Our Daily Bread

One of the first jobs my Dad held was as a baker for Albertson's grocery in Pocatello, Idaho, in the early 1950's. Twenty-something years later he taught me how to knead and bake bread consistently and efficiently, and taught me to appreciate the joy in a job well done. Of course, the bread itself was the reward, especially after smelling the delicious loaves baking in the oven for nearly an hour, and during the recommended cool-down before slicing.

Bread, the most fundamental of all foodstuffs, lives in our cultural consciousness and also inhabits our speech in such phrases as our daily bread, and bread of life. Baking and breaking bread are activities fraught with tradition and history, and symbolism.

The World Cup of Baking, the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie is held every 3 years in Paris. This year the competition is to be held in Paris, and the American team is getting ready for the bake-off. Learn about this event at this article from National Public Radio.

1200 bread recipes, courtesy of Sara Lee.
140 bread recipes here, courtesy of Fleischmann's Yeast.