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A History of British Baking: From Blood Bread to Bake-Off
The British have been baking for centuries. Here, for the first time, is a comprehensive account of how our relationship with this much-loved art has changed, evolved and progressed over time.
Renowned food historian and author, Emma Kay, skillfully combines the related histories of Britain's economy, innovation, technology, health, cultural and social trends with the personal stories of many of the individuals involved with the whole process: the early pioneers, the recipe writers, the cooks, the entrepreneurs. The result is a deliciously fascinating read, one that will prove to be juicer than the juiciest of juicy baked goods.
Renowned food historian and author, Emma Kay, skillfully combines the related histories of Britain's economy, innovation, technology, health, cultural and social trends with the personal stories of many of the individuals involved with the whole process: the early pioneers, the recipe writers, the cooks, the entrepreneurs. The result is a deliciously fascinating read, one that will prove to be juicer than the juiciest of juicy baked goods.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published November 23, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 30, 2020
I received an advance galley of this book via NetGalley.
A History of British Baking abounds in bready joy. I'm an American, an amateur baker who adores Great British Bake Off, and a history geek. On my first-ever international trip ever last year, to the UK, I set about trying all of the British and Scottish baked goods (and cheeses) that I could. To put it simply: I LOVED THIS BOOK. It felt made for me.
The book is incredibly well-researched, filled with footnotes throughout but never stodgy or academic. It started out addressing the earliest influences on British baking, going back to the Romans, advancing through the Middle Ages with rising French influences (like whoa, French toast was actually brought over as part of the Norman conquest!), the industrialization of baking, how baking was handled during wars on the home front and abroad, the influences (and biases against) immigrant bakers, and ending with the modern artisan movement. There are recipes from every era, original language intact--and, thankfully, translations and explanations are included. Illustrations and photographs are found throughout.
I cannot recommend this book enough. I would love to own it in physical form myself.
A History of British Baking abounds in bready joy. I'm an American, an amateur baker who adores Great British Bake Off, and a history geek. On my first-ever international trip ever last year, to the UK, I set about trying all of the British and Scottish baked goods (and cheeses) that I could. To put it simply: I LOVED THIS BOOK. It felt made for me.
The book is incredibly well-researched, filled with footnotes throughout but never stodgy or academic. It started out addressing the earliest influences on British baking, going back to the Romans, advancing through the Middle Ages with rising French influences (like whoa, French toast was actually brought over as part of the Norman conquest!), the industrialization of baking, how baking was handled during wars on the home front and abroad, the influences (and biases against) immigrant bakers, and ending with the modern artisan movement. There are recipes from every era, original language intact--and, thankfully, translations and explanations are included. Illustrations and photographs are found throughout.
I cannot recommend this book enough. I would love to own it in physical form myself.
September 8, 2020
I love history and I love baking, so I was predisposed to enjoy this book! Unfortunately I was disappointed. Although very well-cited (Kay seems very knowledgable about her subject), the book was so poorly organized as to be almost unreadable. It bounced from period to period, subject to subject and location to location with no rhyme and no reason. In my opinion, the best way to organize this book would have been by subject -- a chapter on bread, then one on pie, and so on; with a fairly strict chronology within each chapter. As it was, the lack of structure made this a frustrating read.
Thanks to NetGally for providing an ARC copy for my review.
Thanks to NetGally for providing an ARC copy for my review.
December 28, 2020
A History Of British Baking: From Blood Bread To Bake-Off is a really interesting easy read non-fiction book. Emma Kay has undertaken a vast amount of research to bring a record of baking traditions from medieval times to the modern day bakers.
The narrative included a wide range of baked items. As well as their origin, recipes, preparation and baking methods. I thought that some of the food fashions from eras like the Tudors and the Georgians were fascinating. Throughout the book, Kay included photos and recipes which she discovered in her research as well as providing the history behind some of our much loved foods like mince pies, sausage rolls and custard creams.
