Bread: Overview

Beyond the mass-produced loaf most readily recognized as “American bread,” breads in America include breads from various cultures, breads intended to promote health, smaller breads, and, most recently, artisan breads.

The early settlers brought bread descended from that made by the Sumerians in 6000 BCE through Egypt, Greece, and Rome and on throughout the latter’s empire. It was made from various grains, including rye, barley, and oats, but above all wheat, which did not always grow well in the colonies. Native people made their own bread from acorns, cassava root, peaches, and corn (maize).