Typical Italian bread ingredients include water, yeast, white wheat flour, salt, and olive oil. The oil is used as a binding agent. While wheat is a general ingredient, rye is also used to create Italian breads.

By law in France, bread cannot have added oil or fat. French baguettes, for instance, must be made from water, flour, yeast and salt, with a very little amounts of dough improver allowed. Italian bread often contains a little bit more milk, olive oil, and sometimes sugar in its contents.