Bread roll
A bread roll is a small, oblong individual loaf of bread served as a meal accompaniment. Rolls can be served and eaten whole or are also commonly cut and filled – the result of doing so is considered a sandwich in English.
Regional variations
Europe
Rolls are common throughout Europe. Even in the same languages, rolls are known by a variety of names. Some European languages have many local and dialectal terms for bread rolls. These include German language diminutives of Brot in most of western and central Germany and in Switzerland. Other German language terms include Rundstück in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein; Weckerl or more specific Semmel in Austria, Saxony and southern Bavaria; Weck and Weckle in much of Baden-Württemberg, Franconia and Saarland; Schrippe in Berlin and parts of Brandenburg. Some of these names reappear in other European languages as well, for example as zsemle in Hungarian, or rundstykker in Danish and Norwegian.In the Netherlands they are called broodje.
"Small bread" is also found as Italian panino, which also commonly denotes a stuffed small bread roll. The Kaisersemmel reappears in Italy as the Michetta or Rosetta. In Swedish, a bread roll is a bullar, franskbrödbullar or simply fralla, comfort food eaten with butter and any kind of topping for special weekend breakfasts. The Doppelweck or Doppelbrötchen is a type of bread roll originating from the Saarland which consists of two rolls joined together side-by-side before baking.
There are many terms for a bread roll within the United Kingdom depending on region. These names include roll, and for a minority of the population bap, barm cake, batch, breadcake, bun, cob, teacake and muffin.
A variety of rolls are found in Europe, from white rolls made with wheat flour, to dark rolls containing mostly rye flour. Many variants include spices, such as coriander and cumin, or nuts. Also common are bread rolls containing or garnished with whole seeds such as sesame, poppy, pumpkin or sunflower.
Arab world
Bread rolls are popular in the Arab world and come in many varieties and names, "French-like" bread rolls exist in many forms.Eish fino is a baguette-like bread roll that is popular in Egypt. It is also known as Samouli bread, or as "Samoon" bread, not to be confused with samoon bread.
Other names for or varieties of bread rolls include hamam bread, popular in Jordan.
Bread rolls are consumed in large quantities around the region, and are considered everyday items, to the extent that the price of some varieties of bread rolls is subsidized in some countries, like Jordan, Egypt, and Syria.