HISTORY OF BAKING

8000 BC – 3000 BC

In Egypt, a simple grinding stone (quern) was developed to crush grains and
made it to unleavened breads. They developed grain production along the fertile banks
of the Nile. Barley, emmer (a type of wheat), corn, flax and dourah (a type of millet)
were common harvests. Grain become a staple food and spread to the Balkans and
throughout Europe, eventually being cultivated in Britain. Tougher wheat varieties were
developed, and the baking of bread became a skill in Egypt along with brewing beer. In
this warm climate, wild yeasts were attracted to multi-grain flour mixtures and bakers
experimented with leavened dough.

The Egyptians invented the closed oven, and bread assumed great significance.
Homage was paid to Osiris, the god of grain, and bread was used instead of money; the
workers who built the pyramids were paid in bread.

1000 BC-40 BC

Yeast wheat bread became popular in Rome, and by 500 BC a circular quern
was developed, which was a circular stone wheel that turned on another fixed stone.
This was the basis of all milling until the Industrial Revolution in the 19 th century and is
still the way stone-ground flour is produced today.

In Rome the first baker’s guilds were formed, and well-to-do Romans insisted on
the more exclusive and expensive bread- a preference which persists in Europe and
English- speaking countries to this day. Romans invented the first mechanical dough-
mixer, powered by horses and donkeys. Through times, Rome invaded Britain and had
introduced more sophisticated techniques, including watermills.

In Rome the authorities decreed that bread should be distributed free to all adult
males.

50 AD-600 AD

Saxons and Danes settled in Britain and introduced rye, which was well suited to
cold northern climates. Dark rye bread became a staple, which lasted to the middle
ages. The Persia are said to have invented the windmill.
 The growth of towns and cities throughout the middle ages made the proliferation
of bakeries. Baker’s guilds were introduced to protect the interests of members and to
regulate controls governing the price and weight of the bread. Bread has become a
status symbol during this era: by Tudor times, Britain’s wealthy people ate small, fine
white loaves called manchets; merchants and tradesmen ate wheaten cobs; while the
poor had to be satisfied with bran loaves.

1150 AD-1266 AD

Bakers formed guilds to protect them from manorial barons, and in 1155 London
bakers formed a brotherhood. King John introduced the first laws governing price of
bread and the permitted profit. The Assize of Bread was then organized.

The Industrial Age (1700 AD-1887 AD)

In Gregorian times the introduction of sieves made of Chinese silk helped to

produce finer, whiter flour; and white bread gradually became more widespread. Tins
were also used to bake bread.

1700 AD-1757 AD

Wheat began to overtake rye and barley as the chief bread grain. A new Act
superseded the Assize of 1266. Magistrates were empowered to control the type,
weight and price of loaves. Only white, wheaten (wholemeal) and household bread
(made from low-grade flour) were permitted.

1822 AD-1862 AD

In London standard weights of loaves were abolished. Bakers had to weigh each
loaf in the customer’s presence. Wholemeal bread, eaten by the military, was
recommended as being healthier than the white bread eaten by the aristocracy.
BAKING IN AMERICA

In the vast majority cases, the early American baker was a man, who shared his
techniques with the colonial housewife.

IN 1999, THE American Society of Baking engineers celebrated its 75th Annual
Technical Conference.

1640 AD-1175 AD

In 1640 bakeries began to appear, with the first bakery established in Plymouth,
Massachusetts.

By the 1650, the price of a loaf was directly related to the cost of wheat. By 1658,
authorities fixed bakers’ return at four shillings to each quarter of wheat.

1780 AD-1850 AD

As the colonial are came to a close, westward expansion turned trading posts
into towns and the baking industry soon benefited. Cincinnati, in 1780, was a struggling
outpost with less than 2000 people and two bakeries. By 1820, the population boosted
to 12,000 and had 15 bakeries.

By 1850, the Census of Manufacturers reported 2, 027 bakeries throughout the

USA producing over 13 million dollars in baked goods and employing 6, 727 wage
earners. Consumption of wheat flour was 205 pounds per year. At this time the bakers
had two methods of mixing: straight dough and sponge dough. Although more
laborious, sponge method provided more control over the fermentation and afforded the
baker greater variety of yeast-raised products by creating a master’s piece.

1850 AD-1900 AD

Between these years, profound social changes created enormous opportunities

for commercial baking. A growing population fueled the demand for baked goods.
During that 50 years period, the number of people in America increased from 23 million
to over 75 million.

