Pretty much any multigrain bread for toast or sandwiches, but it depends on the application.
Naan bread is good with Indian food. Baguettes are good with pasta, etc. Pumpernickel is good with that spinach dip stuff. Rye is good for Reubens or smoked meat (it’s a Montreal thing).
I like a nice big multigrain bun for burgers, but traditional sausage buns for bratwurst, hot Italian, etc. And plain old white hot dog buns for hot dogs.
Oroweat Oatnut is currently my standard bread choice.
Once in awhile I’ll buy Oroweat Country Sourdough when I see it available.
I grew up eating Sunbeam white bread. My mom started buying Roman Meal when I was in high school.
In Germany, I learned that bread doesn’t have to be boring, and for the last 20 years I’ve searched American groceries and bakeries for anything resembling the whole-grain brotchen found on every corner in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland. I find it amazing that nearly every upmarket American supermarket now has an in-store bakery that bakes thoroughly mediocre bread.
Whole Food’s Seeduction is pretty darn good, though. When I come home with a fresh loaf, I can’t resist eating a slice or two with just butter.
Sourdough–be it white or wheat–is my favorite. The more sour, the better.
Agree on all counts. If you’re still in Chicago, Reuter’s and Dinkel’s Bakeries sound like they’d fit the bill for brotchen. Maybe even sits-in-the-warm-oven-all-night pumpernickel?
I have to go to Kuby’s in Dallas for a German bread and sausage kick, though I prefer the bread at Jimmy’s Italian Food Store.
My current favorite is Trader Joe’s Pane Italiano, nice and crusty but more tender than a baguette.
Picture and description here:
I have to say that bread selection and availability in the US is improving, compared to other countries. One place that has great breads is, surprisingly, Mexico. I spent some time there around 20 years ago and was really impressed by the breads available there–dinners in nice restaurants in Mexico City included bread baskets containing a selection of breads that were much more interesting than what one usually finds in American restaurants, and they have great, world-class bakeries. Here’s the website of one El Globo - Pastelería en Línea
And their Walmart bakeries are wonderful, far superior to any supermarket bakery in the US, with a wide selection of fresh-baked rolls, pastries etc. I felt like I’d died and gone to bread heaven!
Here’s a photo that shows some of their stock; I remember more in the way of baguettes and unsliced loaves
https://www.google.com/search?q=walmart+bakery+mexico&rlz=1CAJFEX_enUS828US828&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjVlI-ArtHhAhUGn-AKHcrXC9UQ_AUIDygC&biw=1242&bih=583#imgrc=nKf2ZQWXnf3zqM:
And a blog with more Walmart bakery photos in a small town:
a Tightwad Travel: A Month in Mexico - Wal-Mart
For sandwiches, my favorite for maybe a decade now has been Arnold’s OatNut bread.
It’s not bad for toast, either, but a baker who comes to the local farmers’ market makes this great casereccio bread, and that’s my whole family’s go-to when we want some toast with butter and jam.
One thing I enjoyed when we went on cruises was the dinner bread baskets. I don’t know half the kinds I tried, but they were universally wonderful!
I make all my own bread at home by hand. I love to make Italian bread, French baguettes, bagels, buns, sandwich bread, chapatis, roti, parathas, challah, matsot, tamiz, barbari, brioche, annadama, focaccia, cornbread, pulli, pita, pizza, and just about any other type of bread. I’m an extreme bread head.
Mostly I make whole-wheat Italian-style loaves as my mainstay.
I like the old fashioned pan de pueblo, with a proper crust; IIUIC it’s similar to what’s called “sourdough” in the US (I can’t promise it receives the same name in other English-speaking countries). The exact version will be whatever passes for “old fashioned bread” locally, as I find that’s usually the version which lasts longer under local weather conditions. The ones I’ve been purchasing lately in Normandy are usually labelled bulle (which just means “round bread”) and I prefer to get whole-wheat, multigrain or rye.
steals a chapata from the previous post Yum! Just in time for my merienda-cena, thanks!
I grew up in the Bay Area, so I assumed crusty sourdough bread was something everyone had, everywhere. If I can get my hands on the real deal, I can eat a loaf at a sitting (so I ration how often I buy). Outside the Northwest and a few spots in the Northeast, most people don’t encounter real sourdough (hint: if it doesn’t tear up the roof of your mouth, its not crusty).
I’ve made all my family’s bread for about a year and a half now. It’s usually a crusty sourdough loaf made with mostly strong bread flour and maybe 10-20 percent rye. I always thought I didn’t like rye bread, but it turns out it’s carraway flavored bread I dislike. Rye by itself is great. I’m looking into making softer bread for sandwiches, but my crusty loaves make pretty good sandwiches too, as well as toast and excellent french toast.
Excellent choice. I love all kinds of bread, but if I had to pick just one bread for sandwiches and toast, it would have to be Oatnut.
For breakfast-type meals I prefer English muffins to toast, in all applications.
Otherwise, white bread. I just don’t like whole wheat bread.
I’ve started baking recently; I made bagels a couple of weeks ago. It seemed daunting just reading the recipe, but it was just a lot of steps; the steps themselves were all very easy.
Found a recipe for cheesy quick bread that I’m going to try when I get home tonight.
Having cut way back on bread, I now have a more intense experience of it.
I don’t like sour breads at all. I also don’t like the very dry, bland ryes, etc.
I love baguettes with their perfect contrast of crunch and melt-in-your-mouth insides. I love the buttery lushness of croissants. I love the hamburger buns at Five Guys. Those things really lift those burgers over a lot of “premium” burgers.
Huh, I actually tried making milk bread yesterday for the first time. It’s very tasty. I needed it because I wanted to try the bon appetit recipe for chicken katsu and the only other bread I had around was pita thins and that seemed inappropriate.
Hah! I saw that video as well a couple days ago. Was almost inspired to do the same, but ended up doing a chicken katsu curry instead.
With tree nut allergies, I’m very, very distrustful of things that come from bakeries. I rarely eat bread anyway, but if I get some it’s just basic white/potato/buttermilk from a “safe” bakery (here in the midwest it’s Aunt Millie’s). I love Alvarado Street sprouted wheat bread (also a safe bakery), but I can’t easily get it here.
Another vote for sourdough. Also, egg rolls.
For me it’s Dave’s 21 Whole Grains, though the rest of the family likes Good Seed as much. (I have trouble with seeds). Also, Franz’s 9 Grain is pretty darn good for less money.
I just don’t like anything with raisins.