From bread and pie to pastries and cakes, baking has a long history that has satisfied the hunger of countless people from worldwide civilizations for thousands of years. The next time you bake a culinary masterpiece—or simply pop a frozen pizza in the oven—think of this history of baking.
Ancient Baking
The oldest known ovens were unearthed in Croatia in 2014. They are estimated to be 6,500 years old. The Egyptians were also pioneers in baking as the first recorded civilization to use yeast in their bread as long ago as 2600 BC.
Then, there was the Roman Empire’s Baker’s Guild established around 168 BC. This organization, called the Pistorum, recognized bread bakers as skilled artisans. In fact, baking was held in such high regard that a festival was held once a year to celebrate Fornax, the oven goddess.
Baking in the Middle Ages
During the Medieval period, ovens weren’t a standard fixture in any home. Those who could afford wood-burning stoves (and the fuel to heat them) baked bread. The ability to produce high-quality bread helped people climb higher up the social ladder.
In the Middle Ages, wheat bread was reserved for wealthy people. Dense, rich cakes in exotic colors were only available to the highest echelons of society. Poor people stuck with rye and black bread and, if they could afford it, meat pies.
15th – 17th Century Baking
The introduction of saffron and other expensive spices helped baking take off in Britain in the 15th century. Sweetened dough buns, mincemeat pies, and gingerbread all entered the scene at this point in the history of baking.
Economic growth and globalization in the 16th and 17th centuries led to more decadent treats with butter, cream, and raisins. Baking became more accessible to the average person at this time, so families started to bake cakes and biscuits together. Late in the 17th century, the price of sugar went down, and refined flour became available, bringing desserts to the forefront, including pastries, pies, and iced cakes.
18th – 19th Century Baking
The Industrial Revolution marked a turning point for the accessibility of cake-making in the average home—not only because of changes in taste and the availability of ingredients, but because of evolution in technology. The development of the semi-closed oven and the publishing of The Art of Cookery in 1747 provided budding chefs with the tools and ideas they needed to try an array of cake recipes.
As more women became employed in the 19th century, they had less time to devote to elaborate food preparation. As a result, convenience food grew in popularity, which cut down on the time women had to spend in the kitchen. Also introduced in this century, baking powder transformed the dense, yeast-based cakes of centuries past into the light, fluffy baked goods we know today.
Modern Baking
Today, baking plays an integral role in modern life. Whether you enjoy baking from scratch or you like the convenience of purchasing premade food you can throw in the oven, there’s no arguing that flour is one of the most important features of our diet. It takes on countless forms, from traditional sugar cookies to easy frozen pizza to homemade wheat rolls.
Whatever you choose to bake, you need a reliable oven to get the job done. As a reminder, Mr. Appliance® can repair your broken oven—whether gas or electric—and restore modern convenience to your home. Once your oven is up and running again, try making these tasty mason jar recipes courtesy of Glass Doctor!
FAQs
Ancient Baking
The Egyptians were also pioneers in baking as the first recorded civilization to use yeast in their bread as long ago as 2600 BC. Then, there was the Roman Empire's Baker's Guild established around 168 BC. This organization, called the Pistorum, recognized bread bakers as skilled artisans.
How did baking evolve from ancient to modern baking? ›
During the Middle Ages, baking became refined. This time period is when dried fruits and honey got added to produce sweeter bread, and dense, rich cakes were born. By the 19th century, the modern cookbook was born, as recipes were developed and shared.
What is the history of ancient baking? ›
Baking in ancient times
An oven discovered in Croatia in 2014 was estimated to date to 6500 years ago. The Ancient Egyptians baked bread using yeast, which they had previously been using to brew beer. Bread baking began in Ancient Greece around 600 BC, leading to the invention of enclosed ovens.
How do bakeries bake bread now and how has the process changed over time? ›
Automated machines can now mix doughs, knead them, shape them, and bake them in a fraction of the time it would take to do it by hand. This has allowed bakeries to produce more bread in less time and with less labour, resulting in greater efficiency and cost savings.
Who is the Egyptian goddess of baking? ›
This told that Isis was the daughter of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut and the sister of the deities Osiris, Seth, and Nephthys. Married to Osiris, king of Egypt, Isis was a queen who supported her husband and taught the women of Egypt how to weave, bake, and brew beer.
Did you know baking facts? ›
Five Weird Things You Didn't Know About Baking
- Baking soda is kind of magic. ...
- Betty Crocker doesn't exist. ...
- Chocolate chip cookies were a mistake. ...
- Baking is pure chemistry. ...
- Putting baked goods in the fridge actually makes them go stale faster.
Baking has been a staple of human culture for thousands of years, with evidence of bread-making dating back to the Neolithic period. Over time, the process of baking has evolved and been influenced by various cultures, technologies, and ingredients.
How has technology changed baking? ›
Kneading, a fundamental step in baking, has been revolutionized by automated kneading systems. These intelligent machines not only ensure consistent texture and quality but also save time and labor costs. They meticulously replicate the hand-kneading process, producing dough with the perfect elasticity and structure.
When did humans first start baking? ›
The 14,000-year-old crumbs suggest that ancient tribes were quite adept at food-making techniques, and developed them earlier than we had given them credit for. The established archaeological doctrine states that humans first began baking bread about 10,000 years ago. That was a pivotal time in our evolution.
When did the Egyptians invent the oven? ›
The history of brick ovens and pizza-making is often associated with ancient Romans. But they actually existed much earlier than that. Ancient Egyptian tomb scenes dating back to the Old Kingdom (2600BCE) also showed the usage of brick ovens.
So, Aboriginal people were the first bakers on earth, by a long way. And I thought that was pretty good. The very next year an old grinding stone was found in the Northern Territory at Kakadu and the starch in that grinding stone was 65,000 years old.
Which civilization showed the earliest baking skills? ›
Interestingly, the ancient Egyptians were the first culture to exhibit baking skills, and during Ancient Times the cakes were more bread-like in appearance and sweetened with honey.
How did the ancient Egyptians make bread? ›
Ancient Egyptian bread was probably a type of sourdough. The experiments recreated show how bread for the pyramid workers was baked in clay pots (bedja moulds). Dough was placed in pots set in hot ash, with heated lids on top, forming individual 'ovens' to bake the loaves.
How has bread baking changed over time? ›
At first, bread was not baked using yeast, but now it is common to use yeast in bread. Bread production today is more complicated than in the past. Bread used to be baked at home, but now bread is most commonly baked in bakeries and large commercial facilities.
What are the four main methods of baking? ›
The Five Basic Baking Techniques
- Creaming Method. One baking technique stands out as a fundamental building block for countless delicious treats—the creaming method. ...
- Mix It All Together. ...
- Melt, Mix and Bake. ...
- Rubbing-In Method. ...
- Whisking Method.
Ancient Egypt was actually home to the world's first large-scale bakeries. Those bakers were the first recognized to use yeast for making cakes rise before baking them on hot stones. There was a concern about getting their pet snakes too close to the ovens. One wouldn't want a scorched asp.
How did ancient Egypt cook their food? ›
Food could be prepared by stewing, baking, boiling, grilling, frying, or roasting. Spices and herbs were added for flavor, though the former were expensive imports and therefore confined to the tables of the wealthy.
How did they bake bread in ancient times? ›
"It connects us with our prehistoric ancestors." The bread would have been made in several stages, including "grinding cereals and club-rush tubers to obtain fine flour, mixing of flour with water to produce dough, and baking the dough in the hot ashes of a fireplace or in a hot flat-stone", she explained.
