Happy Thanlksgiving from all of us at SFBI!

New 2006 Course Schedule Inside...

Whats Rising San Francisco Baking Institute Newsletter Fall 2005

a history of baking: rising through the ages

by Brian Wood - Baking & Pastry Instructor

South San Francisco, CA 94080 An Introduction to the History of Baking The diet of Neolithic man consisted of roughly 50% hunted foods
480 Grandview Drive and Pastry: Neolithic Period through the such as deer, fish, or pheasant; 50% gathered foods such as nuts
San Francisco Baking Institute Middle Ages and berries, and grains such as oat, rye, spelt, millet and wheat.
Predecessors to the most primitive breads emerged: simple gruels

Permit No. 855

San Francisco, CA
PAID Brian Wood
T hroughout history people have sought
out foods that are beneficial to our
health, foods that will ensure our survival
as a species. Though the lives of humans have
become more complex since the days of the
made by boiling foraged and grown grains in water to procure a
softened grain texture. This proved to be more digestible than raw
grain and the boiling process made more of the nutrients of the
grain accessible.

U.S. POSTAGE Baking & Pastry Instructor

hunter/gatherer, our needs for nourishment have This transition from mobile to fixed communities marked a slow
PRSRT STD remained the same. Over time, advances in science and technology turning away from the wild. (Flandarin and Montanari p. 71-2).
have allowed us to meet these needs more fully. Europeans who lived in more temperate areas, especially in the
northern regions of Europe, tended to rely on a combined agrarian
To better understand the history of baking, we will need to explore and hunting/gathering approach. In these areas the land was diverse
a wider history. Developments such as new agricultural technology, and it provided a nourishing diet. The predominately agrarian
the threat of famine, the rise and fall of nation-states, the marriage of culture eventually spread west through Europe and established a diet
San Francisco Baking Institute Kings and Queens, the Industrial Revolution, access to information, that would come to be the foundation of what Westerners eat today.
Baking and Pastry Arts School for Professionals & Enthusiasts the Church, and wars have all influenced what we have come to (Flandarin & Montanari p. 28). The settlers produced numerous
480 Grandview Drive South San Francisco, CA 94080 know as bread and pastry. cerealsgenerally wheat and ryeand raised livestock such as
phone 650.589.5784 fax 650.589.5729 sheep, goat, cow and pig. Even though these communities had
Neolithic Period (10,000 BCE to 4,000 BCE) access to meats, they tended to eat balanced diets of meat and grain.
visit us online at www.sfbi.com The animals were also valued for their furs and milks. (Flandarin &
The Neolithic period is marked by the shift from mobile hunting
Montanari p. 28).
and gathering societies to fixed agrarian-based communities and the
WHATS RISING development of key items such as clay pottery. As ancient technology developed, the processes of preparing grain
as food changed as well. The characteristic hard texture of grains
THIS SEASON ... Pumpkin pie, if rightly made, is a thing led to soaking them to create a porridge. This porridge may have
been originally eaten raw; however, it was soon heated on hot
of beauty and a joywhile it lasts ... stone slabs or even baked under embers to create a type of crude
introduction to baking history
Pies that cut a little flatbread. These flatbreads most likely had benefits over porridge
as they had a longer shelf life and could be transported easily
remembering professor calvel less firm than a pine during expeditions. The nutritional benefits of eating porridge and
2006 course schedule board, and those flatbreads made from various grains may have made the difference
between survival and death. Grains provided essential nutrients
recipe of the season: pumpkin pave
that run round your that were not readily accessible from meat. Grain was cared for
plate are alike to be and eaten by entire communities during Neolithic times, and so a
bakers tip and more! culture of collaboration and sharing surrounded this essential food.

avoided.
The House Mother continued on page 3

Whats Rising is designed and edited by

Jennifer Donahue Marketing Communications
www.jenniferdonahue.com
whats inside: history of baking, 2006 course schedule, seasonal recipe,
bakers tip, remembering professor calvel and more ...
1

