Why is bread a solid but still can be squashed?

Bread is considered a viscoelastic material because it exhibits both elastic and viscous properties. The elasticity allows it to retain its shape and return to its original form after being compressed, while the viscosity makes it soft and deformable. When you apply a force to the bread, the viscoelasticity enables it to be squashed temporarily but it tends to gradually go back to its original shape as the elastic behavior dominates in that time scale.

In simpler terms, imagine bread as a combination of solid and liquid properties. The solid-like nature makes it retain its structure, whereas the liquid-like part makes it adaptable when pressure is applied.