Nov. 17 is Homemade Bread day!

Bread is one of the oldest staple foods in human civilization. The oldest evidence of breadmaking was found at a dig site in Jordan. The diggers unearthed two large stone fireplaces with charred breadcrumbs dating back as far as 14,000 years ago. The art of breadmaking would continue to evolve for the next 14,000 years and continues to adapt to cultural and climate changes even today!

A simple timeline of breadmaking milestones through history

Earliest yeast bread/bread becomes a commodity – 1350 BCE

Focaccia bread – 6th to 5th century BCE

Pretzels – 6th century CE (AD)

Baguettes – 18th century

Sliced bread – 1917

Anadama Bread
The origin of this New England classic bread is still contested.
Anadama Bread, opens a new window

Bean Bread
A traditional Native American dish. It is often mixed with corn and beans.
Bean Bread, opens a new window

Challah
A traditional Jewish bread that is served on holy days such as the Sabbath or Hanukkah. The bread is shaped differently depending on which Jewish holiday it is prepared for. The bread is round for Rosh Hashanah and round with a flower shape for Purim.
Challah, opens a new window

Fry Bread
Created out of necessity by Navajo Indians during forced relocation to New Mexico by the United States government in 1864. It is still cooked and served in the Navajo community today
Fry Bread, opens a new window

Lefse (Potato Bread)
A Scandinavian bread that is particularly popular in North Dakota. Similar in appearance to Lavash bread, they are potato- based and paper thin.
Lefse, opens a new window

Lavash
A soft flatbread that is still widely popular in most middle eastern countries. It is often dipped in hummus or baba ghanoush and used to make flatbread sandwiches.
Lavash, opens a new window

Injera
A national dish of the African countries of Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is a spongy, pancake like bread made from fine grain.
Injera, opens a new window

Monkey Bread
Popularized in America by Hungarian immigrants as arany galuska or “Golden Dumpling”. Also known as sticky bread, pinch-me cake, pluck-it cake and cinnamon roll bites.
Monkey Bread, opens a new window

Marble Rye
Original recipe dates back to the middle ages. While the two-toned bread was originally a natural result of baking, most modern Marble Rye loaves have the pigment artificially added using cocoa powder or other ingredients.
Marble Rye, opens a new window

Anpan
Anpan is an incredibly popular Japanese bread often sold as a snack food. Anpan is typically filled with red bean paste though other fillings exist as well. These snack breads are known for their combination of savory and sweet.
Anpan, opens a new window

Bread is one of the oldest staple foods in human civilization. The oldest evidence of breadmaking was found at a dig site in Jordan. The diggers unearthed two large stone fireplaces with charred breadcrumbs dating back as far as 14,000 years ago. The art of breadmaking would continue to evolve for the next 14,000 years and continues to adapt to cultural and climate changes even today!

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Please Note: You will need to log into the library's free A-to-Z Food America, opens a new window database to view the recipes above.