Baking in the Middle Ages

Appears in
Professional Baking
Professional Baking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2008

  • About
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, baking as a profession almost disappeared. Not until the latter part of the Middle Ages did baking and pastry making begin to reappear as important professions in the service of the nobility. Bread baking continued to be performed by professional bakers, not homemakers, because it required ovens that needed almost constant tending. Because of the risk of fire, baking ovens were usually separated from other buildings and were often outside city walls.

In much of Europe, tending ovens and making bread dough were separate operations. The oven tender maintained the oven, heated it properly, and supervised the baking of the loaves that were brought to him. In early years, the oven may not have been near the workshops of the bakers, and one oven served the needs of several bakers. It is interesting to note that in many bakeries today, especially in the larger ones, this division of labor still exists. The chef who tends the ovens bakes the proofed breads and other products that are brought to him or her and may not have any part in the mixing and makeup of these products.