000 years ago, is cooked at a
high temperature. This causes the dough to puff up, leaving a handy interior
pocket when it cools. Goodies like falafel can be stuffed into the pocket, although
pitas are also wrapped around ingredients—as in the case of gyros—or used to
scoop up dips such as hummus and tzatziki.

11Pumpernickel
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A type of rye bread, flavorful pumpernickel hails from Germany, where it’s made
with coarsely ground whole rye berries. The traditional version requires a lot of
patience to create, since the recipe calls for baking pumpernickel at a low
temperature for as long as 24 hours. Americans typically eschew the marathon
oven session, instead producing pumpernickel’s dark hue by adding molasses or
coffee.

Try our recipe for Raisin Pumpernickel Bread.

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12Rye Bread
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Crucial to beloved deli sandwiches like Reubens, rye bread can come light,
medium, or dark, depending on which part of the rye berry is used to make the
flour. In Europe, bakers tend to use 100% rye flour, while in the U.S., rye bread
may be mainly made from wheat flour. Some recipes call for adding caraway or dill
seeds on top.

Try our recipe for Simple Rye Bread.

13Soda Bread
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As anyone who seriously celebrates St. Patrick's Day will tell you, the world’s most
legendary soda bread comes courtesy of the Emerald Isle. Recipes vary widely
between Ireland and the U.S., but traditional soda bread contains soft wheat flour,
buttermilk, baking soda, and salt. Dense with a thick crust, this bread has a mild
flavor, though in the U.S., bakers add raisins, giving it a slight sweetness.

Try our recipe for Irish Soda Bread.

14Sourdough
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Thought to have originated in Egypt in 1500 B.C., sourdough bread is created via a
long fermenting process using yeasts and lactobacilli that occur naturally. This
creates lactic acid, which gives the bread its signature, slightly sour flavor.
Sourdough bread, pretty much a trademark food for the San Francisco Bay area, is
better for digestion and blood sugar control, as well as more nutritious, than many
other types of bread.

Try our recipe for Easy Sourdough Bread.

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15Whole Wheat

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Speaking of healthy breads, whole wheat, which is one of a range of whole grain
breads, is one of the very best breads for your body. Made from flour that uses the
entire grain, including the bran and germ, whole wheat offers more fiber, protein,
and vitamins than white bread. It also boasts a richer flavor and aroma.

16Bagel
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Bring on the cream cheese and lox! A bagel, purported to have come out of Poland
in the early 17th century, is a round bread made from high-gluten flour, salt, water,
yeast and malt. Once shaped, the dough is boiled, then baked, resulting in a bread
that is a rich caramel color that should crackle slightly when you bite into it. Some
folks like them toasted, to others that's sacrilege, but no matter how you take
them, a bagel is the perfect way to start the day!

Try our recipe for Homemade Bagels.

17Boule
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One of the oldest types of French bread, the name refers to the shape, as boule
means "ball" in French. A typical French boule is a hearty, country-style bread. It
has a chewy crust, an open crumb, and a moderately soft interior and can be baked
in a variety of sizes. It is most often made with white bread flour, similar to the
dough used for a baguette, however a variety of flours and other ingredients can be
used.