Bread

Colombia

One of the most omnipresent local dishes in the Paisa region of Colombia is the traditional arepa paisa, made from soaked threshed corn that is shaped and grilled until golden brown. This crispy and luscious corn cake can be eaten on its own, served as a side dish, or stuffed with variable fillings such as cheese, meat, or eggs - you can eat it with whatever choice of filling you want. The versatility of the arepa paisa is only matched by the love the locals have for it - a typical breakfast in this region is centered on it (topped with butter, salt, and slices of cheese), and sometimes the dish is part of all meals of the day! And because you can find arepa paisa at every supermarket, street vendor or restaurant, there's always a perfect one available at all times.

Arepa paisa

Arepa Santandereana is a Colombian arepa variety from the El Santander department. These arepas are made with yellow corn masa, cassava, and crispy pork belly &ndash; also known as chicharr&oacute;n. They are usually grilled, and it is recommended to consume them while fresh and hot. Arepa Santandereana is traditionally eaten as a snack, but it can also be served as an accompaniment to traditional Colombian dishes.

Arepa Santandereana

India

Baati is a hard, unleavened Indian bread that is typically prepared in the desert areas of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. Traditionally, baati is baked over the ambers of dried cow-dung. It consists of wheat flour, salt, ghee, and very little water, so the resulting low moisture and high fat content give it an extended shelf life. Baati is often eaten with dal, resulting in a dish called dal bati, a popular Rajasthani delicacy where baati is dipped in ghee and traditionally served in an earthenware pot. The bread can be prepared in a basic, plain version, but it can also be filled with peas, onions, or sattu.

Baati

France

Probably the most iconic image of France, this long, light, airy bread with its characteristically crispy crust dates back to the 19th century, when wheat and white breads were no longer a privilege of the rich. Baguettes were made even before the invention of their name. The word baguette first entered use in 1920, derived from the Latin root baculum, meaning stick or staff, which became baccheto in Italian. Baguettes were first baked as long, wide loaves of bread, but a 1920 law prevented workers from beginning work before 4AM, making it impossible for bakers to finish baking the bread in time for breakfast. They then gave baguettes their typical long, thin shape in order to speed up the baking process. The bread was baked in steam ovens, which were first brought to Paris by an Austrian named August Zang, whom some French sources credit with the invention of the baguette. Another characteristic of the baguette is its typical flower-petal design on the top of the crust, made by making diagonal slashes with a curved knife on top of the loaves before they are put to bake. Today, baguettes can be found throughout France, and they are available for sale in nearly every boulangerie, as well as baked at home. The texture and flavor of a good baguette can transform any sandwich into a gourmet meal. Baguettes are also flexible &ndash; they can be made into bruschettas, turned into croutons or garlic bread, used for mopping up sauces, or simply dipped in olive oil as a snack.

Baguette

Bajan salt bread is a traditional type of bread hailing from the Caribbean island of Barbados, characterized by its crusty exterior and tender, fluffy interior. Although the word "salt" in the name might indicate so, this bread is not particularly salty. The word "salt" in the name is to distinguish it from most other Caribbean breads, which are usually very sweet. Bajan salt bread can be found in every Barbadian bakery and is usually sold in packs containing six rolls. Many locals still make it in their homes, mostly because it's quite easy to make (wheat flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and vegetable oil are the only ingredients needed). This bread is very versatile and can be enjoyed on its own as a snack or used to make sandwiches, French toast, or bread pudding. It is also a popular accompaniment to traditional Caribbean dishes, such as saltfish and ackee, curry goat, and pelau.