I found the book captivating, I kept putting it down to indulge in my own baking. I’m sure there are lots of amateur bakers who would like this book too; in fact I have several family members who are already eager to read it now that I’ve finished.
The narrative included a wide range of baked items. As well as their origin, recipes, preparation and baking methods. I thought that some of the food fashions from eras like the Tudors and the Georgians were fascinating. Throughout the book, Kay included photos and recipes which she discovered in her research as well as providing the history behind some of our much loved foods like mince pies, sausage rolls and custard creams.
I found the book captivating, I kept putting it down to indulge in my own baking. I’m sure there are lots of amateur bakers who would like this book too; in fact I have several family members who are already eager to read it now that I’ve finished.
August 25, 2020
*This book was received as an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley.
I absolutely adore the Great British Bake-Off show and so this book, including it in its sub-title, was an instant draw. I also just love food history and learning about where different cuisines and dishes came from. Baking is kind of an elusive art for me, I can follow directions just fine, but being able to understand the science and be innovative takes a lot of know-how, which these early pioneers of baking would have had to have.
This book goes back into history and covers the various baking methods and types of bakes being made through time. Recipes, included along the way, reflect these different time periods, and some needed translations because of the difference between spelling and language itself even if it was technically still in English. As an aside, some of the quantities of ingredients required for these bakes were absolutely baffling to me. I suppose if you're feeding a castle full of people instead of a normal household it makes sense, but wow! There are some illustrations included, which depict various bakes or references to bakers, and also photographs of various bakeries that are British mainstays.
All that history, but unfortunately I found the book a bit dry and disjointed. It seemed like just when I was settling into a topic, a new one was whisked in and my mind was battered by the adjustment. While it followed a timeline more or less, sometimes it jumped back and forth in history, which was also made it a bit harder to follow. I would definitely say that this book is less light reading and more study as a result of the format. I also was sad to see that despite being in the subtitle, the Bake-Off was barely mentioned at all (if you're reading it for that). Lastly, if you're looking for home cook information, there's a bit of it in this book, but it largely trended towards more commercial enterprises or even military; which isn't surprising considering there were probably better records of those endeavors.
Still an interesting book, but definitely not one just to jump in for fun. You have to be prepared to really follow along and take it in short bursts.
Review by M. Reynard 2020
I absolutely adore the Great British Bake-Off show and so this book, including it in its sub-title, was an instant draw. I also just love food history and learning about where different cuisines and dishes came from. Baking is kind of an elusive art for me, I can follow directions just fine, but being able to understand the science and be innovative takes a lot of know-how, which these early pioneers of baking would have had to have.
This book goes back into history and covers the various baking methods and types of bakes being made through time. Recipes, included along the way, reflect these different time periods, and some needed translations because of the difference between spelling and language itself even if it was technically still in English. As an aside, some of the quantities of ingredients required for these bakes were absolutely baffling to me. I suppose if you're feeding a castle full of people instead of a normal household it makes sense, but wow! There are some illustrations included, which depict various bakes or references to bakers, and also photographs of various bakeries that are British mainstays.
All that history, but unfortunately I found the book a bit dry and disjointed. It seemed like just when I was settling into a topic, a new one was whisked in and my mind was battered by the adjustment. While it followed a timeline more or less, sometimes it jumped back and forth in history, which was also made it a bit harder to follow. I would definitely say that this book is less light reading and more study as a result of the format. I also was sad to see that despite being in the subtitle, the Bake-Off was barely mentioned at all (if you're reading it for that). Lastly, if you're looking for home cook information, there's a bit of it in this book, but it largely trended towards more commercial enterprises or even military; which isn't surprising considering there were probably better records of those endeavors.
Still an interesting book, but definitely not one just to jump in for fun. You have to be prepared to really follow along and take it in short bursts.
