Difference between White Bread vs Brown Bread

Bread is mostly consumed for the breakfast throughout the world in different forms such as bread toast, bread omelet, sandwich etc. It comes in various types such as white bread, brown bread and multi-grain bread. The white and brown bread are commonly consumed, let us see how these breads differ from each other in terms of texture, taste and nutrition!

To understand the difference between white bread and brown bread we have to understand the structure of wheat grain from which these breads are produced. A wheat grain has three parts: the husk or bran layer, the core or endosperm and rest of the wheat grain that includes germ.

White Bread:

White bread is made from the endosperm part of the wheat grains that also gives the bread its white colour. The bran and germ are removed from the grains during processing. After removing the bran and germ, the white flour is bleached using potassium bromate, benzoyl peroxide or chlorine dioxide. So, it is highly processed bread made of refined wheat flour and mainly contains starch and lacks most of the nutrients that are abundant in brown bread. In some countries, the manufactures add minerals and nutrients to white bread to make it more nutritious. Wheat bread is softer than brown bread as it does not contain bran.

Brown Bread:

The brown bread is made from all parts of the wheat grains: the bran, endosperm and the germ. The bran is rich in fibers, endosperm contains proteins and carbohydrates and the germ is rich in vitamins and minerals. So, it contains more fiber and nutrients than white bread and thus it is considered more nutritious and healthy than white bread.

The making of brown bread does not involve the processing of wheat grains so it is made of unbleached or unrefined whole wheat flour. It is also called whole wheat bread as all parts of the grain are used in making the brown bread. It is hard than white bread as it contains bran that pops off the bubbles during the baking process.

Based on the above information, some of the key differences between white bread and brown bread are as follows:

White Bread	Brown Bread
It is made from the endosperm of the wheat grains that gives it its characteristic white colour.	It is made from all parts of the wheat grains: bran, endosperm and germ, so it is brown in colour.
It is made from refined wheat flour, i.e. the wheat grains are processed to remove the bran and germ.	It is made from whole wheat flour, i.e. the wheat grains are not processed to remove bran and germ.
It is less nutritious than brown bread.	It is more nutritious as it contains more fiber and nutrients than white bread.
It is softer than brown bread as it lacks the bran and germ.	It is less soft as it contains bran.
It is highly processed and mainly contains starch.	It is less processed than white bread.
Vitamins and minerals are added to make it more nutritious.	Vitamins and minerals are not added to it as it already contains enough nutrients.