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lapousmor Jan 9, 2008

Dear friends,

As some of you may know, I am working as a teacher.
I just planned a new project for my Four Grade pupils. It will be all about bread.

I would like them to find details about bread in foreign countries (I mean out of France) : do people in other countries eat some bread and if yes, what kind of bread.

So here is where you could help : you are all from a wide range of countries so I would love if you could tell us a little about bread in your country.
Do you eat some bread? what kind of bread? what are the most popular breads in your country?
Of course, if you have pictures to add, this will be wonderful.

I am sure my pupils will be delighted to get some informations for such wonderful people. I am so lucky to know you lot!

Beary hugs,
Sophie.

Amanda Jan 9, 2008

England- Hiya. We tend to eat a lot of bread that is ready sliced and packaged here. Do you know the main type of bread that I have, that is freshly baked, is Indian naan bread. We have a many local Asians who make wonderful curries and naan bread is lovely. Curry is our national dish!

Naan resembles pita bread and, like pita bread, is usually leavened with yeast; unleavened dough (similar to that used for roti) is also used. Naan cooks in a tandoor, or clay oven, from which tandoori cooking takes its name. This distinguishes it from roti which is usually cooked on a flat or slightly concave iron griddle called a tava. Modern recipes sometimes substitute baking powder for the yeast. Milk or yogurt may also be used to give greater volume and thickness to the naan. Typically, the naan will be served hot and brushed with ghee or butter. A typical naan recipe involves mixing white [flour] with salt, a yeast culture, and enough yogurt to make a smooth, elastic dough. The dough is kneaded for a few minutes, then set aside to rise for a few hours. Once risen, the dough is divided into balls (about 100 grams or 3½ oz each), which are flattened and cooked.

Starting in the 1970s, the popularity of Indian cuisine increased rapidly in Western culture, starting in Britain with the emergence of curry restaurants. Many of the earliest such restaurants based their food on the cuisines of north and west India and Pakistan. These restaurants have typically provided a basket of bread at the table in the same manner that European restaurants set out a basket of rolls. Thus breads like the naan soon became familiar outside their areas of origin.

So my main source of fresh bread is naan. Otherwise I just have ready sliced wholemeal, nothing special.

ivuska.h Jan 9, 2008

Hi Sophie,

we eat bread very often in our country. The main type of bread is made of wheat flour or rye flour, sometimes with added seeds etc.

Pictures of some typical breads in our country:

Or a more common shape:

puca bears Jan 9, 2008

Hi Sophie
speaking as a Brit who has lived in several different countries, German bread is really good! Comes in a huge variety, from plain white to really heavy rye bread . There are lots of scrummy wholegrain breads with various seeds scattered through or on the crust (or both) - poppy, sunflower, pumpkin, and the odd novelty bread with chilli , or olives.......and then potato bread, pumpkin bread, nut bread ( I LOVE the hazel nut one!)..........I'll see if I can find some pics for you............
Bread is obviously very important here - unlike some countries I've lived in, the shops don't open on Sunday - EXCEPT the bakery - and the florist shop.
oh, and AMANDA - I also LOVE nan breads, and we occasionally get them here!
huggies
Maria

Michelle Helen Jan 9, 2008

I'm not Jewish but my boss is. I make him a Challah on the Jewish holidays. I understand braiding it is symbolic and such. So that may be an idea.

Roxanne Jan 9, 2008

Hi Sophie,
I am not sure if this will help or not, but here in Texas a very popular bread brand name is Mrs. Baird's. They are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. Hear is a link to their website which might give you some helpful information. If you look under "Our Story"-Milestones. It has the history.
http://www.mrsbairds.com/index.html

All Bear Jan 9, 2008

Here in the UK I guess one of the most popular breads would probably be the Bloomer ...  this is lovely fresh from the baker's and I like it toasted, or just buttered and dipped in my boiled eggs!  Yum!  The bloomer is also available with either sesame seeds or poppy seeds on it.

