Uncommon Types of Bread

Uncommon Types of Bread - as part of the expert series by GeoBeats. A lot of times you will see a bread in this shape, in what is called a batard. What it means is this shape. You will find sourdough bread like this. You will also find whole wheat bread. You will find bread with seeds, you will find all kinds of herbs. You can find many types of bread in this shape. And that is usually what it is talking about when it is talking about the batard shape. This would make delightful sandwiches, obviously, but would also go very nicely on a bread plate. If you toast this up to give it texture, it will give a nice flavor contrast to the cheese so it is not just a piece of baguette sitting there on the cheese plate. This next bread is a cranberry walnut bread. Most people think, “Oh, sweet. All I can use it for is desserts or just with some butter on it.” Incorrect. Think about the flavors that cranberry normally goes with. Why not make a turkey sandwich on this right around the holidays, or even in the summer? You can also use this to make a bread pudding. You can use it to make French toast, just to give it a little extra oomph. Also, because of the fruit in this bread, this also goes very nicely on a cheese platter. Cranberries and cheese work very well together. In this same vein, many breads are shaped in this way so that they can add things to them. I have seen cornmeal and sage, which makes a delicious sandwich, or just by itself. I have also seen just plain walnut breads. That way it just gives a nice textural contrast to whatever you might be eating. I have also seen a lot of rosemary and olive. A lot of times you will find very Italian flavors in these kinds of breads. That is why a lot of Italian flavors go very well on it. Just do a fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato sandwich on a rosemary olive bread. Trust me, you will be very happy you did. Potato bread is a very commonly found bread. You can find it in your just average supermarket, and it is in the same aisle as most white and wheat breads. The nice thing about it is it has a little bit of that potato flavor, and it stays very, very moist. Using this for sandwiches is a great idea. I use this on a roast beef sandwich, and it is almost like having roast beef and mashed potatoes in a portable type device. With potato bread you have to be careful. Many people think, “Oh, it is made out of potatoes, so I can eat it even if I am gluten intolerant.” Not true. They do still need to use flour in the bread to make sure the texture is correct. So, even if you are gluten intolerant, potato bread still will not work unless you use a gluten-free flour. And potatoes are about the only root vegetable that you can actually make a bread out of. Do not try and make carrot bread the same way. Carrot bread has to be more in a cake, and just as shredded carrots. Turnip bread, also not going to work, but potatoes, because of their starch content, make a very delicious bread. So, the most common uses for potato bread are really sandwiches or just eating bread. Having a slice of this with some nice salted, or even unsalted and flavored butters, at your dinner table will make everyone very happy. Another couple of types of bread that you might not be familiar with, that are sometimes found in grocery stores, is Ciabatta. Ciabatta is an Italian loaf. It sometimes can even be found in very long baguette shapes. These make great Paninnis. They also make wonderful croutons. Because they are long, and they are flat, they make fantastic sandwiches. Another couple of kinds of breads you might see, one of them is pumpernickel and rye. A lot of times you will find them already sliced in the bread aisle, and most people think of them only as sandwiches, corned beef comes to mind. But, if you find them in the round shape, like this, they also make really delicious croutons for your salad. It gives a nice taste and textural difference that most people are not expecting. So, those are a few different types of breads that you may not be familiar with, and a couple of uses that you might not have thought of.