about us:
sfbi
S I
ince 1996, the San
Francisco Baking
Institute (SFBI) has
trained hundreds of profes-
sional and aspiring bakers
from all over the world. We
have acted as the unofficial
training site for several
award-winning Baking USA
Teams and hosted a variety
of international groupsfrom
countries including Russia,
China and Japaninterested
in bringing artisan baking
back to their homelands.
SFBI is recognized within
the baking industry as a place
where artisan baking is
respected, appreciated and
celebrated. We are passionate
about sharing our knowledge
and enthusiasm with students
and clients in an effort to
raise the level of the craft.
2 11
from michel:
remembering professor calvel
Michel Suas, Founder/President
n this issue of our
quarterly newsletter,
I want to talk about
a very important person
for me personally, and
the bakery industry in
general, because of his
Michel Suas
professional guidance,
belief in quality and goals for achievement:
Professor Calvel. Professor Calvel passed
away on August 28, 2005, at the age of 92.
He devoted his life to the baking industry.
Compared to Professor Calvel, many of us
could take one step back and reflect on
ourselves to see how truly dedicated we are
when we say that we believe in and support
education for the baker and the consumer, as
well as the quality of breads.
To me, it seemed that Professor Calvel never
changed physically or professionally. Some
of us called him Pappy Calvel among
ourselves. Not very tall, he had white hair
and a soft voice. He always said ouuuiii.
Even though he had a soft voice, it was
heard all over the world. He always said
what was on his mindto everyone from
the flour mills, equipment manufacturers,
bakeries large or small, ingredient suppliers
and schools.
Once he criticized the Larousse
Gastronomique for not giving enough
importance to bread for its nutritive and
gustative quality. Professor Calvel had
only one goal: education and the quest for
better quality. He believed that bread is an
important part of our nutrition and health.
He wrote Le Gout du Paina book that would get an earful of commentseither
quickly became the Bible for bakers,
communicating the true basics we all
need know to produce any type of high
quality breads. The book is translated in
many languages, including Japanese and
Spanishin English it is known as The
Taste of Bread.
To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.
I knew and worked with Professor Calvel.
He is the person who hooked me up with
bread while I was working as a chef in France.
What I admired the most in Professor Calvel
was that he was very approachable. He was
friendly and agreeable to everyone, from
the apprentice baker to CEOs of the largest
companies. If you called him or wrote to him
(No email! Lucky him.) he always answered
back with a handwritten note. It usually was
a small note on a fine, almost transparent
sheet of paper, but he had so much to say he
ended up writing on the side.
If you needed his assistance, Professor Calvel
was always prepared to offer help. He must
have had a suitcase ready to go at all times.
The fees were never his first concern. He
was constantly ready to go on a mission to
assist, not to make money or as the guru
of the baking industry, but as a person who
was concerned and appreciative of anyone
willing to make the best quality bread
possible and, most importantly, to help get
his message out.
I think that even today a lot of bakers who
read The Taste of Bread, worked with, or
studied with Professor Calvel have a soft
voice in the back of their head telling
them to produce and develop the finest
quality (or theyll be in trouble!) This is
true for everyone from the flour mills, to
the equipment and ingredient suppliers, to
the bakers.
Professor Calvels message of education and
quality awareness was honest and direct. He
only used his influence to encourage you do
a great job and to support you. Or else you
one-on-one or in front of an audience! His
sarcasm was always polite but to the point.
I am sure you know about autolyse.
Professor Calvel is the one who developed
this step during the mixing process.
continued on page 10
La Rochefoucauld
recipe of the season: pumpkin pave
A
s the weather cools and the holidays
approach, the bakers selection of fresh
ingredients changes. Fall brings a new
crop of crisp apples and specialty vegetables
such as pumpkin and squash, which serve as
the foundation of many traditional American
holiday treats. Pav, meaning brick or slab,
refers to the shape of this pastry. Fresh
or canned pumpkin may be used and an
interesting variation may be made with
fresh butternut squash. The nut meal in the
streusel may be substituted; however, if nut
pieces are used, the quantity of butter may
need to be reduced by 15-20%.
Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.
bakers tip: best results from vanilla beans
by Brian Wood, Baking & Pastry Instructor
V
anilla beans add
a subtle yet full
vanilla flavor and
an appealing visual quality,
that imitation vanilla cant
provide, to an infinite array
Brian Wood of pastry and baked goods.
With the expense of vanilla beans as high
as it is, they should always be used to their
fullest potential.
Infusions
Whenever adding vanilla bean to a creamy
mixture such as a ganache, mousse or crme
Anglaise, the most flavor will be obtained
through an infusion. The infusion may be
hot or cold and may last from 30 minutes to
Process, Hazelnut Streusel
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer
fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until
a streusel is formed. Per 12 sheet, place .650 kg/
23.25 oz. of streusel onto a sprayed half sheet pan
with a pan collar. Press the streusel down to form
the bottom crust. Bake at 350 F convection for
about 12 minutes, or until the crust starts to
brown. Reserve until cool.
300 F convection for about 35 minutes or
Process, Pumpkin Filling
Scale all ingredients and have all ingredients at
room temperature. Cream the cream cheese,
vanilla bean, allspice and cinnamon together
in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Scrape down the bowl. Once smooth, add the
sugar slowly and mix until well incorporated.
Scrape down the bowl. Next, add the maple
syrup and mix until incorporated.
24 hours. For shorter infusions, it is best to do
a hot infusion. The primary liquid is brought
to a boil with the scraped vanilla pod. It is
then covered with plastic wrap and set aside.
Used Pods
Even though a vanilla bean may have been
used once, that doesnt mean it cant be used
again. There are several ways to reuse scraped
vanilla pods. One way is to leave the pod
uncovered at room temperature. The other is
to dredge the pod in granulated sugar.
Drying the pod is advisable if you wish to
grind it into a powder. Some pastry chefs do
this and use the vanilla pod powder in pate
sucree or other cookie doughs.
Add the pumpkin puree and mix until smooth.
Scrape down the bowl. Add the eggs slowly
and mix just to incorporation. Scrape down
the bowl again and mix briefly.
Assembly, Pumpkin Pav
Pour the Pumpkin Filling over the pre-
baked Hazelnut crust. Sprinkle the remaining
Hazelnut Streusel over the filling. Bake at
until the filling is set. Cool overnight and
portion the following day.
Jane Austen
Dredging the pod in sugar is a more versatile
way to recycle the pod. When dredged,
sugar will adhere to the pod and draw out
any remaining seeds and essential oils. This
is the process for creating vanilla sugar.
Vanilla sugar can be replaced for all or part
of the sugar in any formula. When pods are
dredged in sugar they will remain somewhat
moist. This is helpful because used pods
may be applied in place of new ones for
preparations such as pastry cream or crme
Anglaise and more flavors will be extracted
than if they were dried.
remembering professor calvel
continued from page 2
I strongly encourage you to get Professor
Calvels book now. Right away, you will see
the true value he brought to the industry
the foundation of todays bread.
For those of us lucky enough to be recognized
in the industry, lets be modest. We did not
invent anything like Professor Calvel did
we are just doing what thousands of other
bakers do every day without being in the
spotlight. Lets keep the legacy of Professor
Calvel alive. And lets keep an eye open
perhaps we could find enough charisma in
a young Calvel around us today. If Escoffier
and Careme are the names we know best in
the kitchens enclyclopedia, Professor Calvel
is The Name that will remain in the bakery
industry forever.
Farewell Mr. Calvel! I shall miss you, as will
many others, I am sure.You will always be in
our thoughtsouuuii!.
Michel
help a student: buy a proofing basket!
All proceeds go to
the non-profit
San Francisco
Baking Scholarship