Bajan Salt Bread

Bangladesh

Bakarkhani is a popular Mughlai flatbread made from maida flour combined with semolina, sugar, ghee, cardamom, and almonds. The dough is traditionally baked in a tandoor oven, and the bread is often sprinkled with poppy or nigella seeds. It has a soft crust on the exterior, while the texture on the interior is tender and flaky. Bakarkhani used to be reserved for the royalty in the past, and it got its name after a tragic love story between a general named Aga Bakar and a dancer named Khani Begum. Although nowadays its most often associated with Bangladesh (especially Dhaka), it can also be found in India and Pakistan,

Bakarkhani

China

Balep is a famous Tibetan flatbread prepared in a few varieties &ndash; it can be plain, deep-fried, pan-cooked, or filled with various ingredients and fried. The plain variety can be made only with flour and water, with the occasional addition of baking powder. The dough is shaped into a flat circle, and it is then fried, usually in a pan. The puffy bread is often served on special occasions, and it should be piping hot.

Balep korkun

Bammy is a traditional cassava flatbread. The dough is often soaked in coconut milk, then fried, steamed, or baked. It originates from the Arawaks, who are the island's original inhabitants. The bread can usually be bought from local vendors, and it is served either for breakfast or on the side as an accompaniment to fish dishes.

Bammy

This griddle-baked unleavened flatbread hails from the Highlands of Scotland, where it is traditionally made with a single type of grain - whether barley, beremeal, oats, wheat, rye, or even peasemeal - with the addition of water or buttermilk. Bannock made from a mixture of different flours is known as mashlum or meslin bannock. This flatbread was once an essential part of everyday life and various festivities in the Highlands, especially during the celebration of the quarter days, and each variety of bannock was given a different name depending on which of the old Gaelic seasonal festivals it was made for. Prior to the 19th century, bannock bread was baked on a bannock stane - a flat stone placed on embers to be used as a cooking surface. Today, they are mainly made on the griddle, and there are numerous regional variations that diverge from its simple origins: for instance, the Selkirk bannock is more like a lardy, raisin-studded fruitcake, while the Pitcaithly bannock is a rich shortbread with candied fruit peel.

Bannock

Bap is a soft bread roll that&rsquo;s enjoyed throughout the United Kingdom, but its origins are Scottish. This bread roll is often made with a combination of flour, milk, sugar, salt, yeast, and vegetable oil or butter (or lard). In Scotland, a bap is a favorite morning bread roll. Baps look similar to hamburger buns, and they&rsquo;re used in a similar manner. The bread roll is ideal for sandwich fillings such as sausages, bacon, or boiled beef. Generally, baps taste the best when buttered or topped with meat. In Scottish pubs, baps are often served with Lincolnshire sausages and caramelized onions. There&rsquo;s also a popular fish filling &ndash; battered and fried mackerel fillets are served in a bap with tartare sauce for a sandwich called mackerel bap, but beware &ndash; mackerel is no longer considered sustainable, so decide for yourself if you want to indulge in it or not.

Barm cake is a traditional bread roll originating from North West England. These soft rolls are usually topped with flour before baking, and in the past, they were usually leavened with barm, the residue that forms during yeast fermentation when making lager or ale. Nowadays, most barm cakes are made with regular yeast, flour, milk, water, salt, and sometimes lard. Barm cakes are often filled with chips or served as an accompaniment to fish and chips. They can be found in most fish and chip shops in the region.

Barm cake

Switzerland

Basler brot is a traditional bread originating from Basel. It is made with a starter, resulting in light and airy bread with a distinctive flavor. Other ingredients include wholegrain flour or half dark and half white flour, water, and salt. It is characterized by an aromatic crumb, high water content, and high baking temperatures. Visually, the bread is oblong, and it consists of two round loaves of bread that are combined together at the ends. The two pieces represent two Cantons &ndash; Basel countryside and Basel the city. It was first mentioned in Eugen A. Meiers 1792 book Das s&uuml;sse Basel.

Basler Brot

Batbout is a traditional flatbread originating from Morocco. The bread is usually made with a combination of wheat flour, semolina, yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil or vegetable oil. The dough is shaped into balls that are left to rest and rolled into thin rounds. The bread is baked in a large pan or on a griddle on both sides until the air bubbles begin to appear on the surface. This puffy and chewy flatbread is then left to cool before consumption. Batbout is typically served as an accompaniment to grilled meat, but it can also be served for breakfast with jam, butter, or honey. Alternatively, the flatbread can also be used to make various sandwiches.

