Wikipedia

Bakery

(Redirected from Bakeries)
"Bakehouse" redirects here. For other uses, see Bakehouse (disambiguation).

For the Gambian footballer, see Bakery Jatta. For other uses, see Bakery (disambiguation).

A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based baked goods made in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, doughnuts, bagels, pastries, and pies.[1] Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises. In some countries, a distinction is made between bakeries, which primarily sell breads, and pâtisseries, which primarily sell sweet baked goods.

The exterior of a bakery in Manhattan.
A bakery inside the former Burton's Saw Factory in the Eugene Blair Boulevard Historic Commercial Area

History

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See also: Baking § Baking in ancient times, and Baking § Commercial baking

Baked goods have been around for thousands of years. The art of baking was very popular in the Roman Empire. It was a highly esteemed profession, as Roman citizens loved baked goods and demanded them frequently for important occasions such as feasts and weddings. Because of the fame of the art of baking, around 300 BC, baking was introduced as an occupation and respectable profession for the Romans. Bakers began to prepare bread at home in an oven, using grist mills to grind grain into flour for their breads. The demand for baked goods grew in tandem with the empire, and the first bakers' guild was established in 168 BC in Rome. The desire for baked goods promoted baking throughout Europe and expanded into eastern parts of Asia. Bakers started baking bread and other goods at home and selling them on the streets.[citation needed]

This trend became common, and soon, baked products were sold on the streets of Rome, Germany, London, and other European cities. A system for delivering baked goods to households arose as the demand increased significantly. This prompted bakers to establish places where people could purchase baked goods. The first open-air market for baked goods in Europe was established in Paris; since then, bakeries have become a popular place to purchase delicious goods and to socialize.[citation needed] On July 7, 1928, a bakery in Chillicothe, Missouri introduced sliced bread using the automatic bread-slicing machine, invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder. While the bread initially failed to sell, due to its "sloppy" aesthetic and the fact that it went stale faster, it later became popular.[2] In World War II, bread slicing machines were effectively banned, as the metal in them was required for wartime use. When they were requisitioned, creating 100 tons of metal alloy, the decision proved very unpopular with housewives.[3]

World War II had a profound impact on the bread industry in the UK. When the war began, baking schools closed due to food rationing, manpower shortage, and other material factors. Once WWII came to a close, there was a lack of skilled bakers in the UK. This baker shortage resulted in new methods being developed to satisfy the world's desire for bread, including chemical additives, premixes, and specialised machinery. Old methods of baking were almost completely eradicated when these new, mechanized processes were introduced, and the industry became industrialized and dominated by large commercial firms. The old, more labor-intensive methods were, by and large, seen as burdensome, out-of-date, and commercially unprofitiable. As a result, few traditional bakeries were left open by the end of the twentieth century.

Specialities

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Egg Tart (specialized baked goods)
 
Carquinyolis, a Catalan variation of biscotti, made with whole or sliced almonds
 
Strawberry cupcakes (specialized baked goods)

Some bakeries provide services for special occasions (such as weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties, business networking events, etc.) or customized baked products for people who have allergies or sensitivities to certain foods (such as nuts, peanuts, dairy or gluten, etc.). Bakeries can provide a wide range of cake designs such as sheet cakes, layer cakes, wedding cakes, tiered cakes, etc. Other bakeries may specialize in traditional or hand-made types of baked products made with locally milled flour, without flour bleaching agents or flour treatment agents, baking what is sometimes referred to as artisan bread.[1]

Commercialization

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In many countries, many grocery stores and supermarkets sell "sliced bread" (prepackaged/presliced bread), cakes, and other pastries. They may also offer in-store baking, with products either fully baked on site or part-baked prior to delivery to store,[4] and some offer cake decoration.[5] Nonetheless, many people still prefer to get their baked goods from a small artisanal bakery, either out of tradition, the availability of a greater variety of baked products, or due to the higher quality products characteristic of the trade of baking.[1]

Products

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Yogambal Ashokkumar (2009), Theory of Bakery and Confectionary, Prentice-Hall Of India Pvt. Limited, ISBN 978-81-203-3954-5
  2. ^ "How Sliced Bread Became the 'Greatest Thing'". Time. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  3. ^ "U.S. At War: Trouble on the Bread Line". Time. February 1, 1943. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  4. ^ North, A. and Small, J., How do UK supermarkets operate their in-store bakeries?, British Baker, published 28 April 2021, accessed 15 September 2022
  5. ^ Rush, Morgan (October 13, 2010). "About the Bakery Business". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
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  •   Media related to Bakeries at Wikimedia Commons
  •   The dictionary definition of bakery at Wiktionary


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