Search
Login
Foodies Only in your inbox
By clicking "Subscribe", you agree to ourPrivacy Policy and to receive marketing emails from Foodies Only
SearchLoginSearchLoginCopyright © 2025 Foodies Only
7 min
20/01/2026
From brown bread to multigrain, pita to baguettes, all fall under the “bread” umbrella. But the breads we know today are very little like the baked, bouncy delights from centuries ago. The original bread is not native to India. In fact, it was taking shape in places like the modern day Europe and Australia. Excavation sites suggest the same, with humans in the Neolithic period making bread with the harvested grains, baked on hot rocks and covered with ashes.
Despite the popularity and the low-key fixation of many with bread in the modern world, its origins have a foggy history. Some sources show that early humans during the Natufian hunter-gatherer period paved the way to breadmaking, where wild grasses (highly likely wild barley and wheat growing in southwest Asia) were being turned into flour, some 4000 years ago, before the Neolithic period. Some charred remains from this particular period (found in the Black Desert of Jordan) indicate flatbread-like foods were likely being eaten.
Then comes the Neolithic period, dominated by agriculture, where wild einkorn and club rush tubers were being tamed, and the proper process of making unleavened bread was being followed. The cultivated cereals with the tubers were crushed to make a moulded dough, laid on hot rocks and covered with hot ashes to bake into bread or charred. These findings go back to Southwest Asia and Europe. From the appearance of the first baked version to its journey to the modern-day renditions, this article takes a look at bread in all its glory.
Wheat was widely cultivated in the Middle East, which made Egypt the epicentre of bread, some 30,000 years ago. From the Middle East, wheat cultivation also spread to Africa, Europe, and East Asia. Then came the Egyptians, who are credited with making the world’s first leavened bread around 3000 BCE. They discovered that when dough was left to sit for several days, wild yeasts would begin fermenting, causing the dough to rise and creating the trademark light and airy texture.
Bread was so vital to the Egyptian diet that labourers working on the pyramids were partly paid in bread and beer. The Egyptians made bread using emmer wheat, shell grains, and millets, grinding them with hand mills on flat stones before baking in ovens or heated clay moulds. Hieroglyphic records reveal the existence of at least 14 different types of bread, including whole wheat pita bread and sourdough bread.
The production of leavened bread spread from Egypt throughout Mesopotamia, where Sumerians documented over 30 types of bread by around 2500 BCE. The Greeks further refined bread-making, with Athenians consuming over 70 known types of bread and pastries by the 5th century BCE. Greek bakers introduced ingredients such as olive oil, milk, cheese, honey, sesame seeds, and wine into bread.
Then came the Romans, who added spices, fats, and oil to the dough and baked bread in ovens with chimneys. This goes back as far as 2 AD, seen on faded frescos and archaeological remains in Pompei. The economic class divide during this time was quite pronounced, with ‘black bread’ reserved for the poor and ‘panis candidus’ for the rich. By the 2nd century BCE, public bakeries (pistrina) operated large-scale operations feeding entire communities. Wheat remained expensive, and ancient grains of barley, rye and millets were still used to make bread.
Fast forward to the 1900s, the industrial revolution introduced steam-powered mills and baking machines, that make bread-making (the spongy-bouncy kind) a breeze. It became affordable and abundant, thus becoming the common man’s food. The next shift came in 1961 when the Chorleywood Bread Process (CBP) was developed. It further cut down the time to make bread; the machine developed dough in just 3-5 minutes, compared to traditional methods requiring hours of fermentation. The CBP works by adding more yeast, oxidising agents such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and high-energy mixing as well.
If you ask what was perhaps the first proper modern-day bread, it was the flatbread, something that the Indian roti, paratha and even naan fall under. Beyond India, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa were largely consuming these. Flatbreads are made with specific grains with low gluten content. Then there are the poofy breads of the West and beyond, like sourdough bread (ancient roots), baguette and more, with a dense gluten content. Here’s a look at some of the more popular bread varieties:
Naan is a leavened flatbread with Persian origins, spreading to India during the Islamic Delhi Sultanate. It’s first mentioned in 1300 CE by the poet Amir Khusrau. Back in the day, there existed two kinds, made for the Mughals in their royal courts – naan-e-tunuk, meaning light bread and naan-e-tanuri, which are the traditional tandoor-baked naans. Initially, a luxury cooked in clay tandoors and paired with kebabs and keema, its accessibility broadened by the 1700s as techniques and ingredients became cheaper. Popular varieties available today include garlic naan, Peshawari naan, and keema naan.
The baguette is a long, thin French bread whose name means wand or stick, reflecting its shape. Long, slender loaves existed in France by the late 18th century, but the modern baguette emerged in the 19th century as wheat became cheaper, with ovens and refined flour being more widespread. The term ‘baguette’ was officially used in 1920, the same year a French law restricted bakers’ night work, favouring faster-baking, narrow loaves.
Pita bread is an ancient Middle Eastern flatbread made with flour, water, yeast, and salt. Known for its characteristic pocket that forms during high-heat baking, pita has been consumed across Mediterranean civilisations for thousands of years. The pocket makes it ideal for stuffing with rich hummus, falafel, and grilled meats, making it a loved fast food and a staple in modern Middle Eastern cuisine worldwide.
Found everywhere today, literally, sourdough represents one of the oldest leavened breads, originating in ancient Egypt. Made from fermented flour and water containing wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, sourdough is known for its tangy flavour and chewy texture. The multi-day fermentation process breaks down complex carbohydrates, making it more digestible than modern breads while producing beneficial compounds for gut health.
From the heart of Italy comes focaccia, a flat bread with roots in Roman times, characterised by its dimpled surface, olive oil topping, and herbs. Similar to pizza dough, focaccia has evolved into numerous regional variations throughout Italy. The bread features a crispy exterior with a soft, airy interior, and modern versions often include toppings like rosemary, olives, tomatoes, and cheese.
From the charred flatbreads of Natufian hunter-gatherers 14,400 years ago to the rigorously engineered industrial loaves of today, bread continues to evolve, and yet remains humanity’s most fundamental food. While industrial processes have made bread cheaper and more accessible than ever before, the resurgence of artisan bakeries and traditional methods serves as a reminder of the value of time, craft, and care.