Batbout

Bath bun is a traditional sweet bread roll originating from Bath. The buns are circular, with nib sugar and caraway seeds on top of their highly glazed exterior. The texture is dense and close, while the flavor is lightly spiced and sweetened, with lump sugar underneath. The milk-based yeasted dough for Bath buns is usually based on plain brioche dough or rich egg and butter dough with caraway seeds. Although there are disputes about the origins of these buns, the ones made from a recipe dating back to 1679 are still available in the town of Bath.

Bath bun

Baursak is a unique fried bread with a puffy appearance consisting of flour, milk, salt, sugar, eggs, butter, and yeast. The bread is fried only for special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, or memorials. It is believed that the smell of oil and fried bread floats into the sky to the dearly departed so they can also enjoy the dish. The bread is commonly consumed on its own or as a dessert accompanied with sugar, butter, jam, or honey, while some people like to dip it in tea. Interestingly, the biggest baursak was made in Ufa, Russia, in 2014, with a weight of 179 kg.

Baursak

Germany

This traditional Bavarian pretzel is shaped to symbolize two arms folded for prayer, and they are available in different versions and sizes, usually topped with a sprinkling with coarse salt. Their crust is thin, dark brown, shiny, and has a cracked surface after baking. The dough, however, is juicy, tender, and light in color. As opposed to Swabian pretzels, Bavarian pretzels are thicker and not sliced lengthwise in the middle. Local differences can be recognized by their various forms. The Bavarian pretzel is a vital part of Bavarian snack culture, and it is especially delicious when buttered or paired with cheese. It is an indispensable accompaniment to Munich white sausage and Bavarian meatloaf.

Bayerische Breze

Bazin is a popular Libyan unleavened bread (also considered a dough-based dish) made by boiling barley flour and salt in water and beating it with a stick called magraf until it develops into a dough which is then baked or steamed. The bread is characterized by its hard texture, achieved by the usage of large amounts of salt. It is traditionally shared and consumed using the right hand. Bazin is often served with a tomato-based stew, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and mutton.

Bazin

Bazlama is a Turkish flatbread that is traditionally cooked in an outdoor oven and served warm. It consists of flour, water, sugar, salt, yeast, and yogurt. During baking, bazlama is regularly flipped over in order to be evenly baked. The bread is often served with butter or olive oil, which is used as a dip.

Bazlama

Slovenia

Made with only four basic ingredients, this variety of flatbread is a typical product of the White Carniola region and was brought there in the 15th or the 16th century by Uskoks, Balkan migrants who settled in the highlands of southeastern Slovenia. However, it was first mentioned in Bajke in Povesti o Gorjancih, a 1882 book by Janez Trdina, a renowned Slovene historian, folk collector, author and traveler. Belokranjska pogača is about 3-4 centimeters thick, round in shape, with its surface sliced in a cross-hatched pattern. It is glazed with egg wash, generously sprinkled with coarse salt and cumin, and baked to a golden or light brown color. Freshly baked Belokranjska pogača exudes a delightful aroma of cumin and it is best enjoyed while it's still warm, broken by hand, and consumed in bite-size squares. Traditionally, this authentic Slovenian flatbread is prepared for special occasions such as the Feast of St. Martin, religious holidays, and other similar festivities.

Belokranjska pogača

Berliner kn&uuml;ppel is a traditional bread roll originating from Berlin. The bread rolls are usually made with a combination of water, flour, milk, yeast, and salt. The ingredients are mixed, the dough is kneaded, and it's then left to rest for a while. The balls of dough are pressed into disks that are folded into a halfcircle, and the dough is then rolled into a short and oblong log. The rolls are baked seam-side up in an oven with steam until golden brown. If properly baked, the crumb should be soft and fluffy, and the crust should be slightly crusty. Berliner kn&uuml;ppel rolls are traditionally served with ground meat patties known as buletten.