<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bread</span>

Bread

<p><b>Bread</b> is a <a href="/en/Staple_food" title="Staple food" class="wl">staple food</a> prepared from a <a href="/en/Dough" title="Dough" class="wl">dough</a> of <a href="/en/Flour" title="Flour" class="wl">flour</a> (usually <a href="/en/Wheat" title="Wheat" class="wl">wheat</a>) and water, usually by <a href="/en/Baking" title="Baking" class="wl">baking</a>. Throughout <a href="/en/Recorded_history" title="Recorded history" class="wl">recorded history</a> and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made foods, having been of significance since the dawn of <a href="/en/Agriculture#History" title="Agriculture" class="wl">agriculture</a>, and plays an essential role in both religious rituals and secular culture.</p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Food made of flour and water</div>
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<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-header,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-subheader,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-above,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-title,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-image,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-below{text-align:center}</style><div class='mobile-collapse'><header class="mobile-collapse-header mobile-collapse-btn"><b>Quick facts: Main ingredients...</b> <span class='arrow'>▼</span></header> <table class="infobox hrecipe adr mobile-collapse-element"><caption class="infobox-title fn"><span>Bread</span></caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span><a href="/en/File:Korb_mit_Brötchen.JPG" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Korb_mit_Brötchen.JPG"><img loading="lazy"alt="Loaves of bread in a basket" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Korb_mit_Br%C3%B6tchen.JPG/250px-Korb_mit_Br%C3%B6tchen.JPG" decoding="async" data-file-width="3456" data-file-height="2592" data-file-type="bitmap" height="188" width="250" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Korb_mit_Br%C3%B6tchen.JPG/375px-Korb_mit_Br%C3%B6tchen.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Korb_mit_Br%C3%B6tchen.JPG/500px-Korb_mit_Br%C3%B6tchen.JPG 2x"></a></span><div class="infobox-caption" style="padding-bottom:0.25em;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa;">Various leavened breads</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="line-height:1.15em;
               padding-right:0.65em;">Main ingredients</th><td class="infobox-data ingredient"><a href="/en/Flour" title="Flour" class="wl">Flour</a>, <a href="/en/Water" title="Water" class="wl">water</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-below" style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;padding-top:0.25em;"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="noviewer"><a href="/en/File:Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg" class="mw-file-description image wl"><img loading="lazy" alt="Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg/16px-Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg.png" decoding="async" data-file-width="400" data-file-height="400" data-file-type="drawing" height="16" width="16" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg/24px-Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg/32px-Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg.png 2x"></a></span> <a href="https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Bread" title="b:Cookbook:Bread" class="extiw" target="_blank">Cookbook: Bread</a></li><li><span>&nbsp;</span><span class="noviewer"><a href="/en/File:Commons-logo.svg" class="mw-file-description image wl"><img loading="lazy" alt="Commons-logo.svg" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/12px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" data-file-type="drawing" height="16" width="12" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/18px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/24px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x"></a></span> <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Bread" title="commons:Bread" class="extiw" target="_blank">Media<span>:</span> Bread</a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <footer class='mobile-collapse-footer mobile-collapse-btn'><b>Close</b> <span class='arrow'>▲</span></footer></div>

<p>Bread may be <a href="/en/Leavening_agent" title="Leavening agent" class="wl">leavened</a> by naturally occurring microbes (e.g. sourdough), chemicals (e.g. baking soda), industrially produced <a href="/en/Baker's_yeast" title="Baker's yeast" class="wl">yeast</a>, or high-pressure aeration, which creates the gas bubbles that fluff up bread. In many countries, commercial bread often contains additives to improve flavor, texture, color, shelf life, nutrition, and ease of production.</p>



Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made foods, having been of significance since the dawn of agriculture, and plays an essential role in both religious rituals and secular culture. Bread may be leavened by naturally occurring microbes , chemicals , industrially produced yeast, or high-pressure aeration, which creates the gas bubbles that fluff up bread. In many countries, commercial bread often contains additives to improve flavor, texture, color, shelf life, nutrition, and ease of production. 