One of the biggest concerns for newly diagnosed coeliacs is that they will miss out on eating bread. This is hardly surprising when you consider that bread has been a significant part of our diet for thousands of years. Of course, the good news is that with gluten free bread from Glutafin, you can still enjoy all your favourites, from sandwiches to a slice of toast, burgers to bread and butter pudding.

But how long has mankind been eating bread, and how did bread become so important, not only in our diets but also in the development of our communities?

Society is built on bread 

There are some that argue that the very fabric of society is built on bread. There is evidence that early hunter gatherers discovered how to combine water and wheat as early as 14,600 years ago, and this simple, nutritious food quickly became a staple of their diet. 

Once wheat was cultivated, more established agricultural societies began to form, replacing the previous nomadic lifestyles. At the heart of all of these new communities were the ovens and bakeries that produced the bread that sustained the growing population. 

Bread became so important that there were laws written about it in the Magna Carta in 1215. When the Corn Laws of 1815 pushed up the price of bread for poor urban communities, it caused significant unrest and they were repealed just thirty years later. 

A worldwide foodstuff

In the same way that Africa and Europe cultivated wheat, other parts of the world cultivated their own grains. This included corn and maize in the Americas and rice in Asia. These different grains led to different breads, though they all share the same basic principle of a simple-to-make, nutritious staple that can be enjoyed by all. 

From Mexican tortillas to Indian naan bread, from pittas to pizzas, there is barely a culture in the world that does not have some form of bread as a significant part of the daily diet.

The best thing since…

Remarkably, the pop-up toaster pre-dates the invention of sliced bread, though only by a few years. Sliced bread was the brainchild of an American named Otto Frederick Rohwedder, who first produced a machine for slicing and wrapping bread in 1928. However, Charles Strite had patented his pop-up toasting machine seven years before in 1921.

Unlike today, plain white bread was the preferred style of the well-to-do for centuries. It was only when the health benefits of wholegrain or ‘brown’ bread became clear in recent times that seeded, granary and malted loaves became more popular.

The creation of gluten free bread

Bread may have been on the menu for millennia, but gluten free bread is a surprisingly recent invention. People with coeliac disease have only been able to safely enjoy a sandwich since the start of the 21st century, as food scientists finally found ways to create gluten free bread with the same texture and flavour as the historic wheat-based original.

Today, you can find gluten free bread available in all your favourite styles, from a traditional sliced white loaf, perfect for a bacon butty, to tasty seeded loaves for superior sandwiches. And it doesn’t stop there; Glutafin can supply your bread your way, including long white rolls for hot dogs, baguettes for a stylish lunchtime snack and even part baked rolls that you simply pop in the oven for a few minutes to enjoy fresh, crusty bread with your breakfast or a bowl of soup.

Our community is also based on bread

Just like the civilisations of ancient times, here at Glutafin we’re also building communities around our bread, as well as our other gluten free products like the versatile Select Multipurpose White Mix. 

Our website is packed with tasty gluten free recipes and helpful advice to let you know that you’re not alone, because the Glutafin gluten free community is always there to support you. From diagnosis to living with coeliac disease, Glutafin is with you every step of the way.

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