No Matter How You Slice It, It's All Bread

Buying a loaf of bread - or even a sandwich - is both more glorious and more complicated today than ever before.

Focaccia, ciabatta. Panini, crostini. Batard, ficelle. Whole-wheat, whole-grain, enriched white.

Somebody help! Actually, the best way to learn about all those bread choices is to try them out, one by one. But that takes some time, and along the way you may meet some loaves that don't rise to your expectations.

A little Web searching can save you some trouble. Many bread establishments list glossaries of the breads they sell. Among chains, Breadsmith and Panera both offer such descriptions and Great Harvest provides nutritional values for all of their breads.

There was definitely a learning curve when Breadsmith started in 1993, said vice president Tim Malouf, who's been with the company since it was two months old. But he thinks consumers "are getting a better handle on it. There's so much more attention paid to bread in restaurants and chains now. There's more awareness of artisan breads." Some Breadsmith stores stock fliers with descriptions of the breads. "But we have more than 125 recipes we can make," Malouf said. "To try to list everything would be a little tough." In some cases, particularly with French breads, the bread is often the same - only the shape is different.

For the artisanally challenged, here's a starter glossary: Baguette: French bread that's been formed into a long, narrow cylindrical loaf. It usually has a crisp brown crust and light, chewy interior. The classic baguette is around 26 inches long and weighs 250 grams, or about 9 ounces. Demi-baguette is the small sandwich-size baguette.

Batard: A cousin to the baguette, the batard is shorter with a soft white interior, making it good for sub sandwiches or garlic bread.

Boule: French for "ball," referring to a round loaf of white bread. (Round sourdough breads are called miche.) Brioche: This traditional French pastry-like bread gets its richness and tenderness from butter and eggs. Makes a rich French toast.

Challah: A traditional braided Jewish bread, with a rich taste and texture derived from an abundance of eggs. It is usually eaten on the Sabbath and on all Jewish holidays except Passover.

Ciabatta: The name, "slipper" in Italian, relates to its flat, oval shape. The Northern Italian bread, with an airy interior and chewy crust, is usually dusted with flour. Great for soups and dipping oils.

Crostini: Meaning "little toasts" in Italian, crostini are small, thin slices of toasted bread, usually brushed with olive oil.

Ficelle: Any extra-thin, long baguette. (The name means "twine" or "string.") Focaccia: Flat, round, dense, tender bread from Liguria flavored with olive oil in the dough and on the crust, often sprinkled with salt. Slits cut into the dough's surface may be stuffed with fresh rosemary before the bread is baked. Good as a snack or accompaniment to soups or salads.

Panini: An Italian sandwich usually made with vegetables, cheese and grilled or cured meat. In the U.S., it's a hot sandwich that has been pressed and grilled.

Whole-wheat: For a bread to be labeled "whole wheat," the flour in the bread has to be 100% whole-wheat flour.

100% whole-grain: But a bread (or other food) can be labeled "100% whole grain" if at least 51% of the weight is a whole-grain product, a less-stringent standard than for whole-wheat. There are actually some whole-wheat breads that would not qualify for the whole-grain label, according to Malouf, because they contain nuts and other ingredients that skew the weight.

Wheat: This label means basically nothing. Most breads we buy are made from wheat. The question is, how much of the kernel is used - how "whole" is the wheat? Sources: www.breadsmith.com; www.panerabread.com; www.epicurious.com/cooking/ how_to/food_dictionary; Sandy D'Amato, co-owner of Harlequin Bakery; www.breadnet.net. Nancy J. Stohs is food editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. You can e-mail her at [email protected].

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