Over 200 different types of bread are baked in Switzerland. Some of them have been for several hundred years, others have become classics in a short time.
The essentials in brief:
°Switzerland has a multifaceted bread tradition.
°Each region has its own specialties.
°There are also regional differences in bread supply in retail.
°Switzerland has a long and lively bread tradition.
The type of grain and the degree of grinding are decisive for taste and consistency.
In addition, individual ingredients give the bread the finishing touch. Everyone knows “burli” and snake bread from the school trip. But did you know that over 200 different types of bread come out of the oven in Swiss bakeries? You can find out here which of them are typically Swiss and how they achieve their respective tastes.
Diverse bread landscape
Whole grains, wholemeal, sourdough – there are countless types of bread on supermarket shelves. In order to discover the secrets of the individual bread, you have to know the differences. If the whole grain is used, it is whole grain bread. If, on the other hand, only the inside of the grain is used, there is white bread. Most traditional Swiss bread is somewhere in between and is made from semi-white or smoked flour. If you then still know whether the bread was made with yeast or sourdough and which additional ingredients are used, you better understand the characteristics of the bread type.
The Ticino bread – the classic
Ticino bread is a Swiss classic. White bread has a prestige problem in certain circles because it contains fewer minerals and vitamins than whole grains. But not everyone uses nutrient tables to measure the value of food.
If the indicator of good food is the speed with which it disappears from the kitchen after shopping, then Ticino bread is a real superfood. It is usually made with the addition of sunflower or rapeseed oil, which ensures a soft, fine interior of the bread.
The Valais rye bread – the homely lover
Valais rye bread is a fine and healthy piece of tradition. As one of only 23 Swiss products, it carries the AOP label, Appellation d’Origine Protegée. This means that the product was made in a traditional way. In the region and with local raw materials.
The Valais rye bread consists of a mixture of wholemeal rye flour and wholemeal wheat flour, salt, and water. The rye flour makes up at least 90% of the flour used. The leavening agent used is not yeast, but sourdough. This loosens the dough and, thanks to its sourdough bacteria, makes the rye bread easier to digest and has a unique taste. Because rye flour makes a rather dense, heavy bread, Valais rye bread is usually cut into thin slices. It goes perfectly with sausage and cheese specialties. But it is also a real treat as a confectionary slice.
St. Gallen bread – the multifaceted one
St. Gallen bread is made from Ruchmehl. What is special about it is that the bread is made with pre-dough. This makes the bread taste unique because many flavors are formed while the pre-dough is left to rest for several hours. Bread with pre-dough also has the advantage that they stay fresh longer because the water in the dough is better bound.
This brings a lot of moisture into the dough. Ultimately, it is also more digestible because of the enzymes in the pre-dough “pre-digest” many nutrients for us. The challenge for the baker at St. Gallen bread is its shape. It takes a skilled and experienced baker to get the bread shape with the characteristic nose and the front with a crack.
The office bread – the softie
The name Burebrot reminds you of a centuries-old tradition, but the recipe only dates back to the 1950s and was a targeted response to the glut of milk. The principle behind it is somewhat reminiscent of the history of the courgette cake: you take what you have and make something good out of it.
The butter plait – the Sunday joy
If you should protest now, yes, you are right. The butter braid is not a Swiss invention. But it is so defining for Sunday in Swiss households that it should not be missing from our list. Butter plaits are made with white flour or plait flour. Zopfmehl is white flour with the addition of spelled flour. This contains more elastic gluten than wheat flour. This makes the dough more elastic, which is why you can braid the different braid strands more easily. In addition to the butter, which gives it its name and flavor, it contains milk, which makes the dough pliable. Depending on the recipe and region, the dough can also contain egg for a finer bread inside.
In Switzerland, there are traditionally regional differences in the shape of the butter plait. In Bern, it is baked rather broadly and shorter, while the shape in Eastern Switzerland is longer and thinner braided. In central Switzerland, it is traditionally baked wide and flat.
Fresh & handmade – regional bread specialties at Migros
Anyone who travels a lot knows and appreciates the phenomenon: even in the branches of larger chain stores, the range varies from region to region. Suddenly you find “Torta al Testo” in the supermarket in Assisi or the famous “Biscuits Roses” in Reims.
Migros, the Swiss Supermarket chain, has always been concerned about a local bread offers. Over 200 different types of bread are available throughout Switzerland. The national range is supplemented with regional specialties (“From the region. For the region”). There are also major regional differences in the range of the “Frisch & Handmade” brand.
Only one thing is the same for all 130 branches with their own in-house bakery: The bread is made from A-Z on site. Only with the best ingredients and under the expert hands of local bakers. For maximum enjoyment of bread with regional flair.
Wer viel reist, kennt und schätzt das Phänomen: Auch in Filialen von grösseren Ladenketten ist das Sortiment regional unterschiedlich. Plötzlich findet man im Supermarkt in Assisi «Torta al testo» oder in Reims die berühmten «Biscuits Roses».
Auch die Migros war schon immer um ein lokales Brotangebot besorgt. Über 200 verschiedene Brotsorten sind schweizweit verfügbar. Das nationale Sortiment wird jeweils mit regionalen Spezialitäten ergänzt («Aus der Region. Für die Region»). Auch im Sortiment der Marke «Frisch & Handgemacht» gibt es grosse regionale Unterschied
Nur eins ist bei allen 130 Filialen mit eigener Hausbäckerei gleich: Die Brote werden von A-Z vor Ort hergestellt. Nur mit den besten Zutaten und unter den fachkundigen Händen lokaler Bäcker. Für höchsten Brotgenuss mit regionalem Flair
