Sliced bread

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Sliced bread
Fresh made bread 05.jpg
A loaf of brown bread sliced to uniform thickness by a bread slicing machine
Type Bread
Main ingredientsbread
Variationsslice, roll
Food energy
(per serving)
250per slice  kcal

Sliced bread is a loaf of bread that has been sliced with a machine and packaged for convenience, as opposed to the consumer cutting it with a knife. It was first sold in 1928, advertised as "the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped". [1] [2] By 1933, around 80% of bread sold in the US was pre-sliced, leading to the popular idiom "greatest thing since sliced bread". [3]

Contents

History

Chillicothe Baking Company's building in Chillicothe, Missouri, where bread was first machine-sliced for sale Chili-sliced.jpg
Chillicothe Baking Company's building in Chillicothe, Missouri, where bread was first machine-sliced for sale
This photograph depicts a "new electrical bread slicing machine" in use by an unnamed bakery in St. Louis in 1930, and may well show Rohwedder's machine in use by the Papendick Bakery Company. St. Louis electrical bread slicer, 1930.png
This photograph depicts a "new electrical bread slicing machine" in use by an unnamed bakery in St. Louis in 1930, and may well show Rohwedder's machine in use by the Papendick Bakery Company.
The multiple cutting bands in Rohwedder's 1928 slicer are shown in this diagram from his patent. Us patent 1867377 sheet 2.jpg
The multiple cutting bands in Rohwedder's 1928 slicer are shown in this diagram from his patent.

Otto Frederick Rohwedder of Davenport, Iowa, United States, invented the first single loaf bread-slicing machine. A prototype he built in 1912 was destroyed in a fire, [4] and it was not until 1928 that Rohwedder had a fully working machine ready. The first commercial use of the machine was by the Chillicothe Baking Company of Chillicothe, Missouri, who sold their first slices on July 7, 1928. [5] Their product, "Kleen Maid Sliced Bread", proved to be a success. Battle Creek, Michigan, has a competing claim as the first city to sell bread sliced by Rohwedder's machine; however, historians have produced no documentation backing up Battle Creek's claim. [6] The bread was advertised as "the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped".

St. Louis baker Gustav Papendick bought Rohwedder's second bread slicer and set out to improve it by devising a way to keep the slices together at least long enough to allow the loaves to be wrapped. [4] After failures trying rubber bands and metal pins, he settled on placing the slices into a cardboard tray. The tray aligned the slices, allowing mechanized wrapping machines to function. [7]

W.E. Long, who promoted the Holsum Bread brand, used by various independent bakers around the country, pioneered and promoted the packaging of sliced bread, beginning in 1928. [8] In 1930, Wonder Bread, first sold in 1925, started marketing sliced bread nationwide.

In the United Kingdom, the first slicing and wrapping machine was installed in the Wonderloaf Bakery in Tottenham, London, in 1937. By the 1950s around 80% of bread sold in Britain was pre-sliced. [9]

Effects

As commercially sliced bread resulted in uniform and somewhat thinner slices, people ate more slices of bread at a time. They also ate bread more frequently, because of the ease of getting and eating another piece of bread. This increased consumption of bread and, in turn, increased consumption of spreads, such as jam, to put on the bread. [4]

1943 U.S. ban

In 1943, U.S. officials imposed a short-lived ban on sliced bread as a wartime conservation measure. [10] [11] The ban was ordered by Secretary of Agriculture Claude R. Wickard, who held the position of Food Administrator, and took effect on January 18, 1943. According to The New York Times , officials explained that "the ready-sliced loaf must have a heavier wrapping than an unsliced one if it is not to dry out." It was also intended to counteract a rise in the price of bread, caused by the Office of Price Administration's authorization of a ten percent increase in flour prices. [12]

In a Sunday radio address on January 24th, New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia suggested that bakeries that had their own bread-slicing machines should be allowed to continue to use them, and on January 26th, 1943, a letter appeared in The New York Times from a distraught housewife:

I should like to let you know how important sliced bread is to the morale and saneness of a household. My husband and four children are all in a rush during and after breakfast. Without ready-sliced bread I must do the slicing for toast—two pieces for each one—that's ten. For their lunches I must cut by hand at least twenty slices, for two sandwiches apiece. Afterward I make my own toast. Twenty-two slices of bread to be cut in a hurry! [13]

On January 26th, however, John F. Conaboy, the New York Area Supervisor of the Food Distribution Administration, warned bakeries, delicatessens, and other stores that were continuing to slice bread to stop, saying that "to protect the cooperating bakeries against the unfair competition of those who continue to slice their own bread... we are prepared to take stern measures if necessary." [14]

