Baked into ancient languages, cultures and meals across the world, bread has been a staple of most diets for around 30,000 years. With humble beginnings in Jordan’s Black Desert, the earliest iteration is thought to have been a flatbread made by Natufian hunter-gatherers, made from wild wheat, barley and plant roots. As one of the most versatile carb creations, there’s now myriad different doughy delights, as well as an endless array of toast toppings, sandwich fillings and dipping sauces. The simple base of flour, water and (most often) yeast acts as a blank canvas for cultural traditions and regional ingredients. And while we’ve likely all enjoyed a crusty French baguette, a piece of soft pitta or a classic New York bagel, how about sampling some more unusual bakes from across the globe? If the thought of warm bread – smeared with salted butter or dipped in rich olive oil – sends you into a flour frenzy, we’ve risen to the occasion (pun intended) and compiled a list of lesser-known bread around the world.
Fujisan, Japan
Named after Mount Fuji, Japan’s tallest peak, this fluffy bread blends Japanese dough-making techniques with French pastry methods, creating a bun that resembles a cross between brioche and a croissant. These soft miniature bread mountains are not only named for their shape, but also the way the dough rises over the pan’s edge in the oven, erupting like its eponymous volcano. They’re made using a tangzhong, a paste of flour cooked in water or milk that is folded into the dough mixture once it cools. The layers are then made using the French pastry technique of lamination; the process of folding and rolling butter into dough to create thin layers, which are then braided and swirled. A light dusting of icing sugar is added as the final touch, further imitating the snow-capped Mount Fuji.
Hverabrauð, Iceland
Dense and hearty rye is one of the oldest bread forms, with roots that trace back to the Middle Ages when rye flour became a staple food in Europe. Hverabrauð is Iceland’s take on the dark brown bread, but with a unique twist. Each day, dedicated bakers in Iceland make their way to the nearest geothermal spring, where they dig a hole in the hot black sand and bury a box of freshly mixed dough. After 24 hours, a rectangular loaf of rye bread will be ready to be dug back up and slathered with butter (or topped with pickled herring if you’re ready to embrace the Icelandic way). Hverabrauð literally translates to ‘hot spring bread’ and the result is slightly nuttier, sweeter and chewier than its common rye bread counterpart.
Carta di Musica, Italy
Flatbreads are famously ubiquitous within world cuisines; Indian naan, Mediterranean pitta, Mexican tortillas and Italian focaccia are just a few of the most well-known varieties. Carta di musica also falls under the flatbread category, but gives a whole new meaning to the term. Hailing from the Italian island of Sardinia, the bread is distinguished by its almost unnatural thinness, and its name is said to stem from bakers rolling the dough out until a sheet of music can be read through it. Whether or not this rumour rings true, the Sardinia flatbread is super crisp and cracker-like. Once the dough has puffed up like balloon after being baked, the paper-thin rounds are split into two discs and baked a second time to achieve optimal crispiness. Its long-shelf life (of up to a year) made it a favourite among shepherds, who would snack on the crunchy ‘sheets of music’ while watching their flocks. Today, its usually paired with cheese and a glass of red wine.
Pão de Queijo, Brazil
Naturally gluten-free and widely consumed in Brazil, pão de queijo are small golden cheese balls, complete with a crunchy crust, fluffy centre and slightly tart flavour. These moreish bread bites’ culinary origins can be traced back to the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, in the south-east of the country. Here, the Indigenous Guaraní peoples were already using native cassava to make basic bread through a process of pounding, peeling, soaking and drying the root. When colonisers settled here in the 1500s, the African slaves they brought with them began using the by-product of this process (powdery tapioca starch) to make dough balls and bulk out their diet. It wasn’t until the 19th century that salty Minas cheese, milk and eggs were added to the mix and the nation hasn’t looked back since.
Injera, Ethiopia
Forming the basis of many Ethiopian dishes, injera is a spongy pancake-like flatbread made from teff, which is both the world’s smallest grain and a superfood, thanks to its highly nutritious properties. Eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it tastes similar to sourdough bread and is usually topped with a variety of stews, sauces and salads. An innovative way of reducing the washing up, the injera acts as the utensil and plate for the meal – guests tear off pieces and use them to scoop up the various toppings. Its porous texture makes it perfect for soaking up the flavourful juices and meals become a naturally communal affair as the bread is shared. In fact, injera is so prolific in Ethiopia that locals often greet each other by asking whether they’ve had their daily fill of the fermented flatbread.
Written by Luisa Watts