{"id":14292,"date":"2022-07-08T14:50:21","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T18:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cheffist.com\/?p=14292"},"modified":"2023-07-05T17:38:45","modified_gmt":"2023-07-05T21:38:45","slug":"is-pasta-bread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cheffist.com\/is-pasta-bread\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Pasta Bread? Differences, Uses & Similarities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

No pasta is not bread<\/strong> even though they share wheat flour as a common ingredient. Bread uses a leavening agent (yeast) while pasta uses unleavened dough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, despite its similarities with bread, the sad fact is that pasta isn’t bread at all \u2014 but that doesn’t stop it from being the staple food for millions around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article examines the numerous differences that make pasta unique from bread, the history of pasta, as well as the types of pasta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Pasta? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pasta is a form of food made using a mixture of unleavened dough made with wheat flour and water and\/or eggs<\/strong> to form sheets or various shapes. These pasta shapes are then cooked through mostly boiling or sometimes by baking. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Pasta remains a widely enjoyed staple food of Italian cuisine and exists in two broad categories; fresh pasta (pasta fresca) and dried pasta (pasta secca). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dried pasta can be produced at home but is commercially produced using the extrusion process. Fresh pasta is mostly produced by hand and sometimes employs the use of simple machines to make the process faster. However, fresh pasta can also be commercially produced using large-scale machines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEE: How To Know When Pasta Is Done<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of Pasta<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although dating far back in time, the first relevant information regarding pasta and its varieties in Italy, was during the 13th or 14th century. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historians believe that the food became prominent in Italy due to extensive Mediterranean trading during the Middle Ages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pasta dishes referenced in the 13th century include gnocchi, macaroni, vermicelli, and ravioli. These dishes were eaten across the Italian Peninsula. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 14th-century book written by Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, describes a mouth-watering dish of pasta chefs rolling macaroni and ravioli topped with a mountain of Parmesan cheese. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the 14th and 15th centuries saw the popular adoption of dried pasta as a result of its easy storage. This allowed voyagers to store them on ships during their long journeys to discover new parts of the new world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pasta since then has evolved over the last 800 years. It was a meal enjoyed by just about everyone and was served with local vegetables, olive oil, or garlic, before the introduction of tomatoes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the difference between pasta and bread? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pasta differs from bread based on the type of flour used, the leavening agent, and the ingredients used in making them<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flour Used<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The pasta dough was commonly made using durum, a different species of bread wheat. Durum, which is an older species of wheat, has fewer chromosomes and is a hybrid of wild grasses. Modern bread wheat on the hand is more refined and domesticated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leavening Agents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pasta does not make use of leavening agents and is prepared by boiling in water while bread makes use of artificial leavener, yeast<\/a>, or sourdough as leavening agents. Also, you bake bread dough in an oven or bake it on a griddle if it’s a flatbread you wish to make.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pasta in addition to flour also contains eggs, milk, etc. While plain bread mostly makes use of flour and water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the similarities between pasta and bread? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pasta and bread share the following similarities;<\/p>\n\n\n\n