Organization.
TRA-B12
TRA-B8
TRA-B10
10
Note: If you read French, there are other
books by Professor Calvel which portray
more of his accomplishments, including:
Une Vie du Pain
Des Miettes
You can check online at:
http://www.librairie-gourmande.fr
or
email: amy@librairie-gourmande.fr
Professor Raymond Calvel
T
hanks to a donation from Trader
Joes, SFBI is happy to offer a line
of high-quality proofing baskets
as a fund-raiser for our new Scholarship
Organization. All proceeds from the sales
of these baskets will go directly to our
non-profit scholarship organization, which
helps economically challenged students
with their baking education tuition at
SFBI.
Your purchase will help a student who
is passionate about baking and pastry
afford professional training - and its tax
deductible! Please help SFBI build our
scholarship fund for the many deserving
students who need a little help with tuition
by placing an order for baskets today!
career
opportunity
Baking & Pastry Instructor
Are you an experienced baking
& pastry instructor looking for an
exciting new opportunity? SFBI is
now hiring!
Please forward your resume to:
San Francisco Baking Institute
480 Grandview Drive
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Or email Michel Suas
at: michel@sfbi.com
Rattan banneton baskets
lined with linen:
Sizes:
8 Diameter - 4-1/4 H: TRA-B8
Dough Weight: 1 to 1.5 lbs.
Price: $8.00 each
10 Diameter - 4-3/4 H: TRA-B10
Dough Weight: 1.5 to 2 lbs.
Price: $10.00 each
12 Diameter - 6 H: TRA-B12
Dough Weight: 3 to 4 lbs.
Price: $12.00 each
Call 650.589.5724 to order.
Quantities are limited,
so order soon!
history of baking: ancient times
continued from page 1
Another major development during the
Neolithic period was the creation and use
of stoneware ceramic vessels, elementary
grain mills and raised ovens. Archaeological
excavations have revealed mills and ovens
as centerpieces of the home, indicating
that they were an integral part of life.
These advances in basic technology laid the
groundwork for the Greeks and Egyptians
to progress the art of bread.
Classic Antiquity
(Egypt and Greece 5,500 BCE to 300 AD)
As civilization in Europe and the Near and
Middle East advanced, an agrarian approach
to life in these regions became standard.
People increasingly lived in densely
populated areas and relied on grains more
than ever as their primary food source. The
first cultures to truly advance the science of
breads were the Egyptians and the Greeks.
Bread was no longer simply consumed for
its nutritional purposes. Experimentation
with ingredients and techniques produced
a more diverse array of breads. Sediments
examined from the Nile River delta in Egypt
have shown signs that farmers grew spelt,
wheat and barley around 4000 BCE. This
fertile land yielded grains used for bread,
pastry and beer production domestically
and bread and pastry production in Greece.
The exports from Egypt supplied Greece
with extra grain needed to supplement
their own domestic production. (Flandarin
& Montanari p. 39). The delta was eventually
flooded by a massive tsunami and bread
making was drastically interrupted.
Most of the information that is known
regarding bread and pastry in Egypt comes
from archaeological finds as there is little
written record from ancient Egypt. The
records from Greece are equally scarce. The
primary sources of information come from
hieroglyphics and archaeological excavations.
Excavations of Egyptian tombs have revealed
funeral meals, an assortment of breads
and pastries, sometimes numbering in the
thousands, meant as food for the after-life.
(Flandarin & Montanari p. 38).
Generally, the type of
bread or porridge eaten
was related to ones
status in society. The
whitest of breads were
eaten by the wealthiest of
people; the breads with
some whole grain present
were eaten by the middle
class; and the poorest of
people ate whole grain
breads and spelt breads.
Breads and porridge in Antiquity were
made from both local and imported grains.
Generally, the type of bread or porridge
eaten was related to ones status in society.
The whitest of breads were eaten by the
wealthiest of people; the breads with some
whole grain present were eaten by the
middle class; and the poorest of people ate
whole grain breads and spelt breads. For
people who ate their grains in the form
of bread, the flour was often milled at their
house. To help separate the chaff from the
grain, the grain was lightly toasted or dried
in the sun. After the chaff was removed, the
grain was crushed using a mortar and pestle
and it was then milled between two stones.
After the grain was milled it was sifted to
the desired degree. Examined remains of
Egyptians show excessively worn teeth
which has been attributed to a fine sand
in the flour due to the milling process.
(Flandarin & Montanari p. 39).
The initial flatbreads made by the Egyptians
were made from flour (wheat, barley or
spelt), water and salt. Hieroglyphics depict
people kneading dough with their hands
and larger quantities processed using the feet.
Flatbreads were baked on hot stone slabs or
on a stone hearth of an oven. Alternatively,
breads may have been baked on the oven
wall, much like authentic Naan is baked
today. (Flandarin & Montanari p. 39).
As cited by Athenaeus, the Greeks from
antiquity were known to have seventy-two
distinct types of bread. (Revel p. 65). The
scope of their products is indicative of the
sociological and technological developments
that happened in Greece during that time.
The process of milling flour and grain
advanced to the degree that they could
produce multiple grades of flours. Another
important development for breads and
pastry was the redesign and use of wood
fired ovens in order to establish bread
production. The diversity of available
ingredients provided many different flavor
combinations to explore. A large selection
of grains, herbs, oils, fruits and nuts were used
to create a wide array of breads. With these
three important developments, the function
of grain as being simply for nutrition shifted
to bread being associated with civility and
gastronomic innovation. (Revel p.64-5).
Leavened breads were produced from about
1500 BCE onward. (Flandarin & Montanari
p. 39). The only reason this was possible, as
the case remains today, is that wheat was
readily available and contained the necessary
gluten forming proteins glutenin and gliadin.
Two dominant theories exist concerning
the development of yeasted bread.
The first theory is that the Egyptians, who
had mastered the process of brewing beer,
used beer instead of water for their bread,
thus inoculating the dough with yeast.
continued on page 4
3
history of baking: ancient times
continued from page 3
The second theory is that a piece of dough
was forgotten about, inoculated by ambient
wild yeast and later baked. (Tannahill p. 52).
This dough would not have produced a very
light bread; however, it may have been lighter
than what was previously experienced by
the Egyptians. If dough was first made by
ale, the Egyptians would soon realize the
connection between fermentation of grain
to produce ale and the fermentation of
grain to leavened bread. The first theory
is the more common one, and possibly
more realistic as it continued to be the most
common method for producing leavened
breads in Egypt. (Tannahill p. 52).
Areas outside Egypt developed methods to
leaven dough in accordance with regional
resources and customs. The Greeks and
It is said that Rameses III sacrificed 9,000 cakes and 200,000 loaves
of bread a year to the gods.
Italians used several methods to generate
fermentation which were related to their
wine making processes. The three most
popular preferments in Greece and Italy
were created by the following combinations:
millet flour and grape juice; bran and white
wine; and old porridge. (Tannahill p. 52). The
Gauls, an ancient culture which inhabited
what is now roughly France and Belgium,
and the Iberians, a people who inhabited
what is now an area by Georgia, Armenia
and Azerbaijan, used the foam from ale to
leaven their breads. (Tannahill p. 52). The
most common method employed was to hold
back a portion of the dough to be added to
the next batch of dough. This technique is
used in many bakeries today.
Early Pastries
In addition to producing breads, the
Egyptians and the Greeks made rudimentary
pastries. Egyptians are known to have
been making cakes as early as 3000 BCE.
(Tannahill p. 53). Popular ingredients for
pastry and cake making included milk, eggs,
butter, honey, sesame, pine nuts, walnuts,
almonds, poppy and dates. (Revel, p. 69).
4 9
A typical cake may have been a sweetened
bread, rolled in honey and then seeds.
In his book, Culture and Cuisine,
Jean-Francois Revel presents a pastry
formula from Athenaeus, a Greek historical
