Bread is a food made by fermenting and baking a dough made of grain-based flour like wheat flour, water, yeast, and salt. Though the ingredients are simple, how time, temperature, and fermentation are adjusted can produce endless flavor and shape possibilities. Dating back more than 10,000 years, the history of bread tells a story of how this important food item went from being a staple on the table to becoming a snack or dessert item with the addition of fat, butter, eggs, and sugar. Today, everyone from specialty bakeries, food companies and fine dining restaurants to cafés and home bakers are creating new baking techniques and recipes to suit individual preferences and tastes.