On March 8th, 1943, the ban was rescinded. While public outcry is generally credited for the reversal, Wickard stated that "Our experience with the order, however, leads us to believe that the savings are not as much as we expected, and the War Production Board tells us that sufficient wax paper to wrap sliced bread for four months is in the hands of paper processor and the baking industry." [12]

A theory of the ban was that the bread slicing machines used replaceable hardened steel for the slicers. This type of steel was essential to the war effort. Rather than to try monitoring production and usage of this type of steel, preventing the sale of sliced bread would stifle demand from bakeries for fresh slicers, thereby making the steel more available to the war effort.[ citation needed ]

Around the world

Due to its convenience, sliced bread is popular in many parts of the world, and the usual thickness varies by company and country:

The phrase "the greatest thing since sliced bread" is a common idiom used to praise an invention or development. A writer for The Kansas City Star wrote that "the phrase is the ultimate depiction of innovative achievement and American know-how." [21]

In 1933, an advertisement for a bread offering thick and thin slices in the same loaf called it "the first improvement since sliced bread". [22] In 1940, a package of bread consisting of two wrapped sliced half-loaves was advertised as the "greatest convenience since sliced bread". [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandwich</span> Food made with bread and other ingredients

A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a portable, convenient finger food in the Western world, though over time it has become prevalent worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otto Frederick Rohwedder</span> 20th-century American engineer; inventor of the first commercial bread slicer

Otto Frederick Rohwedder was an American inventor and engineer who created the first automatic bread-slicing machine for commercial use. It was first used by the Chillicothe Missouri Baking Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker</span> Person who bakes and optionally sells bread products

A baker is a tradesperson who bakes and sometimes sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baguette</span> Long French bread

A baguette is a long, thin type of bread of French origin that is commonly made from basic lean dough. It is distinguishable by its length and crisp crust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bakery</span> Type of business that sells flour-based food

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. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonder Bread</span> Brand of pre-sliced bread

Wonder Bread is an American brand of sliced bread. Established in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1921, it was one of the first companies to sell sliced bread nationwide by 1930. The brand is currently owned by Flowers Foods in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rusk</span> Hard, dry biscuit

A rusk is a hard, dry biscuit or a twice-baked bread. It is sometimes used as a teether for babies. In some cultures, rusk is made of cake, rather than bread: this is sometimes referred to as cake rusk. In the UK, the name also refers to a wheat-based food additive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bread machine</span> Type of home appliance for baking bread

A bread making machine or breadmaker is a home appliance for baking bread. It consists of a bread pan, at the bottom of which are one or more built-in paddles, mounted in the center of a small special-purpose oven. The machine is usually controlled by a built-in computer using settings input via a control panel. Most bread machines have different cycles for different kinds of dough—including white bread, whole grain, European-style, and dough-only. Many also have a timer to allow the bread machine to function without operator input, and some high-end models allow the user to program a custom cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuban bread</span> Cuban style of white bread

Cuban bread is a fairly simple white bread, similar to French bread and Italian bread, but has a slightly different baking method and ingredient list ; it is usually made in long, baguette-like loaves. It is a staple of Cuban-American cuisine and is traditionally the bread of choice when making an authentic Cuban sandwich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pullman loaf</span> Type of bread

The Pullman loaf, sometimes called the "sandwich loaf" or "pan bread", is a rectangular loaf of white bread baked in a long, narrow, lidded pan. The French term for this style of loaf is pain de mie, or, less commonly, pain anglais.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barmbrack</span> Irish bread with sultanas and raisins

Barmbrack, also often shortened to brack, is a yeast bread with added sultanas and raisins. The bread is associated with Halloween in Ireland, where an item is placed inside the bread, with the person receiving it considered to be fortunate.

Warburtons Limited is a British baking firm founded by Thomas Warburton in 1876 and based in Bolton, a town formerly in Lancashire, England, and now in Greater Manchester. For much of its history Warburtons only had bakeries in Lancashire and it remains a family-owned company. As of 2018, Warburtons has 12 bakeries, 14 depots, and 4,500 employees around the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yazdani Bakery</span> Indian Food & products company

Yazdani Bakery is an Irani cafe or Persian style bakery in Mumbai, India. As of 2023, it is a take-out establishment with the sit-down service closed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of bread</span> Summary of the development of the popular staple food

Bread was central to the formation of early human societies. From the Fertile Crescent, where wheat was domesticated, cultivation spread north and west, to Europe and North Africa, and east towards East Asia. This in turn led to the formation of towns, as opposed to the nomadic lifestyle and gave rise to more and more sophisticated forms of societal organization. Similar developments occurred in the Americas with maize and in Asia with rice.

