Below are descriptions of some classic types of Swiss bread:
Ruchbrot (brown bread)
Ruchbrot is a type of dark bread made mainly from flour with a medium extraction rate, but can also contain other types of flour. This is the cheapest type of bread in Switzerland and is normally shaped into a long loaf and scored several times before baking.
Zopf (plaited bread)
Zopf bread is a plaited yeast loaf which is traditionally baked in Switzerland, Austria and the south of Germany. Unlike Hefezopf, another type of plaited yeast loaf, it is not sweetened. Zopf bread dough contains butter and milk and can be kept for several days. Zopf bread can be made with normal white flour or with special 'Zopf flour' which contains some spelt flour to improve the structure of the dough. Zopf bread is typically eaten on Sundays or for brunch. Speckzopf (literally 'bacon plait') is a popular variation which can be eaten as a savoury snack and has bacon cubes added to the dough.
Tessinerbrot (Ticinese bread)
Ticinese bread is Switzerland's best-known canton-specific bread. It is a white bread, made with several pieces that can be easily broken off. The dough is traditionally made from semi-white flour, but there are also dark varieties.
Silserbrot/Laugenbrot (pretzel bread)
Pretzel bread is made from whole wheat flour and yeast dough and is dipped in a lye solution before baking. The lye reacts with the gluten in the dough, giving the surface its typical brown, shiny appearance and the bread its unusual, strong flavour. The lye remains on the surface of the dough and is not absorbed. Pretzel dough is typically used to make pretzels and Silserkränze (pretzel roll wreath bread).
Krustenkranz (crusty roll wreath bread)
A Krustenkranz consists of small rolls in a ring, which are easy to break off individually. The bread is baked using various types of flour and therefore comes in different varieties. It is suitable for making filled rolls or as an accompaniment to salads or barbecues.
Sourdough bread
Sourdough is a leaven that is usually fed with lactic acid bacteria and yeast to keep it permanently fermenting. The dough is aerated by the carbon dioxide which is given off during the process. Sourdough is added to the bread dough as a raising agent to add air to the bread and enable rye dough, which would otherwise not rise, to be baked.
Potato bread
Potato bread dough consists mainly of potatoes which have been boiled and mashed. This makes the bread particularly light and moist. Nuts are often added to give the bread a rustic character.
Nut bread
Nut bread is usually made with brown Ruchmehl flour, but can also be made with semi-white or white flour according to personal preference. The nuts – usually walnuts – are roughly chopped and added to the dough.