Bread basket

While Poland’s bublick looks like rings, Australia’s damper is baked in camp coalfire 

It is called a pretzel in Germany and baguette in France but at the end they are different kinds of bread. They differ from region to region in terms of shape and taste. While the Mexican pan dulce is sweet, the Japanese rice bread which is made with rice flour is tasteless. Here are a few breads from all over the world:

• The Indian puran poli or obbatu is a sweet bread dessert served in special occasions and festivals. It is made from stuffings of boiled chickpea lentils, turmeric, sugar and spices, baked on a hot griddle.
• The Switzerland pane ticinese bread is made of several small sub-loaves or rolls to be broken off by hand. If oil is added to the dough, it becomes soft.
• The English muffin of the UK is small, round, thin and usually dusted with cornmeal and served split horizontally. It can be toasted, buttered, eaten as a snack alone or can be part of a meal, usually breakfast early-evening tea.
• Tiger bread of Netherlands is rice paste bread made with sesame oil and with a pattern on the top made by painting rice paste onto the surface prior to baking. The paste dries and cracks during baking, creating a two-colour effect similar to a tiger’s markings.
• Iran’s taftan is a flat flour bread with saffron and small amount of cardamom powder baked in a clay oven.
• South Africa’s flat bread potbrood is prepared in a cast iron pot covered with wood coals. It has a wide range of flavours but is often made with wheat flour and sweet corn.
• Damper, which is an iconic bread of Australia is made of wheat flour and traditionally baked in the coals of a campfire.
• In an armenian lavash bread, a soft, thin dough is rolled out flat and baked. It is flexible when fresh and can easily be used for sandwich wraps. However, it dries fast and becomes brittle and can be stored for a long time.
• The malooga bread is a favourite of Yemen people. It is a pizza-like dough (of flour, water, yeast, salt) kneaded well and cut to large rounds. Warm butter is spread on the dough repeatedly as it is folded. It is then stretched into flat round form and baked in tandoor-like oven.
• The Chinese mantou is of the bun variety and is often slightly sweetened. It is usually made of white flour.