Chapter Three History of Bakery Business in the World
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CHAPTER THREE HISTORY OF BAKERY BUSINESS IN THE WORLD CHAPTER THREE HISTORY OF BAKERY BUSINESS IN THE WORLD Sr. Page C ontents No. No. 3.1 HISTORY OF BAKERY BUSINESS IN THE WORLD 35 3.2 GROWTH OF BAKERY BUSINESS IN THE WORLD 37 3.3 MEDIEVAL TIMES 40 3.4 THE INDUSTRIAL AGE (1700 - 1887) 41 3.5 THE TWENTIETH CENTURY 43 34 - History of Baket7 Business in the World CHAPTER THREE HISTORY OF BAKERY BUSINESS IN THE WORLD 3.1 HISTORY OF BAKERY BUSINESS IN THE WORLD: The new Encyclopedia Britannica Volume III, edition 1981-82, published by William Benton, London defines the term “Bread" as baked food products made of flour or meal that is moistured, kneaded and some times tormented. A major food since times, it has been made in various forms using a variety of ingredients and methods throughout the world. The first bread was made in Neolithic times, nearly 15000 years ago. Stone was then used as a tool for all practical purposes. For example like digging the ground for agricultural work or at the time of harvest it was used for cutting down the crops and then to separate the grains. The grains were crushed between the stones, which gave crude flour dough. This dough was then shaped in the form of a round flat cake and was then cooked on a large flat stone over a fire. The quality of this type of bread was rather hard Breat made by this process it was very much different from the light textured leaf that we have today. It is rather interesting to note that although the Egyptians of the XII Dynasty (2070 B.C.) had well-preserved teeth, they were all worn down by continuous chewing, perhaps bread that was coarse, hard and gritty. And a loaf over 3000 year old can even be seen today in the Egyptian gallery of the British Museum. Even with the passing of some considerable amount of time and with the Increased advanced knowledge of the cultivation of wheat and the grinding of flour the quality of bread did not improve greatly. Flat breads, the earliest form of bread is still eaten especially in Asia and Africa. The Principal grains used 3 5 - History of Bakery Business in the World in such breads are corn (Maize) barley, millet and buck wheat all lacking sufficient elastic protein to make raised breads. Chappaties and millet cakes are most popular in India. The quality of bread did improve quite dramatically later with the discovery of how to make it rise. The story goes that a forgetful young Egyptian baker had left some uncooked dough and got engaged in some other work for some time before he remembered about it. During this period of time the dough got fermented. This fermentation had caused the dough to rise on baking these loaves the young Egyptian baker found that he had produced the first light textured risen bread. The Greeks, who bought the Egyptian wheat, developed such variety and skill as bread makers that they became the master bakers of their time. When the Romans conquered the Greeks and started a school for bakers to improve and teach this knowledge. The Egyptians had become great experts in the cultivation of wheat. Their mastery over wheat cultivation made them harvest huge quantities of wheat, much more than what they actually needed for their own needs. The surplus quantities of wheat were exported by them to the Greeks in exchange of other goods, which they could not cultivate in abundance. Like in India, the Romans graded their food grains. The finer and whiter bread was considered the best and was reserved for the nobility, whereas whole meal was preferred by the general mass of people and the rough variety was meant for the slaves, the convicts, the army and for the navy. When Caseins arrived in Britain with the conquering Romans, it is said that he was so disgusted with the home produced bread sent all the way from Rome stale bread from Rome being preferable to the fresh British variety. 2 0 - History of Bakery Business in the World The Britishers had a lot to learn besides the many sophisticated - improvements like controlled heating. 