The history of California bread as a prominent factor in the field of bread baking dates from the days of the California Gold Rush around 1849, encompassing the development of sourdough bread in San Francisco. It includes the rise of artisan bakeries in the 1980s, which strongly influenced what has been called the "Bread Revolution".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holsum Bread</span> American brand of packaged sliced white bread

Holsum Bread is an American brand of packaged sliced white bread. The Holsum name was being used by many retail bakeries, independently, around the country by the early 1900s. In 1908, the W. E. Long Company of Chicago acquired exclusive national rights to the name and formed a cooperative of bakeries to market a single recipe under the brand name Holsum in various cities.

Bread is a staple food throughout Europe. Throughout the 20th century, there was a huge increase in global production, mainly due to a rise in available, developed land throughout Europe, North America and Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese milk bread</span> Style of bread

Japanese milk bread, also called Hokkaido milk bread, or simply milk bread in English sources, is a soft white bread commonly sold in Asian bakeries, particularly Japanese ones. Although bread is not a traditional Japanese food, it was introduced widely after World War II, and the style became a popular food item.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wibs</span> Indian bread brand

Western India Baker's Association (Wibs) is a brand of bread originated in Mumbai, India in 1973. It has been a staple in many Mumbai households and is especially favored by local sandwich makers. In 2019 it had a 46% market share of Mumbai's sliced bread market.

References

  1. "How Sliced Bread Became the 'Greatest Thing'". Time magazine. July 7, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  2. "Happy 85th Birthday, Sliced Bread" (Press release). Grand River Historical Society Museum. July 5, 2013. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  3. "Modern History of Bread - 20th Century UK". Federation of Bakers. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Vorhees, Don (2004). Why do donuts have holes? : fascinating facts about what we eat and drink. New York: Citadel Press. pp. 112–113. ISBN   978-0-8065-2551-8. OCLC   56800212.
  5. "Sliced Bread Turns 80 Years Old". Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune. July 7, 2008. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011.
  6. Wenske, Paul. "History of sliced bread little known on 75th anniversary". Kansas City Star, July 28, 2003.
  7. Hammack, William. (2003). Commentary from Bill Hammack's Engineering and Life radio program. Text available from Engineerguy.com. Retrieved September 21, 2006.
  8. Holsum – History Archived January 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  9. Shaw, Alan. "On this day in 1928, the first sliced bread was sold". The Sunday Post. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  10. Levenstein, Harvey (2003). Paradox of Plenty: A Social History of Eating in Modern America. University of California Press, p. 82.
  11. Burton, Bill. "Liberty: Best Thing Since Sliced Bread". Bay City Weekly, January 25, 2001. Archived October 13, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  12. 1 2 "Sliced Bread Put Back on Sale; Housewives' Thumbs Safe Again". The New York Times . March 6, 1943. p. 16. ban took effect Jan 18; explained as paper-saving due to ready-sliced loafs needing heavier wrapping; also explained as cost-cutting measure; unpopularity of measure; rescinded March 8; "four month's supply" of wax paper in the hands of bakers.
  13. Forrester, Sue (January 26, 1943). "Ready-Sliced Bread Favored" . The New York Times. p. 18.
  14. "Bread-Slicing Ban Extended Further". The New York Times. January 26, 1943. p. 16.
  15. Knapman, Joshua (October 18, 2017). "Brace's has changed its bread because it wasn't thick enough". WalesOnline.
  16. Monaghan, Gabrielle (October 4, 2009). "Scientists in Cork find a way to keep bread fresher". London: Times Online. Retrieved December 26, 2009.
  17. "Wax Paper". Brennans Bread. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  18. Tammy, Ishikawa JET (July 9, 2009). "Familiar Products at Japanese Supermarkets". ishikawajet.wordpress.com.
  19. Hatic, Dana (June 21, 2018). "What's So Texan About Texas Toast?". Eater. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  20. "Atlas Single and Dual Head Bread Slicers". Australian Bread and Pizzeria Atlas. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  21. "History of sliced bread little known on 75th anniversary". The Kansas City Star . July 29, 2003. Archived from the original on August 12, 2003. Retrieved August 26, 2007.
  22. "Origin of the Phrase 'The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread'" . Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  23. Advertisement for Southern Sliced Bread "Twin-Pack" The Bee (Danville, Virginia), 1940-02-23, p. 3