By 1868, Charles Fleischmann revolutionized the baking industry when he began

to market compressed yeast.
 In the mid-1870s, the first indirect continuous oven was introduced. it was
created by removing the fire box from the baking chamber and repositioning it either
behind or below the chamber. This oven can do the work of three older units and the
baker had more control over the heat.

A third oven introduction, a reel oven by Aj Fish and Company, had been used in
the biscuit and cracker industry. It is consisted of a series of horizontal hearths pivoting
on a rotating axis in a large baking chamber. It is powered by a system of weights and
counterweights.

In 1876, Hunter and Sifter Company (predecessors of the JH Day Company)

introduced the first mechanical mixer. It has the capacity of as high as six barrels of
flour or around 1, 175 pounds.

The first dough divider was introduced in 1895 by the Dutchess Tool Company.
Originally designed for roll production, it was quickly applied to bread dough.

By 1900, improvements in transportation and the introduction of refrigeration

began to alter the American diet. The canning industry brought year round fruits and
vegetables. Bottled milk was appearing on doorsteps, and the packing industry was
providing a consistent and affordable supply of meat.

1904 AD-1929 AD

The Alsop bleaching process was discovered in 1904, permitting flour to be

chemically bleached, thereby reducing the naturally occurring process to a few hours,
but this had an issue of adulteration, mislabeling and chemical treatment of food which
was led by the passage of the Food and Drug Act of 1906.

1939 AD-1945 AD

Enriched flour was introduced. In 1939, the American Medical Association’s

Council on Foods and Nutrition recommended the restoration of vitamins and iron in
white flour. In 1940s the war effort not only increased per capita income but offered
countless jobs to women who might have baked at home.

The War Food Order, issued in January 1943 during WW II, was one of the most
important regulations affecting the baking industry. War Food Order #1 provided for the
mandatory enrichment of all white bread and eventually rolls. It also created provisions
for the restrictive use of shortenings, milk solids, and sugar because of their shortage
and price volatility.
1950 AD-Present

By the midcentury thousands of bakeries were engaged in home delivery.

The early 1950s was a transition period for the baker, form semi automatic to
nearly total automation.

In 1963, numerous film wrapping machines were introduced.

By 1970s, continual rising of prices was observed.

In the early 1990s Artisan bread gained popularity. This movement returns to the
traditional methods of bread baking, which emphasizes quality of ingredients, slow
fermentation, and hand shaping, and baking in small batches.

By the late 1990s, the baling industry was highly automated, multi-segmented
industry. Technology and applied science continued to impact both production and
development. The use of enzymes and dough conditioners extended product shelf-life
and added to increased production volume.

By 2004, robotic systems were being used to maximize storage and retrieval
functions, and automated order makeup systems became a reality rather than a dream.

BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL BAKER

Bakers today must possess a combination of knowledge, skills and passion. In

addition they must also be able to complete the following tasks:

1. Understand the function of many ingredients

2. Weigh and measure ingredients accurately in large quantities
3. Blend the ingredients to prepare dough and batter
4. Roll, shape, and cut a variety of dough products and pastries by hand
5. Know how to operate production machinery.

Principles in Baking:

1. Observe the fundamentals of Cleanliness

 Wear clean apron and shoes
 Keep your work place organized and neat
 Observe clean and well-maintained tools and equipment not only to help
exhibit professional image, but they are safer to use
 2. Utilize Ingredients Properly
 Observe strict temperature control throughout storage, preparation and
consumption of the product
 Always use care and precision when measuring ingredients in order to
eliminate waste
3. Strive to Improve
 Never stop honing your craft
 Always keep an open mind and strive to find new ways to improve your
skills.

FOUR CARDINAL RULES OF BAKING

1. Ratio- the balance of the ingredients within a formula. Correct ratios will set the
dough and batter properly during the cooking process.
2. Sequence- the order in which the ingredients should be added. It produces
proper leavening and a smooth dough or batter.
3. Time- each step in the formula takes a certain amount of time. Gluten requires
time to develop. It is also required for creaming and foaming to fully develop the
flavor and texture of the product. Product must be baked for the required time.
4. Temperature- the major factor for controlling the quality of baked good. The
ingredient and room’s temperatures affect the fermentation activity in the dough.
Temperature also controls the aeration in the creaming and foaming procedure of
batter. It also plays a critical role in the caramelization and moisture content
during the baking process.