As for the boiled egg and soldiers ... here's a pic I borrowed from the internet.  It reminds me of my childhood ... what a a great breakfast!

ivuska.h Jan 9, 2008

Oh, Paula, you've just did a horrible thing to me. I am very hungry and cannot eat now (still at work) and when I saw the boiled egg...  :pray:  :pray:

Iva

Kilde Jan 9, 2008

As far as I know, rugbroed (pronounced with "Dutch" R's...as if you are choking....sorry, Ellen  :crackup: ) is very Danish. I haven't seen it anywhere else and I think you have to be born in this country to like it  School children get rugbroed in their lunchboxes with either cheese, lever pate (another thing we Danes love), ham etc. on top.

An all time favourite for Danes is rugbroed with heering and raw onion rings (anyone feeling sick now??    :crackup: )

Rugbroed is very high on fibers and usually always made with some kind of seed, like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc.

Germans have something similar, Schwartzbrot - but its not quite the same. Schwartzbrot (translation: Black Bread) is darker and more bitter than rugbroed. Hmmm....if we have a national dish here in Denmark, rugbroed would be one...and frikadeller (fried meat balls) would be another one. Rugbroed and frikadeller are yummi together by the way....   

The last pic is a local speciality from Bornholm (the most beautiful small island) with rugbrød, smoked heering & raw egg (we DO cook our food sometimes!  ). The dish is called Sol over Gudhjem (Sun over Gudhjem. Gudhjem is a town on Bornholm)

Jennskains Jan 9, 2008

I was raised on homemade whole wheat bread.  We have a grinder to make whole wheat flour.

Swan Valley Bears Jan 10, 2008

Hi Sophie,  Here in California, we have Italian sourdough bread.  The best is made in San Francisco.  My daughter who lives in Tennessee always wants me to bring her some when I visit because you can't get it there. 

My aunt used to live in Napa and made her own sourdough bread.  She recently moved to Kentucky and complained that she couldn't get it there and when she tried to make some, it just didn't turn out right.  I'll be curious to find out if anyone else in the US outside of California has Italian sourdough.

We love to buy the round loaves, cut the top off, scoop the insides out and use it as a bowl for stew or clam chowder.  Yum.

These pictures are from the Boudin Bakery in San Francisco.

All Bear Jan 10, 2008

Patty, that scooped out bread dish looks delicious!

elle Jan 10, 2008

Hi Sophie     How are you doing?

We get sourdough here, too, Patty.  I haven't heard it called Italian sourdough, though.  Sometimes they call it San Francisco sourdough.I've had San Francisco sourdough bread in San Francisco, and it is really special.  I made sourdough a few times (long time ago).  You have to keep a sourdough starter in your refrigerator (fermented dough  ) , and keep using some and replenishing it.  I don't think mine came out exactly like the San Francisco bread, either.

:hug:

Ellen

duff Jan 10, 2008

Hi Sophie,     I hope you are doing well!

I do not have a picture to share but for me the bread I love the most is Banana-Nut bread,   great for a sweet bread breakfast,  Usually has walnuts and mashed bananas, very heavy, dense add sweet bread!   Not a really traditional store bought bread here but more a home baked bread.  Here is a link for more info:

http://southernfood.about.com/od/banana … 30426m.htm

the other one that is very popular and for me evokes pictures of home since I grew up in New Mexico is the Tortilla .   More from the Southwest part of the United states/Mexico. It is a non-raising flat bread. there are several types, Corn, Flour, whole wheat. Each one has a very different taste and texture as well as sizes from 6 inches to 12 inches.  Here is another link that may be helpful.  I eat tortillas with most meals and always have them on hand, as you can toast them or fill them with just about anything!  they are great with soup, peanut butter and Jelly, cheese, Cinnamon and sugar  or hot dogs!  Traditionally you would fill them with meat mixture and a chili sauce, made with red or green chilies.   Call me crazy but I love tortillas with anything!   

http://www.tortillacocina.com/tortillas.htm

Good luck and I hope your students have fun!
Duff

lapousmor Jan 10, 2008

Thank you so much, to all of you...
I am sure my pupils will appreciate your help.

