The History and Culture of Eastern European Bread

You’ve had crusty French bread and Mediterranean flatbreads, but have you ever had bread from Eastern Europe? If you haven’t, you’re missing out on some hearty, delicious options. At NetCost Market, we pride ourselves on introducing our customers to new things, so please allow us to introduce you to Eastern European bread.

• Darnitsky was first baked in 1930s Leningrad. It’s known as “the black bread”, though the color is closer to grey. It contains a mix of rye and wheat flour, with zakvaska- leaven- instead of yeast. The best quality flour is not advised for Darnitsky, because it’s too soft and fine for such a hearty bread.
• Zavarnoy is made with a special zavarka, or brew. It originated in monasteries and is made with neither yeast nor leaven. It’s remarkable in that it stays fresh for a long time, and the malt in the recipe lends it a strange, delicate, sour sweet taste.
• Borodinsky is a Russian bread, much loved across the former Soviet Union. It’s rumored to have first been baked by nuns at a convent, on the very site where Russian and Napoleon’s army fought the Battle of Borodino in 1812. Another story has it first appearing on the scene in 1920s Moscow. Whatever the origin story, the recipe for modern Borodinsky bread was approved at Moscow’s head bakery in 1933. This bread is a special, scalded rye bread, made with flour, yeast, rye malt, molasses, and coriander. It has a unique, sweet flavor and aroma.
• Duona is a Lithuanian bread. It’s a black rye bread that’s dense and naturally sweet. It’s easily found in Baltic countries and made of very simple ingredients: just rye flour fermented with water. A mainstay of most Lithuanian diets, eaten with butter and salt or white cheese, it’s a deliciously authentic Lithuanian breakfast!
• Tashkent Lepeshki is a round, fluffy flatbread found in Uzbekistan. It’s deliciously light and airy, and if you’re in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, you can buy it straight out of the tandyr ovens, from bread sellers who wheel it around in old-fashioned baby strollers. With a chewy, glossy crust and an open, airy crumb, this bread is so addictive that it’s easy to polish off 2-4 loaves, eating them plain or dipping them in honey butter.

If you’re interested in trying new food such as European bread and other import foods, make NetCost Market your first stop. For over 20 years, we’ve been committed to helping our customers save time and money while offering them the world of food all in one place. We’re a local supermarket with a global reach, providing a selection of everyday food products as well as a variety of culinary delights from around the world. It’s our goal to provide authentic, high-quality food products from local farmers as well as suppliers from around the world. When you shop with NetCost Market, you’ll find everything you need, from a comfortable shopping experience to online shopping and home grocery delivery.