writer from 200 AD (Revel p. 69):
Take walnuts from Thasos in the Pont, almonds
and poppy seeds and toast them carefully. Then
crush them well in a clean mortar, mix these three
fruits together, grind them by adding strained
honey to them, and pepper, and blend the whole
together well; the mixture will become black
because of the pepper. Make a flat square of this
paste, then grind some white sesame, mix it with
flour and strained honey, and make two flat cakes
of it, between which you will place the proceeding
black paste, fastening it securely in the middle.
Apicius, an epicurean and writer from
Greco-Roman times, recorded many cake
preparations, popular during the transition to
the CE. His work is some of the only written
record of pastry making and cake preparation
to reveal what was made during Antiquity
and transitioning to the Middle Ages.
A previous author, Chrysippus of Tyanus, had
written Treatise on Baking; however, this book,
which detailed more than thirty cakes from
the time, did not survive beyond Antiquity.
What follows is another example of a cake
(Revel p. 69):
Domestic Cakes: Grind dates, walnuts or pine
nuts with spelt cooked in water. Work fine-ground
pepper and honey into this gruel; make little balls
of it, salting the outside of them lightly. Fry them in
oil and then moisten them with strained honey.
Like many formulas that survived the
Classical Greek and Ancient Egyptian eras,
only the basic preparations are described.
Formulations such as this were typical and
it is thought that quantities and specific
instructions were commonly known.
Another interesting note is that both
preparations include pepper, as this was a
very common spice for the time.
Cakes and pastries in Antiquity were
enjoyed by the cultured elite but they were
also served as offerings during religious
celebrations and rituals. During funerals and
sacrificial offerings in Egypt, tombs were
filled with sweet items for the dead to enjoy
in the afterlife and cakes and breads were
often sacrificed to the gods.
It is said that Rameses III sacrificed 9,000
cakes and 200,000 loaves of bread a year to
the gods. (Bachmann p. 2).
Bread and Culture in Antiquity
The presence of bread in Antiquity served
more of a role than feeding the people. Bread
and cakes in Egypt and Greece played a major
role in everyday life, religious ceremonies,
offerings to the gods and even death rituals.
The art of bread and pastry was advanced
to the degree that specialty shapes and flavor
profiles were created for different occasions.
Shapes included flat, round, oval, conical and
triangular loaves. Conical loaves were often
created for religious ceremonies and coated
with cumin seeds. (Flandarin & Montanari
p. 39). The function of bread in Antiquity
provided as much of a role as a nutrient as a
means of established social order and civility.
(Flandarin & Montanari p.69). In Egypt, it
was believed that He whose belly is empty is
the one who complains. (Flandarin & Montanari
p. 38). By filling the peoples stomachs with
carbohydrates, the ruling classes of antiquity
kept order while basic needs were met.
(Flandarin & Montanari p.69).
start fresh:
begin a career in baking
I f you are committed to starting a new
career as a baker, or enhancing your
current career in the baking industry, our
18 Week Bread & Pastry Professional Training
Program will give you the foundation you need
to achieve success.
SFBI recognizes that not every student has the
time and budget available for six months or
more of training. At the same time, you want
to be sure you receive the very best education
available. We designed our progressive program
to meet these specific needs.
Our highly concentrated, focused curriculum
includes an unusually high level of hands-
on practice and deliberately small class
sizes. In our spacious facility, just a short
drive from downtown San Francisco, we
offer a technologically advanced, welcoming
environment where we introduce students to
artisan baking at its best.
Visit us on line at www.sfbi.com
for a fully detailed curriculum along
with information about tuition and
housing, or call us at 650.589.5784
and ask for an application package
to be mailed or emailed to you.
Changing careers or want
to jump-start your baking
career? Earn your diploma
in just eighteen weeks of
training!
what:
18 Week Bread & Pastry
Professional Training Program
when:
The next session begins in the
spring of 2006.
where:
Train at SFBIs facility, just a few
minutes from the one of the
most beautiful cities in the world.
Learn in a production-sized
environment, with small class
sizes, spacious bakery classrooms
and technologically advanced
equipment.
why:
The only school in the United States
dedicated exclusively to artisan
baking, SFBI offers you the unique
opportunity to be fully trained in
just 18 weeks, in an environment
where baking never takes a
backseat to other culinary learning.
how:
Apply on line at www.sfbi.com
or call us for more information
at 650.589.5784.
New ... Weve extended our 2006
program from 16 weeks to 18 weeks
for the same cost!
invest in your
future
Join a profession with a legacy
of quality, dedication and honor
and begin a career in an industry
that continues to thrive and grow
in any economic climate.
Develop life-long skills in a
profession that offers security,
flexibility and creativity.
Train in a professional environment
that balances theory with hands-
on learning and focuses on the
skills you need in the real world of
baking today.
Working Bakers
Enhance your career and your
salary with new cutting-edge skills
and a deeper understanding of the
baking arts.
Aspiring Bakers
Changing careers or opening a
bakery? The 18 Week Bread
and Pastry Professional Training
Program gives you the skills
and knowledge you need to
get started.
Owners and Bakery Managers
Grow your business with the
employees you send to train at
SFBI. Benefit from the enthusiasm
and loyalty that a good
education brings to young
people with an interest in their
work. Give back to the baking
community and help contribute to
its continued growth by
helping to build the next
generation of artisan bakers.
history of baking: ancient times
continued from page 5
In France during this time, a bakers guild
was created that was referred to as the
Tameliers. This name is in reference to
the sifting of the flour they would have
to do upon receiving it. In order to be a
Tamelier, one had to go through a four year
apprenticeship, pass various tests and gain
the right to bake from the King.
Through the guild, the bakers provided
various industries with bread and in turn
received privileges. An example of this can
be seen in the distribution of bread to
hospitals. Bakers would receive free, and
expeditious care (Larousse p. 66) which would
enable them to return to their bakeries to
supply the townspeople with bread.
During the 13th century, breads were
made primarily from wheat and were an
integral part of the growing urbanization
of Western Europe. The quality of the
wheat varied widely, and the type of flour
consumed depicted ones rank in society.
The wealthiest of people ate the whitest of
breads. These were pain de bouche or pain
mollet in France, semmelbrot in Germany
and pandemain or white bread in England.
(Flandarin and Montanari p. 281). The bread
for the working class represented a larger
portion of the bread that was produced.
This bread contained more bran and germ
from the wheat and was referred to as
brown bread. A whole wheat bread was
made for the poorest of people. (Flandarin
and Montanari p. 281).
With the production of breads well established,
bakers soon started to make more sweet
items to be sold during holidays and when
grain prices were low. The first items created
were primitive wafers and waffles. These
were made by pressing a batter between two
hot pieces of metal. Wafers were often used
for offerings at church or eaten on holidays.
Depending on the availability of supplies,
these batters were enriched with additional
ingredients such as honey, milk, eggs and
sometimes sugar. It didnt take long for these
sweets to catch on. People of privilege and
royalty gave their bakers orders to make
cookies and cakes for them on a regular basis.
(Flandarin and Montanari p. 281).
8 5
The Crusades played an integral role in
the development of pastry. Not only did
Westerners bring back sugar from Persia,
which was considered a new and exciting
spice, but they also brought back a
primitive form of puff pastry and assorted
fruits, nuts and spices. The introduction of
sugar and puff pastry eventually caused some
problems amongst the three main guilds
(bakers, pastry cooks and restaurateurs)
because they all wanted to have exclusive
rights over the use and sale of the products.
(Larousse p. 855-56).
Throughout Western Europe, the specialization