Review by M. Reynard 2020
December 31, 2025
Some interesting tidbits, but overall this book was in desperate need of an editor. Typos and incomplete sentences were consistent enough to be distracting, while odd segue between topics felt disjointed. There's also no real information on the Great British Bake-off, which feels a bit misleading.
May 19, 2023
A wonderful book that gives a real insight into the history of baking. It does contain some recipes however this book is more about the the history of food preparation and baking methods, which was absolutely fascinating. Great that it includes some of my favourite foods such as mince pies and sausage rolls. A real reflection on old recipes and people from the past. If you love a bit of social history and particularly food, you'll love this book.
November 17, 2020
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Although the writing seemed a little scattered, this is an eloquent and, for the most part, well-researched history of the British and their relationships with everything baked.
Although the writing seemed a little scattered, this is an eloquent and, for the most part, well-researched history of the British and their relationships with everything baked.
August 30, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
A History of British Baking is a survey course of baking throughout British history - and how it shaped and defined the culture. Due out in late 2020 from Pen & Sword on their History imprint, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover format.
The author writes with an accessible and engaging style. The introduction covers the genesis of the book, defining the scope and relevance - what's "British", what's "baking"? How indepth (the author asked) should the technical/chemical/physical study of baking be? What was relevant? I found this introductory musing quite interesting as it gave a sort of insider look at the genesis and shaping of the entire book. (I always read introductions and forewords and often find them invaluable and relevant to the rest of the reading, certainly true in this case).
I found the actual book a bit scattered occasionally. It was sometimes difficult to see the progression of thoughts as the author flitted from one subject to the next. There is an overarching chronological timeline from medieval baking, progressing through the Tudor & Stuart periods, to the Georgians, and on to the modern era however which gave some structure.
There are some historically period recipes reproduced here for things varied (and delicious sounding along with some rather alarming ). The inclusion of period recipes for mooncakes, meat patties, roqaq (like matzoh) and more add some interest and will be fun to reproduce and try, but by far the emphasis is on the history behind the development and blending of the cultures which make up Britain.
The book is meticulously annotated throughout. The author has cited both period and modern scholarly research to support the narrative. There are numerous chapter notes, and an index. The chapter notes alone will keep keen readers going for ages.
The author has a casual academic style of writing; accessible and careful, with proper annotation, but not overly convoluted or impenetrably difficult to read. She manages to convey a wealth of information without being pedantic or preachy. I really enjoyed reading this historical catalogue of how closely food is intertwined with place, with social development and expansion, and with the people who live/d in Great Britain.
This would be a great choice for libraries, local historians, food historians, period reproduction cooks, Bed & Breakfast/hospitality, or for fans of British cuisine.
Five stars. It's abundantly clear that the author has poured prodigious effort and careful academic research into this tome. I can't imagine there's much left unanswered about Britain's culinary traditions. I felt very much enlightened after reading it, anyhow.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
A History of British Baking is a survey course of baking throughout British history - and how it shaped and defined the culture. Due out in late 2020 from Pen & Sword on their History imprint, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover format.
The author writes with an accessible and engaging style. The introduction covers the genesis of the book, defining the scope and relevance - what's "British", what's "baking"? How indepth (the author asked) should the technical/chemical/physical study of baking be? What was relevant? I found this introductory musing quite interesting as it gave a sort of insider look at the genesis and shaping of the entire book. (I always read introductions and forewords and often find them invaluable and relevant to the rest of the reading, certainly true in this case).
I found the actual book a bit scattered occasionally. It was sometimes difficult to see the progression of thoughts as the author flitted from one subject to the next. There is an overarching chronological timeline from medieval baking, progressing through the Tudor & Stuart periods, to the Georgians, and on to the modern era however which gave some structure.
There are some historically period recipes reproduced here for things varied (and delicious sounding along with some rather alarming ). The inclusion of period recipes for mooncakes, meat patties, roqaq (like matzoh) and more add some interest and will be fun to reproduce and try, but by far the emphasis is on the history behind the development and blending of the cultures which make up Britain.
