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Reverted edits by Roxanne2801 (Talk) to last version by Aschlafly
[[Image:Bread and grain.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Several kinds of bread and grain]]
'''Bread''' is a staple [[food]] eaten by many cultures throughout history.
==History==
Bread is made by grinding [[cereals]] ([[wheat]], [[rye]] or [[barley]]) into a [[flour]] and adding water to make a [[dough]]. The dough is kneaded (mixed using the flat of the hands) to trap air in the mixture and then formed into a loaf. The loaf is then baked in a hot oven until the bread is cooked.
Bread was originally unleavened until the Egyptians discovered adding [[yeast]] (a by-product of [[beer]] production), would cause the bread to rise in the manner of most modern loaves. Most modern breads now use yeast as a leavening agent although unleavened bread is still produced (some [[Jewish]] breads and "flatbreads" such as chapatis).
==Types of bread==
*[[French]] baguette - a long loaf with a hard crust.
*Bread roll - A small loaf of bread commonly served with a [[soup]] or as a [[sandwich]]. There are many regional words for a bread roll. Common ones include a "cob", "oven bottom", "barm", "bampot", "bap", "tea-cake" in [[West]] [[Yorkshire]] or "stottie" in [[Tyneside]].
*Granary or wholemeal bread - these contain more of the grain than white bread and are a good source of [[fiber]].
*[[Naan bread]] - A flat [[Indian]] bread often served with a [[curry]].
*Grissini (or breadsticks) - cigar-sized snack breads often served with [[Italy|Italian]] dishes.
==Toast==
Toasted bread is part of the first meal of the day for millions of people, particularly with [[butter]], [[lard]], [[marmalade]] or [[jam]]. Although toast was originally produced by grilling bread, the [[toaster]] was invented to speed up the process and is now a popular addition to the kitchen.
=Storage=
Bread must be stored in order to delay its [[spoiling]], which normally occurs by either going [[stale]] or growing [[mold]]. There are two common methods of storing bread:
* Bagging: Bread normally comes in plastic bags, unless purchased fresh from a [[bakery]]. This plastic bag prevents loss of [[moisture]] from the bread, delaying it from becoming stale. The bag also prevents the [[deposition]] of mold [[spores]], by means of acting as a barrier. Typically, bread bags are held closed by a specialized clip mechanism known as a bread clip.
* Boxing: Bread is also stored in bread boxes, a [[specialized]] container made of metal, [[ceramics]], plastic or even glass. Bread boxes have the same advantages that bags do, with the added advantage of protecting the bread from both crushing and [[vermin]]. Bread boxes are extremely popular in America and Britain, and inspired the phrase "bigger than a breadbox."
==see also==
* [[Food]]
==Further reading==
* Davidson, Alan, et al, eds. ''The Oxford Companion to Food'' (2nd Ed 2006), 907 pages with 2,650 entries covering the world's foods, seasoning, cuisine, cooking methods, chefs, historical developments, and myths. [http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Companion-Food-Alan-Davidson/dp/0192115790/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198221064&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Kaplan, Steven. ''Good Bread Is Back: A Contemporary History of French Bread, the Way It Is Made, and the People Who Make It'' (2006) [http://www.amazon.com/Good-Bread-Back-Contemporary-History/dp/0822338335/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190219793&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
[[Category:Baked Goods]]