Baker

This article refers to the cooking profession. For other uses, see Baker (disambiguation)

A loaf of bread

A baker is someone who primarily bakes and sells bread. Cakes and similar foods may also be produced as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades. The place where a baker works is called a bakehouse, bakeshop, or bakery.

History of baking

The first group of people to bake bread were ancient Egyptians, in 8000 BC.

During Middle ages, it is common for each landlord to have a bakery, which is actually a public oven; Housewives would bring dough that they have prepared to the baker, who would use the oven to bake them into bread. As time went on, bakers will also bake their own goods, and this is where numerous tricks come in place: for example, Some bakers will have trap doors, that would allow a small boy to pinch off a bit of the dough, where he can sell them off as their own. This practice eventually lead to the famous regulation known as Assize of Bread and Ale, which provide harsh punishments toward bakers that are found cheating. In response, bakers commonly throw in one more loaf of bread; this tradition now exist in the phrase "baker's dozen", which is number 13.

By examining the listed contents of modern breads produced and distributed by major bakeries in the U.S. one almost invariably sees a substantial content of corn syrup (usually high-fructose kind) or honey. In olden times (colonial through about 1950) breads were less sweet.

Modern bakers

Today bakers work in varying environments both as employees and sometimes owning their own stores. Bakers can be found working in:

Large factories. These produce bread and related products which are then transported to numerous selling points throughout a region. These normally include supermarkets, convenience stores, and the like. Bakers in these environments are largely there for quality control as machines take care of much of the labour intensive aspect of the job.

Small Independent bakeries. These are largely family-run businesses. They may specialise in particular types of products, such as sourdough. In Australia many such businesses are owned by members of the Vietnamese community.
Chain stores. Recent years has seen the rise of chain stores selling the same range of products. For example, Bakers Delight is an Australia-wide operation well known for its range of products. Bakers in these stores bake according to a pre-determined recipe book. This can lead to frustration as some bakers do not agree with techniques used by the franchising model.

Interesting facts

Baker's yeast is a leavening agent.
A baker's dozen is a group of thirteen things (an old-fashioned expression). (See Bakers' Company for an explanation of the phrase)

History of baking

Modern bakers

Interesting facts

See also