Bread types are mainly distinguished by the flour used, the leavening method, and how they're baked. White bread comes from sifted flour, whole wheat bread from bran-containing flour, and rye bread from an entirely different grain, rye flour; this difference shapes both colour and texture. Even with the same flour, using a different yeast or baking method can produce a strikingly different loaf.
Leavening method is another dividing line: bread risen quickly with commercial yeast and bread that goes through a days-long natural fermentation with a sourdough starter differ noticeably in texture and flavour. That difference carries through to both the taste and how long the loaf stays fresh.
How do you tell white bread from whole wheat bread?
White bread is made from sifted flour with the bran and germ removed, giving it a lighter interior and a softer texture. It tends to have a milder taste and a uniform-looking crumb when sliced.
Whole wheat bread, made with unsifted flour, is darker and denser with a fibrous texture; bran flecks are often visible on the cut surface. It's usually a bit harder to slice than white bread because the crumb is tighter.
How is rye bread different from the rest?
Rye bread is made wholly or partly with rye flour instead of wheat flour; rye flour has less gluten than wheat flour, so the dough is denser and rises less. Pressed with a finger, rye bread doesn't spring back the way white bread does.
As a result, the crumb of rye bread tends to be tighter and moister, while the crust is darker and firmer. Its flavour also carries a more distinct tangy, earthy note compared with other breads.
What sets unleavened bread apart?
Unleavened bread is made without yeast and is usually rolled thin and baked quickly; lavash and yufka are the best-known examples of this group. Because they're rolled so thin, they bake far faster than other breads.
Compared with leavened bread, these are thinner, less porous and shorter-lived, and are usually eaten the same day they're baked. That's why unleavened breads tend to be made in small batches as needed rather than in bulk.
How does sourdough differ from other leavened breads?
Unlike bread made with commercial yeast, sourdough rises with a starter culture built up over days of natural fermentation of flour and water. Rather than buying fresh yeast each time, a portion of the starter is kept and fed to be reused again and again.
This long fermentation gives the bread a mild tang, a thicker crust and a longer shelf life; bread made with commercial yeast goes stale faster. The thicker crust holds in moisture for longer, so the difference becomes most obvious by the third day.
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Yıllardır hep beyaz ekmek alıyorduk, geçen ay ilk kez ekşi mayalı ekmek denedik ve kabuğunun o kalınlığı gerçekten dışarıdan aldığımız ekmekten çok farklıymış. Üç gün geçmesine rağmen hâlâ bayatlamadı, çavdarla karışık olanını da deneyeceğiz.
Yıllardır hep beyaz ekmek alıyorduk, geçen ay ilk kez ekşi mayalı ekmek denedik ve kabuğunun o kalınlığı gerçekten dışarıdan aldığımız ekmekten çok farklıymış. Üç gün geçmesine rağmen hâlâ bayatlamadı, çavdarla karışık olanını da deneyeceğiz.