of and distinction between bread and pastry
grew considerably from the Late Middle
Ages into the Renaissance. With the
distinctions amongst trade groups came
management from royalty, often laying out
the rules of trade. Not only did royalty state
control prices, they set up tests and had strict
standards regarding who could be a ptissier,
oubloyer or baker.
In 1351, King John the Good designated
the area of Ptisserie and the products
it encompassed. The scope of patisserie
included wafers and various cookies,
numerous sweet and savory fritters, marzipan
and tarts made with a variety of ingredients
ranging from nut pastes to young pigeon
(Larousse p. 856). Royal decrees were issued
that gave specific rights to different guilds
allowing them the production of certain
baked items.
Charles V, in 1366, set rules regarding
when and where bread could be sold and
at what price (depending on the type of
flour used.) Charles VI revised the original
rights (originating in 1270) of the cookie
makers in 1397 and again in 1406, creating
guidelines that dictated what they could sell,
the quality of the items sold and who could
be an oubloyers.
A journeyman level cookie maker was
expected to manufacture in one day five
hundred large oublies (large wafers), three
hundred supplications (eaten primarily on
religious holidays and acted as a symbolic
offering in church) and two hundred
esterels. Rules were ordered by Charles VII,
stating when and where wheat and flour
could be bought. The control of flour sales
enabled the public to buy grains before the
industry tradesman. (Larousse p. 66)
Conclusion: Neolithic through the
Middle Ages
The progression of baking and pastry to a
refined art and science was a development
that took thousands of years and was dealt
many a setback. The trend towards highly
populated urban areas from Antiquity
onward was supported by the ability to
grow wheat and make bread. The rise
and fall of nations and the development of
communities played essential roles in the
cultivation and reliability of grain. Life was
dependent on wheat in its many forms from
the earliest days of the Neolithic period
up through today. As bakers, we are lucky
to work at such an ancient craft with such
essential ingredients.
A future article will be devoted to the history
of baking and pastry from the Renaissance
to the current day.
The following resources were used to create this article:
Bachman, Walter (1955). Continental Confectionary: The Pastrycooks
Art. London: Maclaren & Sons Limited
Flandrin, Jean-Loiuse & Montanari, Massimo (Eds.). (1999).
Food: A Culinary History from Antiquity to the Present. New York:
Columbia University Press.
Jacob, H.E. (1944). Six Thousand Years of Bread: Its Holy and Unholy
History. New York: The Lyons Press.
Larousse Gastronomique (English ed.). (2001). Great Britain: Hamlyn
Revel, Jean-Franois (1982). Culture and Cuisine: A Journey Through
the History of Food. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
Tannahill, Reay (1988). Food in History. New York: Three Rivers
Press
For the Greeks and the Egyptians, the fabrication of bread, a true
human accomplishment, had come to symbolize the separation of
man from beast ...
The congregation of people into densely
populated areas and the emergence of bread
and grain as the main food source had a
large impact on the culture of Ancient
Greece and Egypt and for most emerging
European communities to come.
The people of these regions transitioned
into a sedentary, urban life and abandoned
what was considered the barbaric lifestyle
by creating and nurturing their immediate
needs. The hallmark of civilization in Greece
and Egypt was marked by a diet that separated
man from the wild. The models needed
to sustain this civilized culture have been
recognized as conviviality, type of food eaten
and the art of cooking and dietary regiments.
(Flandarin & Montanari p. 69). Conviviality
the interaction of social groupsnaturally
the Renaissance. With the transition to the
leads to networking and group identity.
The type of food eaten by a specific group
creates an identity for that group which
separates them from others. For the Greeks
and the Egyptians, the fabrication of bread,
a true human accomplishment, had come
to symbolize the separation of man from
beast and was the symbol of what it meant
to live in a civilized society. Other marks
of civilized society include the production
of fermented beverages and vegetable-
based oils. The art of cooking and dietary
regiments depicted the main departure from
previous ways of life such as those during the
Neolithic Period. Advancements in oven
building, agriculture and grain processing,
bread making and cake making separated
At the start of the Middle Ages, the
the people from those who still relied on
nature for survival. The diet of those who
lived in urban areas of Classical Greece was
approximately 80% grain-based and it is
estimated that per capita meat consumption
was about 1-2 kilos per year. (Flandarin and
Montanari p. 73).
As citizens began to control nature, and have
control over their basic needs of nutrition,
more time was available for intellectual and
social growth. The Greeks and Egyptians
were the earliest masters at philosophy, the
arts, construction and agriculture.
From Greece, the art and science of baking As Germanic culture prevailed, the use
made its way to Rome and became a of the staple Mediterranean ingredients
dominant part of the culture during the (grain, oil, wine) declined as people turned
Roman Empire, supplying the army and to meat from the wild or converted their
people with food. In 100 AD, Emperor farm to pasture land for the domestication
Trajan created a guild of bakers who were of animals.
to supply bread to the public. The bakeries
were run by the bakers but paid for by the It wasnt until around 1000 AD that baking
really began to progress from where it had
state. By keeping the needs of the poorest
been during Antiquity. The reintroduction
people fulfilled, Trajan was able to control
of agriculture was started by the priests
social order, much in the same way the
of the Christian church as a way to settle
Egyptians did earlier. (Larousse p. 66.)
people in places and create grains for
consumption in the form of bread, which
The Middle Ages
was also important in the sacrificial rituals of
The Middle Ages (from the 5th century to
the church. The priests learned to farm from
the 15th century) are marked on each end
agricultural texts written hundreds of years
by the fall of the Roman Empire and the
earlier by their Greco-Roman ancestors.
rise of industry and the arts that brought on
These treatises described the intricacies of
tending the land. (Jacob p. 115-16).
Middle Ages came significant (sometimes
polar) changes in baking. During the 1100s the guidelines of what it
meant to be a baker developed. Only toward
Initially, during the onset of the Middle Ages, the latter part of the twelfth century did there
bread consumption declined, and towards
exist an important distinction between those
the end of the era, the organization of the who solely baked bread (fornarii) and those
profession and rules surrounding bread became
who made dough and baked it (pistores). The
more developed. The Middle Ages were also role of the fornarii was to bake dough that
marked by drastic grain shortages, growing
was brought to them from the townspeople.
urbanization, starvation and disease. The
This was a skilled trade based on knowledge
most notable advances in baking and pastry
passed down from previous generations and
during the Middle Ages are the technological
oven tending was considered a dangerous job.
improvements made to ovens, the advancement
Using the communal ovens of the fornarii
of pastry items from the introduction of new
came with a price. Power struggles erupted
ingredients and the formation and organization
because the fornarii would inevitably accept
of pastry cooks and bakers.
bribes or give preference to people who could
afford it. (Flandarin & Montanari p. 277).
dominating, nomadic Germanic culture In Mediterranean areas, as the consumption
relied heavily on meats and left the land of bread increased, the fornarii realized it
uncultivated. This clashed with the earlier would benefit them to sell bread as well and
Roman and Greek models of domesticity, they gained those rights with support from
sustainability and separation from the wild. the church. In Paris, by 1200 AD, pistores
gained the right to be the sole makers
and bakers of bread. For this right, they
would have to make payments (in bread)
to Royalty and they had to be inspected
regularly to ensure sanitation and proper
weight regulations were being followed.
(Flandarin & Montanari p. 277).
continued on page 8
sfbi 2005-6 course schedule