The book is meticulously annotated throughout. The author has cited both period and modern scholarly research to support the narrative. There are numerous chapter notes, and an index. The chapter notes alone will keep keen readers going for ages.
The author has a casual academic style of writing; accessible and careful, with proper annotation, but not overly convoluted or impenetrably difficult to read. She manages to convey a wealth of information without being pedantic or preachy. I really enjoyed reading this historical catalogue of how closely food is intertwined with place, with social development and expansion, and with the people who live/d in Great Britain.
This would be a great choice for libraries, local historians, food historians, period reproduction cooks, Bed & Breakfast/hospitality, or for fans of British cuisine.
Five stars. It's abundantly clear that the author has poured prodigious effort and careful academic research into this tome. I can't imagine there's much left unanswered about Britain's culinary traditions. I felt very much enlightened after reading it, anyhow.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
September 24, 2020
In A History of British Baking: From Blood Bread to Bake-Off food historian Emma Kay gives readers a well-researched history of baking in England. The general focus remains on bread- that staple no matter the social class- but pastries, tarts, and cakes are all included. This is a history of the social, technological, and cultural changes in Britain from Roman occupancy to the present day as seen through baking. Where did certain foods originate? How did they come to Britain? How did baking change over the centuries? How did travel, trade, and conquest influence baking? Kay traces it all back as far as possible, and does an excellent job of including the influence of immigrants on baking in Britain. I particularly enjoyed the early chapters where she includes mentions of bread in early literature and describes the superstitions surrounding bread through medieval England. She also includes some historical recipes ranging from medieval pies to Waldorf pudding to mooncakes. This is not primarily a recipe book, but the included recipes add an extra element- especially the early recipes that are clearly written to feed a whole castle!
The copy I read was an advance copy and I have to hope that additional editing takes place before the book is finally released. While there was a general timeline to the book the writing was often disjointed, bouncing back and forth in time and making some of the historical progress hard to follow. Additionally, plenty of unfinished sentences made some of Kay's ideas hard to follow. She also tends to bounce from topic to topic and might have almost done better following, for example, the history of pies in one chapter and pastries in another. You can see why she didn't though, the social and legal trends for baking we see apply to all aspects of British baking and make more sense in a chronological order. Still, more editing and tighter writing would have greatly improved the presentation of this fascinating food history.
Overall Kay's writing is accessible to all, a casual academic style that will appeal to casual readers as well as serious academic food historians. She writes as if speaking to the reader, sharing stories and opinions with the same ease as she traces the historical origins of hardtack. This well-researched and highly interesting book will appeal to bakers, food historians, and those just interested in learning a little more about British history as seen through its bakes.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The copy I read was an advance copy and I have to hope that additional editing takes place before the book is finally released. While there was a general timeline to the book the writing was often disjointed, bouncing back and forth in time and making some of the historical progress hard to follow. Additionally, plenty of unfinished sentences made some of Kay's ideas hard to follow. She also tends to bounce from topic to topic and might have almost done better following, for example, the history of pies in one chapter and pastries in another. You can see why she didn't though, the social and legal trends for baking we see apply to all aspects of British baking and make more sense in a chronological order. Still, more editing and tighter writing would have greatly improved the presentation of this fascinating food history.
Overall Kay's writing is accessible to all, a casual academic style that will appeal to casual readers as well as serious academic food historians. She writes as if speaking to the reader, sharing stories and opinions with the same ease as she traces the historical origins of hardtack. This well-researched and highly interesting book will appeal to bakers, food historians, and those just interested in learning a little more about British history as seen through its bakes.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
September 30, 2020
Food history books have intrigued me since I was a child, It's the combination of history, cultures, traditions, related laws/crimes/punishments, superstitions and passion for the science of baking which is so fascinating.