3.2 GROWTH OF BAKERY BUSINESS IN THE WORLD: Grains have been the most important staple food in the human diet since prehistoric times, so it is only a slight exaggeration to say the baking is almost as old as the human race. Because of the lack of cooking utensils, it is probable that one of the earliest grain preparations was made by Toasting dry grains, pounding them to a metal with rocks and mixing the meal to a paste with water. Later it was discovered that some of this paste, if laid on a hot stone next to a fire, turned into a flatbread that was a little more appetizing than the plain paste. Unleavened flatbreads, such as tortillas, are still important foods in many cultures. Wheat is now the most widely used of all. It is highly nutritious, containing the protein, carbohydrate and many of the vitamins needed for a healthy diet. 800 B.C. - At first grain was crushed by hand with pestle and mortar. In Egypt a simple grinding stone (quern) was developed. All bread was unleavened, there were no raising agents and bread was made from a mixed variety of grains. Today’s equivalents are Indian Chapatties and lexicon’s tortillas. 5000 - 3700 B.C. Egypt developed grain production along the fertile banks of the Nile. Grain became a staple food and spread to the Balkans and throughout Europe, eventually being cultivated in Britain. y j - History of Bakery Business In the World 3000 B.C. Tougher wheat varieties were developed and the baking of bread became a skill in Egypt along-with brewing beer. In this warm climate wild yeast were attracted to multi-grain flour mixture and bakers experimented with leavened doughs. Later on the Egyptians - invented closed oven and bread assumed a greater significance. Homage was paid to Osiris, the god of grain, and bread was used instead of money, the workers who build the pyramids were paid in bread. 2300 B.C. In India grain cultivation began along the Indus valley. 1500 B.C. Horses took over ploughing from men, using the first iron ploughshares. 1050 B.C. The South of England became the centre of agriculture - barley and oats were grown freely by 500 B.C. Wheat in Britain started to become important. 1000 B.C. In Rome risen yeasted bread became popular and by 500 B.C. a circular quern was developed. A circular stone wheel turned to another which was fixed. This was the basis of all milling until the industrial revolution in the 19*^ century and is still the way stone-ground flour is produced today also. 450 B.C. In Greece the watermill was invented, although it was a few centuries before its significance was fully realized. 3 0 - History of Bakery Business in the World 150 B.C. In Rome the first baker’s guild were formed and well-to-do Romans insisted on the more exclusive and expensive white bread - a preference which persists in Europe and English speaking countries to this day. Rome - invented the first mechanical dough mixer powered by horses and donkeys. 55 B.C. Romans invaded Britain where wheat was still being crushed by hand and baked over open fires. More sophisticated techniques were introduced, including watermills. 40 B.C. Bread and politics. In Rome the authorities decreed that bread should be distributed free to all adult males. A.D. 500 A.D. Saxons and Danes settled in Britain and introduced rye which was well suited to cold northern climates. Dark rye bread became a staple which leasted to the middle Ages. 600 A.D. The Persians are said to have invented the windmill. The power generated could drive much heavier stone querns for milling but it was 600 years before they appeared in Western Europe 3Q - Histotv of Bakery Business in the World 3.3 MEDIEVAL TIMES: The growth of towns and cities throughout the middle Ages saw a steady increase in trade and bakers began to set up in business. Bakers guide were introduced to protect the interests of members and to regulate controls governing the price and weight of bread. By Tudor times, Britain was enjoying a real status symbol. The nobility ate small, fine white loaves called machetes; merchants and tradesmen ate wheaten cobs while the poor had to be satisfied with bran loaves. C 1066 Hair sieves were introduced to help sift the bran from flour, leading to finest white bread. C 1086 The Domesday Book, watermills were shown as the prime source of milling. C 1150 Bakers formed guilds to protect them from manorial barons and in 1155 London bakers formed a brotherhood. C 1191 The first recorded windmill in bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. C 1202 King John introduced the first laws governing the price of bread and the permitted profit. 12 0 20 TK 40 - History of Bakery Business in the World C 1266 The Assize of Bread. This body sat to regulate the weight and price of loaves. The first bread subsidy was given - 12 pennies for eight bushels of wheat is the actual weight of 8 gallons of wheat this could vary - according to the hardness or dryness of the grain). If the baker broke this law he could be pilloried and banned from baking for life. C 1307 White bread bakers and Brown bread bakers formed separate guilds.