with Guest Instructor, Didier Rosada

quick

class facts
All courses run from Monday-Friday.
Courses begin at 8:30am on Monday


and 8:00am for the remainder of the

week. Classes end at approximately
4:00pm each day.

Acceptable attire is a white chefs coat



or white shirt and checked pants. Hat
optional. Wear comfortable non-skid



shoes.


Students should bring a notebook,
writing utensils and a calculator to


class. Cameras are optional.

As a courtesy to our instructors and


fellow students, mobile phones must
be shut off or left on vibrate mode

how to register

during class.



SFBI offers special rates at select hotels
Register on line at www.sfbi.com or call 650.589.5784 to register over the phone near our campus. Most of these hotels

Tuition for all classes is $980; tuition includes daily lunch. Sign up for 2 classes within offer direct shuttle service to and from
our school. Please see our website

a 12 month period and receive a 10% discount on the second class: total price is
$1,862. www.sfbi.com for a complete list or
call us at 650.589.5784 for details.
A 50% deposit is required to reserve your space in classpayable by check, cash or
credit card (MasterCard, VISA, American Express). The remaining amount is due on
the first day of class.
6 7
sfbi 2005-6 course schedule

with Guest Instructor, Didier Rosada

quick

class facts
All courses run from Monday-Friday.
Courses begin at 8:30am on Monday


and 8:00am for the remainder of the

week. Classes end at approximately
4:00pm each day.

Acceptable attire is a white chefs coat



or white shirt and checked pants. Hat
optional. Wear comfortable non-skid



shoes.


Students should bring a notebook,
writing utensils and a calculator to


class. Cameras are optional.

As a courtesy to our instructors and


fellow students, mobile phones must
be shut off or left on vibrate mode

how to register

during class.