This book delves into baking history from Roman times to Medieval times to the present and everything between with a focus on breads, cakes and pastries, including several recipes. It brims with information, yet at no point does it feel like a textbook or an overload. Instead, it's a superb balance, detailing the importance of simple bread in the Bible to baked elaborate battle reenactments later on to migrant shops to the oldest existing wedding cake to industrialization and factories.
The old English recipes are splendid fun to read, as are the ingredients and preparations and history. Photographs and illustrations are wonderful. I'm a seasoned baker but was thrilled to learn new-to-me information such as the reasons for the low mortality rate of bakers in Victorian times and earlier, bread baking etiquette and laws, bread preservation during wars and the origin of many recipes. The need for bread in every culture has remained a constant in a changing world.
If you crave a food history book to devour, this it it! I loved everything about it.
My sincere thank you to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this enthralling book in exchange for an honest review.
This book delves into baking history from Roman times to Medieval times to the present and everything between with a focus on breads, cakes and pastries, including several recipes. It brims with information, yet at no point does it feel like a textbook or an overload. Instead, it's a superb balance, detailing the importance of simple bread in the Bible to baked elaborate battle reenactments later on to migrant shops to the oldest existing wedding cake to industrialization and factories.
The old English recipes are splendid fun to read, as are the ingredients and preparations and history. Photographs and illustrations are wonderful. I'm a seasoned baker but was thrilled to learn new-to-me information such as the reasons for the low mortality rate of bakers in Victorian times and earlier, bread baking etiquette and laws, bread preservation during wars and the origin of many recipes. The need for bread in every culture has remained a constant in a changing world.
If you crave a food history book to devour, this it it! I loved everything about it.
My sincere thank you to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this enthralling book in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2020
Baking is one of the many ways a person shows love. When you bake someone a cake, cookies or bread, you pour your best into the dough.
Baking has not always been a choice. You could not run to the store for a loaf of bread or cupcakes for school. Home baking has evolved along with our lifestyles. The choices in basic ingredients have expanded so I can make Irish soda bread or traditional rye breads with authentic ingredients from the store down the block.
So much of history is tied up in the art of cooking and baking. This book is an interesting and entertaining story of how methods and recipes have changed as both ingredients and equipment has improved and become universally available. It is both a history lesson tied up in a familiar landscape, everyone of us has spent time in the kitchen, and a look at the recipes that have been handed down. Emma Kay is obviously one of us....you know one of those women who show their families love often through baking.
Baking has not always been a choice. You could not run to the store for a loaf of bread or cupcakes for school. Home baking has evolved along with our lifestyles. The choices in basic ingredients have expanded so I can make Irish soda bread or traditional rye breads with authentic ingredients from the store down the block.
So much of history is tied up in the art of cooking and baking. This book is an interesting and entertaining story of how methods and recipes have changed as both ingredients and equipment has improved and become universally available. It is both a history lesson tied up in a familiar landscape, everyone of us has spent time in the kitchen, and a look at the recipes that have been handed down. Emma Kay is obviously one of us....you know one of those women who show their families love often through baking.
September 28, 2020
This meticulously researched book is wide-ranging, both in time and subject. From flour to leaveners, ovens to mills, Emma Kay writes about the ingredients and technologies that have shaped British baking over the years since the Romans up to the Great British Baking Show. There are few actual recipes here, and most of the ones included are from times past and involve ingredients that to the modern reader might sound less than appetizing. (What are ‘pineapple seeds’ anyway?)
Kay’s file cabinet of baking references is impressive, and she talks about baking in fashion, the theatre, and even magic. For the reader who wants more, there are both extensive footnotes and an impressive bibliography for further research.
Kay’s file cabinet of baking references is impressive, and she talks about baking in fashion, the theatre, and even magic. For the reader who wants more, there are both extensive footnotes and an impressive bibliography for further research.
November 21, 2020
My baking skills tend to be...patchy at best but I love all things Bake Off and I'm a bit if a history geek, so I got two scratch two itches with this book!
