Ancient History of Bread

Ancient History of Bread BEFORE CHRIST 8000 BC At frst grain was crushed by hand with pestle and mortar. InEgypt a simple grinding stone (quern) was developed All breadwas unleavenged, there were no raising agents and bread was made from a mixed variety of gráins. 5000 - 3700 BC Egypt developed grain producțion along the fer tile banks of the Nile. Grain became a staple food and spread fo the Balkans and throughout Europe, eventually being cultivated in Brifain. 3000 BC Ancient Egyptian hier oglyphs 5000 years ago suggest the usage of yeast in Jhaking bread. In this warm climate wild yeasts were attracted to multi-grain flour mixtures and bakers experimented with leavened doughs. Egyptians invented the closed oven and bread assumed great significance МАЛЛЛИЛ Homage was paid to Osiris, the god of grain Bread was used instead of money, the workerswho built the pyrajmids were paid in bread. 2300 BC n ndia grain cultivation began along the Indus valley. 1500 BC Horses and caffles fook over ploughing from men, using the first iron pioughshares. 1050 BC The south of England became a centre of agriculture-barley and vats were grown freelý;, 1000 BC In Rome risen, yeasted bread became popular 500 BC Acircular quern was developed - a circular stone wheel furned on another which was fixed By this time, wheat in Britain star ted to become important. 450 BC In Greece the watermill was inyented, althoughtt was a few centuries before its significance was fully realised. 150 BC Ihn Rome the first bakers guilds were formed Well-to do Romans insisted on the more exclusive and expensive white bread apreference which persistsin Europe and English speaking cour tries to this day A Roman inyented the first mechanical dough-mixer. powered by horses and donkeys. 55 BC Romans invaded Britain where wheat was still being crushed by hand and baked over open fires. Moresophisticated fechiques were introduced, including watermills: 40 BC Bread and politics. In Rome the authorities decreed that bread skould be distributedfree to all adult males. Sources History of bread (Antiquity) at www.bakersfederation.org.uk History of yeast at www.dakotayeast.com GOURMANDIA