SFBI offers special rates at select hotels
Register on line at www.sfbi.com or call 650.589.5784 to register over the phone near our campus. Most of these hotels

Tuition for all classes is $980; tuition includes daily lunch. Sign up for 2 classes within offer direct shuttle service to and from
our school. Please see our website

a 12 month period and receive a 10% discount on the second class: total price is
$1,862. www.sfbi.com for a complete list or
call us at 650.589.5784 for details.
A 50% deposit is required to reserve your space in classpayable by check, cash or
credit card (MasterCard, VISA, American Express). The remaining amount is due on
the first day of class.
6 7
history of baking: ancient times
continued from page 5
In France during this time, a bakers guild
was created that was referred to as the
Tameliers. This name is in reference to
the sifting of the flour they would have
to do upon receiving it. In order to be a
Tamelier, one had to go through a four year
apprenticeship, pass various tests and gain
the right to bake from the King.
Through the guild, the bakers provided
various industries with bread and in turn
received privileges. An example of this can
be seen in the distribution of bread to
hospitals. Bakers would receive free, and
expeditious care (Larousse p. 66) which would
enable them to return to their bakeries to
supply the townspeople with bread.
During the 13th century, breads were
made primarily from wheat and were an
integral part of the growing urbanization
of Western Europe. The quality of the
wheat varied widely, and the type of flour
consumed depicted ones rank in society.
The wealthiest of people ate the whitest of
breads. These were pain de bouche or pain
mollet in France, semmelbrot in Germany
and pandemain or white bread in England.
(Flandarin and Montanari p. 281). The bread
for the working class represented a larger
portion of the bread that was produced.
This bread contained more bran and germ
from the wheat and was referred to as
brown bread. A whole wheat bread was
made for the poorest of people. (Flandarin
and Montanari p. 281).
With the production of breads well established,
bakers soon started to make more sweet
items to be sold during holidays and when
grain prices were low. The first items created
were primitive wafers and waffles. These
were made by pressing a batter between two
hot pieces of metal. Wafers were often used
for offerings at church or eaten on holidays.
Depending on the availability of supplies,
these batters were enriched with additional
ingredients such as honey, milk, eggs and
sometimes sugar. It didnt take long for these
sweets to catch on. People of privilege and
royalty gave their bakers orders to make
cookies and cakes for them on a regular basis.
(Flandarin and Montanari p. 281).
8 5
The Crusades played an integral role in
the development of pastry. Not only did
Westerners bring back sugar from Persia,
which was considered a new and exciting
spice, but they also brought back a
primitive form of puff pastry and assorted
fruits, nuts and spices. The introduction of
sugar and puff pastry eventually caused some
problems amongst the three main guilds
(bakers, pastry cooks and restaurateurs)
because they all wanted to have exclusive
rights over the use and sale of the products.
(Larousse p. 855-56).
Throughout Western Europe, the specialization
of and distinction between bread and pastry
grew considerably from the Late Middle
Ages into the Renaissance. With the
distinctions amongst trade groups came
management from royalty, often laying out
the rules of trade. Not only did royalty state
control prices, they set up tests and had strict
standards regarding who could be a ptissier,
oubloyer or baker.
In 1351, King John the Good designated
the area of Ptisserie and the products
it encompassed. The scope of patisserie
included wafers and various cookies,
numerous sweet and savory fritters, marzipan
and tarts made with a variety of ingredients
ranging from nut pastes to young pigeon
(Larousse p. 856). Royal decrees were issued
that gave specific rights to different guilds
allowing them the production of certain
baked items.
Charles V, in 1366, set rules regarding
when and where bread could be sold and
at what price (depending on the type of
flour used.) Charles VI revised the original
rights (originating in 1270) of the cookie
makers in 1397 and again in 1406, creating
guidelines that dictated what they could sell,
the quality of the items sold and who could
be an oubloyers.
A journeyman level cookie maker was
expected to manufacture in one day five
hundred large oublies (large wafers), three
hundred supplications (eaten primarily on
religious holidays and acted as a symbolic
offering in church) and two hundred
esterels. Rules were ordered by Charles VII,
stating when and where wheat and flour
could be bought. The control of flour sales
enabled the public to buy grains before the
industry tradesman. (Larousse p. 66)
Conclusion: Neolithic through the
Middle Ages
The progression of baking and pastry to a
refined art and science was a development
that took thousands of years and was dealt
many a setback. The trend towards highly
populated urban areas from Antiquity
onward was supported by the ability to
grow wheat and make bread. The rise
and fall of nations and the development of
communities played essential roles in the
cultivation and reliability of grain. Life was
dependent on wheat in its many forms from
the earliest days of the Neolithic period
up through today. As bakers, we are lucky
to work at such an ancient craft with such
essential ingredients.
A future article will be devoted to the history
of baking and pastry from the Renaissance
to the current day.
The following resources were used to create this article:
Bachman, Walter (1955). Continental Confectionary: The Pastrycooks
Art. London: Maclaren & Sons Limited
Flandrin, Jean-Loiuse & Montanari, Massimo (Eds.). (1999).
Food: A Culinary History from Antiquity to the Present. New York:
Columbia University Press.
Jacob, H.E. (1944). Six Thousand Years of Bread: Its Holy and Unholy
History. New York: The Lyons Press.
Larousse Gastronomique (English ed.). (2001). Great Britain: Hamlyn
Revel, Jean-Franois (1982). Culture and Cuisine: A Journey Through
the History of Food. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
Tannahill, Reay (1988). Food in History. New York: Three Rivers
Press
For the Greeks and the Egyptians, the fabrication of bread, a true
human accomplishment, had come to symbolize the separation of
man from beast ...
The congregation of people into densely
populated areas and the emergence of bread
and grain as the main food source had a
large impact on the culture of Ancient
Greece and Egypt and for most emerging
European communities to come.
The people of these regions transitioned
into a sedentary, urban life and abandoned
what was considered the barbaric lifestyle
by creating and nurturing their immediate
needs. The hallmark of civilization in Greece
and Egypt was marked by a diet that separated
man from the wild. The models needed
to sustain this civilized culture have been
recognized as conviviality, type of food eaten
and the art of cooking and dietary regiments.
(Flandarin & Montanari p. 69). Conviviality
the interaction of social groupsnaturally
the Renaissance. With the transition to the
leads to networking and group identity.
The type of food eaten by a specific group
creates an identity for that group which
separates them from others. For the Greeks
and the Egyptians, the fabrication of bread,
a true human accomplishment, had come
to symbolize the separation of man from
beast and was the symbol of what it meant
to live in a civilized society. Other marks
of civilized society include the production
of fermented beverages and vegetable-
based oils. The art of cooking and dietary
regiments depicted the main departure from
previous ways of life such as those during the
Neolithic Period. Advancements in oven
building, agriculture and grain processing,
bread making and cake making separated
At the start of the Middle Ages, the
the people from those who still relied on
nature for survival. The diet of those who
lived in urban areas of Classical Greece was
approximately 80% grain-based and it is
estimated that per capita meat consumption
was about 1-2 kilos per year. (Flandarin and
Montanari p. 73).
As citizens began to control nature, and have
control over their basic needs of nutrition,
more time was available for intellectual and
social growth. The Greeks and Egyptians
were the earliest masters at philosophy, the
arts, construction and agriculture.
From Greece, the art and science of baking As Germanic culture prevailed, the use
made its way to Rome and became a of the staple Mediterranean ingredients
dominant part of the culture during the (grain, oil, wine) declined as people turned
Roman Empire, supplying the army and to meat from the wild or converted their
people with food. In 100 AD, Emperor farm to pasture land for the domestication
Trajan created a guild of bakers who were of animals.
to supply bread to the public. The bakeries
were run by the bakers but paid for by the It wasnt until around 1000 AD that baking
really began to progress from where it had
state. By keeping the needs of the poorest
been during Antiquity. The reintroduction
people fulfilled, Trajan was able to control
of agriculture was started by the priests
social order, much in the same way the
of the Christian church as a way to settle
Egyptians did earlier. (Larousse p. 66.)
people in places and create grains for
consumption in the form of bread, which
The Middle Ages
was also important in the sacrificial rituals of
The Middle Ages (from the 5th century to
the church. The priests learned to farm from
the 15th century) are marked on each end
agricultural texts written hundreds of years
by the fall of the Roman Empire and the
earlier by their Greco-Roman ancestors.
rise of industry and the arts that brought on
These treatises described the intricacies of
tending the land. (Jacob p. 115-16).
Middle Ages came significant (sometimes
polar) changes in baking. During the 1100s the guidelines of what it
meant to be a baker developed. Only toward
Initially, during the onset of the Middle Ages, the latter part of the twelfth century did there
bread consumption declined, and towards
exist an important distinction between those
the end of the era, the organization of the who solely baked bread (fornarii) and those
profession and rules surrounding bread became
who made dough and baked it (pistores). The
more developed. The Middle Ages were also role of the fornarii was to bake dough that
marked by drastic grain shortages, growing
was brought to them from the townspeople.
urbanization, starvation and disease. The
This was a skilled trade based on knowledge
most notable advances in baking and pastry
passed down from previous generations and
during the Middle Ages are the technological
oven tending was considered a dangerous job.
improvements made to ovens, the advancement
Using the communal ovens of the fornarii
of pastry items from the introduction of new
came with a price. Power struggles erupted
ingredients and the formation and organization
because the fornarii would inevitably accept
of pastry cooks and bakers.
bribes or give preference to people who could
afford it. (Flandarin & Montanari p. 277).
dominating, nomadic Germanic culture In Mediterranean areas, as the consumption
relied heavily on meats and left the land of bread increased, the fornarii realized it
uncultivated. This clashed with the earlier would benefit them to sell bread as well and
Roman and Greek models of domesticity, they gained those rights with support from
sustainability and separation from the wild. the church. In Paris, by 1200 AD, pistores
gained the right to be the sole makers
and bakers of bread. For this right, they
would have to make payments (in bread)
to Royalty and they had to be inspected
regularly to ensure sanitation and proper
weight regulations were being followed.
(Flandarin & Montanari p. 277).
continued on page 8
history of baking: ancient times
continued from page 3
The second theory is that a piece of dough
was forgotten about, inoculated by ambient
wild yeast and later baked. (Tannahill p. 52).
This dough would not have produced a very
light bread; however, it may have been lighter
than what was previously experienced by
the Egyptians. If dough was first made by
ale, the Egyptians would soon realize the