Beary hugs,
Sophie.

matilda Jan 10, 2008

Living in Australia we get all of the above breads. Though my favourite is turkish bread. I'm not allowed to eat anymore. ...sniffle sniffle.....
http://www.turkishbread.co.nz/
Wendy

edie Jan 11, 2008

Sophie, bread is a staple here in Canada for sure. I think the majority of people eat toast from some sort of bread for breakfast most days - whole wheat or white being the two most popular. And sandwiches for lunch are still big in this country - rye bread is very popular, as well as cheese bread, multi grain breads, flax bread and various kinds of bread rolls or buns. I don't eat a lot of bread myself but when I do one of my favourites is "Bake at Home" bread. Several stores here carry loaves that are partially baked but not browned and you bring them home and finish baking them (or you can throw them in the freezer and pull them out and bake them when needed) and it is almost as good as fresh home baked bread (which of course is my number on favourite but I don't make it from scratch very often!) Another popular item in the bread line in Canada is cinnamon buns. I do make them myself and they are to die for!!!!

rkr4cds Jan 11, 2008

What a fascinating study! You're to be congratulated, Sophie! Every nation is the world has a grain or type of 'bread', making it the one thing that humans have in common, no matter where we are.

It's too bad that the US is known for its white, 'balloon bread' (i.e., Wonder Bread) called that because it's a very puffed up NOTHING product, that squeezes down to a very small lump in your hand.  I think any & all 'nutrition' to be derived from it comes from being added back into the mix after all off the goodness of the wheat grain has been stripped off.

To look at our bread shelves now, it's about 1/3 'white' breads and 2/3 wheat & rye. Unfortunately, much of the population goes for a 'whole wheat bread' which is just (balloon) white with a little molasses added for color... but there are also many real wheat breads with nuts and seeds added.

We've always has a KitchenAid mixer, which can handle 2 loaf batches with ease. While our 3 kids were at home, DH made 4 batches/8 loaves every Sunday, to last the week. (Slice & freeze [not refrigerate] when cooled, taking out just what's needed, is the best way to have bread taste freshly-made). At least one loaf never even got to cool off!

We have a celiac (gluten-free) son and about half of our breadmaking now involves very unusual grain flours (for the States) - Sorghum flour, sweet/white/brown rice flour, potato starch & flour, tapioca flour, etc... The combinations are limitless and make wonderful breads that're just as tasty as the usual white bread, made from wheat grains.

Stellajella Jan 11, 2008

Sophie, now that is one interesting work!
I guess, it´s much more fun to go to school than 30 years ago. What we learned was so far away from reality
Anyway: Ivushka shows the bread that I guess is most common in Austria, too.
The more western you go in Austria, the darker the bread. The eastern has the more pannonian white bread.
But as you can clearly see in the sores: we like everything that is made from things growing on fields  :crackup: ...we put all sorts of nuts, seeds and spices into the bread as well.
I need to admit: I LOVE BREAD! Nothing better than a fresh slice of bread with real butter and a bit of salt....I guess, I´m getting hungry ;)

Patty´s pix are also great, look yummi!!!

Gaby

lapousmor Jan 20, 2008

Duff, i tried that banana bread recipe this afternoon and both Malko and I are seduced!
It is soooo yummy!

I will definately make it with my pupils.
I told their English teacher about our project. She decided to study that banana bread recipe with the pupils.
She accepted to work on everyone's comment from TT about bread too.
I am so pleased another teachers participates.

I want to thank you all again for tyour help.

Beary hugs,
Sophie.

duff Jan 20, 2008

Sophie,   I am so glad to hear you both liked it,    discussing it the other day inspired me to make some also!  Although I must admit it did not last long        If I need to make it a day or two ahead of time I like to wrap it in plastic wrap to hold the moisture in until it is served.  I think the best part of the bread is that it is so dense and moist.

Great news tohear that the english teacher has joined in on the bread topic.    Keep us posted on how it is going with the kids!

Happy Banana bread eating!

Duff

teeeej Jan 21, 2008

Look at all the yummy breads! My supervisor is French and he quite often complains that there is one thing missing from many meals in Australia - bread! He said he is used to having it always on the table.