From grain to bread
We could eat bread all day long, from breakfast through to supper! And we're certainly not limited by choice – we have everything from sweet croissants to savoury pagnol bread. We'll tell you all you need to know about bread, for example how many different types of bread there are in Switzerland and what ingredients are used to make them.
What do you think? How many different types of bread and bread rolls are there in Switzerland? 20, 50 or perhaps 100? We actually have more than 200 different types! If you visit the bakery section of Coop, you'll get a little idea of just how diverse bread can be. Think about all the different shapes for starters: round loaves of bread, square sandwich loaves, little rolls and crescent-shaped croissants
Great bread requires just four ingredients: flour, water, a little salt and a raising agent to ensure the bread rises and is light and fluffy. You can use yeast or a sourdough, for example. Some breads and bread rolls contain special ingredients that make them unique. These include pretzel rolls, for example, which are dipped in a sodium hydroxide solution before baking; "cuchaule", which get their yellow colour from saffron; and "fiascia", which are made with chestnuts. Some breads also contain dried fruit, nuts such as walnuts and even potatoes.
And of course, we can't forget the sweet varieties such as chocolate bread rolls. As you can see, bread is suitable for any meal! As a breakfast roll, a sandwich for lunch, a sweet treat in the afternoon or a classic open sandwich for supper.
Bread and bread rolls are also easy to bake yourself. How about a filled breakfast roll, apple & carrot snack roll, apple croissant or cervelat tear-and-share bread?
The most important ingredient in any bread is flour. Depending on what sort you use, the bread can look very light or very dark, and taste relatively mild or have quite a bite to it. Flour is made by milling grains, usually wheat, rye and spelt. However, more exotic varieties can also be used in the baking of bread – rice flour and linseed flour, for example.
Wheat is a type of grass. The grain in the ears can be eaten. It is sown by farmers in the Spring and usually harvested at the end of July and beginning of August. Perhaps you've driven past an expanse of golden wheat fields in the past. When fields look like this, it won't be long before the grain is harvested with a combine harvester. The combine harvester cuts the crop and separates the grain from the ears. The grain is then transported in large Coop trucks to a grain mill such as Swissmill in Zurich.
Before being processed, the grain is stored in a grain silo. Silos are special storage units in which grain and other loose goods are stored. They have a unique shape and look like a tower. The Swissmill silo is a pretty big one. At 118 metres tall, it is one of the tallest grain silos in the world – that's more than twice the length of a 50 m swimming pool. The grain is poured in at the top and removed at the bottom. The grain gradually makes its way down the silo, leaving space at the top for new grain to be added. It's a little like an hourglass where the sand trickles down to the bottom.
Once ready, the flour is delivered to Coop bakeries where it is made into bread, rolls and braided loaves. Perhaps you've already visited a Coop store and smelt the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread and been inspired by the huge selection on display. If so, you'll know how difficult it is to choose between them! Fortunately, you can return to Coop as many times as you like to try different types of bread and enjoy your favourite rolls.
Our breads are baked fresh every day and are therefore especially tasty. Incidentally, did you know that you will always find our bread in the same place at Coop? This means that you can locate it easily, even if you're shopping in a different Coop store.
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