It's a well-rounded tome. With little footnotes that prevent it from ever becoming too academic. It flows from the history of baking from the dawning of written records, via the Romans, the Normans, and into the industrial revolution. There is also a great section on breadmaking during the wars and how immigrant bakers have helped shape breadmaking.
Plenty of recipes to try, some with handy translations. There are enough photographs to keep your own attempts at baking said recipes in line with the originals. Some of mine weren't exactly picture worthy but they tasted fine!
It's a well-rounded tome. With little footnotes that prevent it from ever becoming too academic. It flows from the history of baking from the dawning of written records, via the Romans, the Normans, and into the industrial revolution. There is also a great section on breadmaking during the wars and how immigrant bakers have helped shape breadmaking.
Plenty of recipes to try, some with handy translations. There are enough photographs to keep your own attempts at baking said recipes in line with the originals. Some of mine weren't exactly picture worthy but they tasted fine!
August 11, 2020
I love learning about historical cooking techniques and recipes! It's always interesting to read about how tastes change, or people settle for (due to technology, etc...) This book doesn't contain a load of recipes, but does has lots of information on how foods have changed and why. I enjoyed reading it, Emma Kay has done her homework and written a well-researched book! If your interested in food, this book will keep you interested.
I received a Kindle copy from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle copy from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
August 25, 2020
This book was interesting because it included both history and stories concerning baking. It also included some interesting recipes, many of which were new to me since I am not British. I have to admit that some recipes sounded like recipes I would not try, but there were a few that sounded promising.
The author’s writing style is very laid back and relaxed. At times, I found this irritating because the sentences we're either run on or fragments. However, this style may have been an effort to set the reader at ease over such a weighty topic.
The author’s writing style is very laid back and relaxed. At times, I found this irritating because the sentences we're either run on or fragments. However, this style may have been an effort to set the reader at ease over such a weighty topic.
June 22, 2021
A captivating and well-researched read that delves deep (and I mean, really deep!) into baking and particularly in Britain. Loved all the details the author added - didn't mind that the focus seemed to be 'scattered' on most pages to add a tidbit here and a tidbit there. Found this to be absolutely charming and really informative, a lot of places eliciting an 'Aha!' when history was thus explained and suddenly made a whole lot more sense.
Lovely book for anyone who enjoys baking and/or loves history in general. Kudos to the author for such a profound and interesting book
Lovely book for anyone who enjoys baking and/or loves history in general. Kudos to the author for such a profound and interesting book
September 20, 2020
This is a remarkable book. Chock full of vintage recipes and more importantly the rigors of bread making in Britain. In the war years the circumstances of field baking was astounding. I found this book to be a very interesting history of baking and learned for more than expected. In fact, I will admit to a bit of shock at times. The copious amounts of research needed to pen such must have been a formidable task indeed.
September 5, 2020
A History of British Baking was such a great read! Emma Kay does a fantastic job detailing the history of British baking; it is very detailed but super easy to read! The wealth of knowledge found in this book is indicative of the sheer amount of research Kay conducted before writing it. I recommend this book to anyone interested in culinary history or even general history.
November 9, 2020
A trip through the history of baking in England. It is a long held place of honor and tradition. You get not only a taste of history of food and it’s evolution in England but the people it took to establish that tradition. It is forthright in it’s telling but very English in it’s no nonsense. It is a true picture of a people who survive at all costs.
December 8, 2020
4.5 stars!
It is such a lovely book, with lots of interesting details and lots of pictures. Kay did extensive research and this is clear in the book. I highly recommend it because it's not only lovely written, but fun and informative too.
It is such a lovely book, with lots of interesting details and lots of pictures. Kay did extensive research and this is clear in the book. I highly recommend it because it's not only lovely written, but fun and informative too.
June 23, 2021
This was an interesting book that was heavy on historical details, most of which I found fascinating. It’s less of a cookbook than I was expecting, but it definitely covered British baking from A-Z.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews