The ancient history of bread

Probably discovered by chance in prehistoric times, however, the swollen and acidulous mixture was not immediately appreciated. The ancient cereals produced flour, which was ground between two stones, but had little leavening. This also happened with the use of "farro", from whose Latin name, "farr", derives today's term "flour". Thanks to a spontaneous hybridization, the structure of the wheat became suitable for baking in ancient times, as evidenced by its grains found in an Indian tomb of 2500 BC. The first experienced bakers were the Egyptians who discovered fermentation and spread the art of white in the Mediterranean. The ancient Greeks produced 70 types of bread and were the first to enrich it with cheese, herbs and honey. In Rome, bread became established in the second century BC, but only among the upper social classes.

Nutritional properties of bread: The carbohydrates contained in bread are transformed, once ingested, into glucose, used by our body as the real fuel to work well brain and muscles. Common bread (not seasoned and free of animal fats) contains absolutely no cholesterol: this characteristic makes it a food suitable for almost everyone. Simple bread, without the addition of other ingredients, is also part of slimming diets thanks to its high satiating power. Dark" breads, i.e. breads made with not too refined flours, have a higher content of nutrients, including essential fatty acids, enzymes and above all fibres.

Properties and benefits of bread: Bread is a source of complex carbohydrates, it is absorbed slowly, without producing metabolic waste, offering a prolonged sense of satiety and ensuring the cells a long-term supply of energy. Bread proteins are of vegetable origin, therefore they are not complete: they are in fact lacking in some essential amino acids, such as lysine. However, it is sufficient to bring the "companatico", such as cold cuts and cheeses or legumes, close to the bread to complete, in a very tasty way, the range of amino acids it provides. Complex carbohydrates, present in cereal starch, should be the main source of energy as they are more digestible than fats and cleaner than proteins: to be broken down into amino acids, the latter require a lot of liver and kidney.