Bread in Switzerland
There is a long tradition of bread baking in Switzerland; there is even a world-renowned college in Lucerne that offers Master Baking classes.
There is no 'national' bread in Switzerland. The Swiss take pride in their local breads; many play a role in local culture on special occasions, celebrations and festivities.
Each canton has an official bread designation although some cantons share the same bread and nowdays popular ones are available throughout the country.
Almost all Swiss breads are crusty with a soft inside except for the bread from the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino.
The different breads arise from the choice of grains used, differences in the milling process, fermentation, shaping and the baking itself.
Apart from standard wheat and rye, there is a growing movement to return to organic cultivation of 'heritage' grains and varieties common before the mass use of fertilisers and mechanical harvesting pushed them out in favour of wheat varieties more compatible with industrialisation.
The benefit of using these varieties is that they have a higher protein and lower gluten content than common wheat.
The only ingredients allowed in Swiss bread are flour, salt, water, yeast or other rising agent, nuts, seeds or similar - but no preservatives which means that the bread has a very short shelf life and is bought fresh each day so loaves are reasonably small in comparison to elsewhere.
Here is a selection of breads you may encounter on the tours:
Aargauer bread
Variations on the Aargauer bread type - crusty outside with soft, holey inside
Basler bread
Basler bread consists of 2 large crusty rolls joined together
Zürcher bread
Zürcher bread traditionally has three diagonal cuts on top - it is considered the typical "Swiss white bread"
Zopf
Zopf is a white yeast bread folded to make a plait. This is the frequent bread of choice for Sunday family breakfasts along with homemade jams and coffee.
Tessiner bread
The Pane Ticinese is easily recognized by its segmentation which makes it easy to pull off separate pieces rather than having to cut slices. This white bread is made with water and oil unlike milk and butter used in many Swiss breads.
Rye bread
There are various versions of rye bread - this one is from Canton Vallais
St. Galler bread
St. Galler bread has a mild taste, crisp crust, firm inside and unique look which is requires a great deal of skill and origami practice to end up with its distinctive shape.
Berner bread
Variations on Berner bread originating from Canton Bern - good crust and solid inside; all purpose bread
Bündner Birnenbrot (Pear bread)
Bündner Birnenbrot (Pear bread) is filled with dried fruit (pears) and nuts - what mountain climbers of old carried with them on their Alpine climbing expeditions.
