Without bread, many cannot imagine a hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner. He is so versatile! You can spread something on it, whether it be butter or honey, and you get a delicious breakfast. It is equally tasty to eat it with real Ukrainian borsch. In addition to good taste, bread has an equally interesting history.
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Eating bread, a person receives all the energy necessary for him, which is contained in cereals. Initially, people did not have the same idea of bread as they do today. And he looked very different.
For example, the Jews baked bread in thin plates, which were then broken by hands. It was from them that the expression “break bread” came, meaning “eat something.”
In ancient times, people crushed grains into flour using two stones, so that later, adding water and making cakes, bake them on the hearth. Usually such a center was built in pits dug in the ground. The walls of these pits were laid out with clay. Such bread was quite heavy and coarse, because it did not contain any baking powder that would make it soft and tender.
The first bread in Egypt
The history of bread in Egypt dates back thousands of years, but the exact number is difficult to establish. It was the Egyptians who first realized that sour dough contains yeast. They learned how to get yeast and bake pastry. And also perfectly mastered the art of loosening dough using fermentation. Bread in Ancient Egypt had a very different shape: oblong, round, pyramidal, as well as in the form of sphinxes, fish and braids. Also in Egypt, it was customary to bake sweet bread. They added honey, milk, fat. Such bread was more valuable than regular bread.
Bread in Greece and Rome
Greece and Rome adopted from the Egyptians the skill of making loose bread using fermented dough. In these states, such bread was available only to wealthy families. For slaves, only black bread was available - thick and rough.
In ancient Greece, certain superstitions were associated with bread. One of them said that a person who ate food without bread was guilty of serious sin. And for this sin, he will certainly be punished by the gods. The recipes for making bread were not shared with anyone. That was a great secret. They were handed down only from generation to generation by master bakers.
Earlier in ancient Greece, bread was considered an independent dish and was used just like any other separate dish.
Bread in Italy
The Italians learned to bake bread from the Greeks. It was they who brought the technology of cooking bread to the territory of Italy in the eighth century BC. Bread is treated very carefully. Recipes are passed down from generation to generation. Bread does not change over time, Italians prefer and really appreciate the traditional cooking option.