Bread has been an essential part of many societies around the globe for an extremelly long time. It is very much part of our diet since the first sedentary people who lived upon agriculture. Fields of Wheat, Barley, Rye brings to the mind somehow a sense of a homecoming. For the trivia, in the Gladiator Movie of Riddley Scott, it is a recurrent theme throughout the film. (link below)

The Field in Gladiator.

Many expressions derive from Bread or Pain. Lets just take the 'Bread Winner.' It implies the person who will bring consistant Food within a household. Now another important aspect is Bread sharing. Companion means just that someone you can share your Bread with. It has an important symbolism because one never knows when the next harvest will be beneficial.

Growing Seeds for next year's Cat Grass.

Of course being French, I will bang on about the Baguette because I was growing up upon it. Half a Baguette filled with just Butter and Ham, maybe Brie slices and Tomatoes and there you had your Sandwich for a road trip which was easy, simple and rather leaving your belly full.

  A rustic Baguette Sandwich.

La Baguette if totally French, for a little anecdote, I learnt to do quick Garlic Bread with a Baguette only in England... It can be either a Side, a Garnish or a Snack. Not in fear to sound very fancy at all or not at all I do like one or two slices of Garlic Bread with a Soup or a Stew. It gives the dunking in feeling when you did enjoy your Meal and you are having all the rest of it by wipping your slice of Bread to grab all the rest of it.

Toasted Garlic and Herb Bread. It is ever so simple to do. I would also say there, that there is no right or wrong method to do a nice Garlic Bread. Rubbing a Clove of Garlic upon a slice of Bread has been done for centuries.

Another Bread which marked my Childhood is 'Le Pain de Campagne' also know as Sourdough Bread. The crust is usually dense. I would even say that the flesh taste of fields, passing storms, sunshine, moonlight, that it went through different weather but that le Pain de Campagne still makes it upon a table. A tradition was to cross the bottom of the Bread with a knife, usually by the man of the family in order to wish for more Bread to come in the future to feed his family. It was done prior to cutting, slicing and sharing the Bread. 

Rustic Rye and Oat Home Made Bread.

The tradition of crossing the Bread either below or above it still persists and has its links to the Christian faith. The similarity is for the sharing of the Bread but this time it is a tradition which is convivial and multi faith as per say. There is the cutting, slicing of the Bread to try to make it even for one another but there is also the tearing which is fairly fun. The Naan, and many other Breads are prefect for doing so. 

Home Made Share Bread with Bacon and Stilton. It is perfect for comforting Soups during the cold months of the year.

Bread is not just Flour, it can be made from the addition of so many Ingredients, from Water to Baking Powder to Yeast. Milk, Butter are luscious Ingredients to make Breads or to bake. The Brioche was such a Sunday Tea Time Treat in my Childhood rich with Butter, glazed with Milk or Egg and a divine texture. Presented with a choice of Home Made Jams, it was delish and despite the fact that we were not supposed to put more Butter on a Butter Brioche Slice, well it was done...