Bakers Blog

In this week’s blog we look at how bread might just be the universal sign of peace. Here at Vienna Bakery the freshly baked loaf is the cornerstone of our products. It is made from 4 simple ingredients, flour, water, yeast and salt and from there can be transformed into a myriad of different breads.

At dinner tables across the world bread is often the first item presented to diners. From Garlic bread, to olive ciabatta, to bread sticks, to fresh slices of baguette, the humble loaf is the perfect starter for all dining experiences. Bread is a classic favourite which brings people to the table to start tucking in for their main. It also makes people happy, a good bread basket has done wonders to diners’ moods as they wait impatiently for their meal.

Bread appears throughout history as a symbol of peace and hope. The biblical town Bethlehem literally means ‘house of bread’. Annual Harvest festivals  celebrate the wheat harvest while bringing people together to raise money for charities and remind themselves of the cycle of seasonal growth. In Greek mythology Demeter was the Goddess of harvest and agriculture. And in Homer’s Odyssey Demeter is presented as a golden haired goddess who separates the chaff from the grain. The making of bread has been associated throughout history with goodness and separating the good from the bad.

‘Breaking bread’ with someone connotes a social gathering bringing people together. ‘Toasting’ in times of celebration originates from the 16^th century where it was common practice to put a piece of toast in your wine glass. Back then wine was, in general, of a lesser quality than it is today so the toast was used to soak up the acidity of the wine and make it more pleasurable to drink. Toasting grew more and more popular and within the 17^th and 18^th centuries toastmasters came into effect to monitor the amount of toasts made as they became excessive. But, now we ‘toast’ our friends at special occaisions, we toast loved ones departed and we toast to new beginnings. The humble loaf has once again been associated with a practice of sorority and unity among people.

At Vienna Bakery we really believe in the importance of sharing food as a way for families and friends to come together.