connection between fermentation of grain
to produce ale and the fermentation of
grain to leavened bread. The first theory
is the more common one, and possibly
more realistic as it continued to be the most
common method for producing leavened
breads in Egypt. (Tannahill p. 52).
Areas outside Egypt developed methods to
leaven dough in accordance with regional
resources and customs. The Greeks and
It is said that Rameses III sacrificed 9,000 cakes and 200,000 loaves
of bread a year to the gods.
Italians used several methods to generate
fermentation which were related to their
wine making processes. The three most
popular preferments in Greece and Italy
were created by the following combinations:
millet flour and grape juice; bran and white
wine; and old porridge. (Tannahill p. 52). The
Gauls, an ancient culture which inhabited
what is now roughly France and Belgium,
and the Iberians, a people who inhabited
what is now an area by Georgia, Armenia
and Azerbaijan, used the foam from ale to
leaven their breads. (Tannahill p. 52). The
most common method employed was to hold
back a portion of the dough to be added to
the next batch of dough. This technique is
used in many bakeries today.
Early Pastries
In addition to producing breads, the
Egyptians and the Greeks made rudimentary
pastries. Egyptians are known to have
been making cakes as early as 3000 BCE.
(Tannahill p. 53). Popular ingredients for
pastry and cake making included milk, eggs,
butter, honey, sesame, pine nuts, walnuts,
almonds, poppy and dates. (Revel, p. 69).
4 9
A typical cake may have been a sweetened
bread, rolled in honey and then seeds.
In his book, Culture and Cuisine,
Jean-Francois Revel presents a pastry
formula from Athenaeus, a Greek historical
writer from 200 AD (Revel p. 69):
Take walnuts from Thasos in the Pont, almonds
and poppy seeds and toast them carefully. Then
crush them well in a clean mortar, mix these three
fruits together, grind them by adding strained
honey to them, and pepper, and blend the whole
together well; the mixture will become black
because of the pepper. Make a flat square of this
paste, then grind some white sesame, mix it with
flour and strained honey, and make two flat cakes
of it, between which you will place the proceeding
black paste, fastening it securely in the middle.
Apicius, an epicurean and writer from
Greco-Roman times, recorded many cake
preparations, popular during the transition to
the CE. His work is some of the only written
record of pastry making and cake preparation
to reveal what was made during Antiquity
and transitioning to the Middle Ages.
A previous author, Chrysippus of Tyanus, had
written Treatise on Baking; however, this book,
which detailed more than thirty cakes from
the time, did not survive beyond Antiquity.
What follows is another example of a cake
(Revel p. 69):
Domestic Cakes: Grind dates, walnuts or pine
nuts with spelt cooked in water. Work fine-ground
pepper and honey into this gruel; make little balls
of it, salting the outside of them lightly. Fry them in
oil and then moisten them with strained honey.
Like many formulas that survived the
Classical Greek and Ancient Egyptian eras,
only the basic preparations are described.
Formulations such as this were typical and
it is thought that quantities and specific
instructions were commonly known.
Another interesting note is that both
preparations include pepper, as this was a
very common spice for the time.
Cakes and pastries in Antiquity were
enjoyed by the cultured elite but they were
also served as offerings during religious
celebrations and rituals. During funerals and
sacrificial offerings in Egypt, tombs were
filled with sweet items for the dead to enjoy
in the afterlife and cakes and breads were
often sacrificed to the gods.
It is said that Rameses III sacrificed 9,000
cakes and 200,000 loaves of bread a year to
the gods. (Bachmann p. 2).
Bread and Culture in Antiquity
The presence of bread in Antiquity served
more of a role than feeding the people. Bread
and cakes in Egypt and Greece played a major
role in everyday life, religious ceremonies,
offerings to the gods and even death rituals.
The art of bread and pastry was advanced
to the degree that specialty shapes and flavor
profiles were created for different occasions.
Shapes included flat, round, oval, conical and
triangular loaves. Conical loaves were often
created for religious ceremonies and coated
with cumin seeds. (Flandarin & Montanari
p. 39). The function of bread in Antiquity
provided as much of a role as a nutrient as a
means of established social order and civility.
(Flandarin & Montanari p.69). In Egypt, it
was believed that He whose belly is empty is
the one who complains. (Flandarin & Montanari
p. 38). By filling the peoples stomachs with
carbohydrates, the ruling classes of antiquity
kept order while basic needs were met.
(Flandarin & Montanari p.69).
start fresh:
begin a career in baking
I f you are committed to starting a new
career as a baker, or enhancing your
current career in the baking industry, our
18 Week Bread & Pastry Professional Training
Program will give you the foundation you need
to achieve success.
SFBI recognizes that not every student has the
time and budget available for six months or
more of training. At the same time, you want
to be sure you receive the very best education
available. We designed our progressive program
to meet these specific needs.
Our highly concentrated, focused curriculum
includes an unusually high level of hands-
on practice and deliberately small class
sizes. In our spacious facility, just a short
drive from downtown San Francisco, we
offer a technologically advanced, welcoming
environment where we introduce students to
artisan baking at its best.
Visit us on line at www.sfbi.com
for a fully detailed curriculum along
with information about tuition and
housing, or call us at 650.589.5784
and ask for an application package
to be mailed or emailed to you.
Changing careers or want
to jump-start your baking
career? Earn your diploma
in just eighteen weeks of
training!
what:
18 Week Bread & Pastry
Professional Training Program
when:
The next session begins in the
spring of 2006.
where:
Train at SFBIs facility, just a few
minutes from the one of the
most beautiful cities in the world.
Learn in a production-sized
environment, with small class
sizes, spacious bakery classrooms
and technologically advanced
equipment.
why:
The only school in the United States
dedicated exclusively to artisan
baking, SFBI offers you the unique
opportunity to be fully trained in
just 18 weeks, in an environment
where baking never takes a
backseat to other culinary learning.
how:
Apply on line at www.sfbi.com
or call us for more information
at 650.589.5784.
New ... Weve extended our 2006
program from 16 weeks to 18 weeks
for the same cost!
invest in your
future
Join a profession with a legacy
of quality, dedication and honor
and begin a career in an industry
that continues to thrive and grow
in any economic climate.
Develop life-long skills in a
profession that offers security,
flexibility and creativity.
Train in a professional environment
that balances theory with hands-
on learning and focuses on the
skills you need in the real world of
baking today.
Working Bakers
Enhance your career and your
salary with new cutting-edge skills
and a deeper understanding of the
baking arts.
Aspiring Bakers
Changing careers or opening a
bakery? The 18 Week Bread
and Pastry Professional Training
Program gives you the skills
and knowledge you need to
get started.
Owners and Bakery Managers
Grow your business with the
employees you send to train at
SFBI. Benefit from the enthusiasm
and loyalty that a good
education brings to young
people with an interest in their
work. Give back to the baking
community and help contribute to
its continued growth by
helping to build the next
generation of artisan bakers.
remembering professor calvel
continued from page 2
I strongly encourage you to get Professor
Calvels book now. Right away, you will see
the true value he brought to the industry
the foundation of todays bread.
For those of us lucky enough to be recognized
in the industry, lets be modest. We did not
invent anything like Professor Calvel did
we are just doing what thousands of other
bakers do every day without being in the
spotlight. Lets keep the legacy of Professor
Calvel alive. And lets keep an eye open
perhaps we could find enough charisma in
a young Calvel around us today. If Escoffier
and Careme are the names we know best in
the kitchens enclyclopedia, Professor Calvel
is The Name that will remain in the bakery
industry forever.
Farewell Mr. Calvel! I shall miss you, as will
many others, I am sure.You will always be in
our thoughtsouuuii!.
Michel
help a student: buy a proofing basket!
All proceeds go to
the non-profit
San Francisco
Baking Scholarship
Organization.
TRA-B12
TRA-B8
TRA-B10
10
Note: If you read French, there are other
books by Professor Calvel which portray
more of his accomplishments, including:
Une Vie du Pain
Des Miettes
You can check online at:
http://www.librairie-gourmande.fr
or
email: amy@librairie-gourmande.fr
Professor Raymond Calvel
T
hanks to a donation from Trader
Joes, SFBI is happy to offer a line
of high-quality proofing baskets
as a fund-raiser for our new Scholarship
Organization. All proceeds from the sales
of these baskets will go directly to our
non-profit scholarship organization, which
helps economically challenged students
with their baking education tuition at
SFBI.
Your purchase will help a student who
is passionate about baking and pastry
afford professional training - and its tax
deductible! Please help SFBI build our
scholarship fund for the many deserving
students who need a little help with tuition
by placing an order for baskets today!
career
opportunity
Baking & Pastry Instructor
Are you an experienced baking
& pastry instructor looking for an
exciting new opportunity? SFBI is
now hiring!
Please forward your resume to:
San Francisco Baking Institute
480 Grandview Drive
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Or email Michel Suas
at: michel@sfbi.com
Rattan banneton baskets
lined with linen:
Sizes:
8 Diameter - 4-1/4 H: TRA-B8
Dough Weight: 1 to 1.5 lbs.
Price: $8.00 each
10 Diameter - 4-3/4 H: TRA-B10
Dough Weight: 1.5 to 2 lbs.
Price: $10.00 each
12 Diameter - 6 H: TRA-B12
Dough Weight: 3 to 4 lbs.
Price: $12.00 each
Call 650.589.5724 to order.
Quantities are limited,
so order soon!
history of baking: ancient times
continued from page 1
Another major development during the
Neolithic period was the creation and use
of stoneware ceramic vessels, elementary
grain mills and raised ovens. Archaeological
excavations have revealed mills and ovens
as centerpieces of the home, indicating
that they were an integral part of life.
These advances in basic technology laid the
groundwork for the Greeks and Egyptians
to progress the art of bread.
Classic Antiquity
(Egypt and Greece 5,500 BCE to 300 AD)
As civilization in Europe and the Near and
Middle East advanced, an agrarian approach
to life in these regions became standard.
People increasingly lived in densely
populated areas and relied on grains more
than ever as their primary food source. The
first cultures to truly advance the science of
breads were the Egyptians and the Greeks.
Bread was no longer simply consumed for
its nutritional purposes. Experimentation
with ingredients and techniques produced
a more diverse array of breads. Sediments
examined from the Nile River delta in Egypt
have shown signs that farmers grew spelt,
wheat and barley around 4000 BCE. This
fertile land yielded grains used for bread,
pastry and beer production domestically
and bread and pastry production in Greece.
The exports from Egypt supplied Greece
with extra grain needed to supplement
their own domestic production. (Flandarin
& Montanari p. 39). The delta was eventually
flooded by a massive tsunami and bread
making was drastically interrupted.
Most of the information that is known
regarding bread and pastry in Egypt comes
from archaeological finds as there is little
written record from ancient Egypt. The
records from Greece are equally scarce. The
primary sources of information come from
hieroglyphics and archaeological excavations.
Excavations of Egyptian tombs have revealed
funeral meals, an assortment of breads
and pastries, sometimes numbering in the
thousands, meant as food for the after-life.
(Flandarin & Montanari p. 38).
Generally, the type of
bread or porridge eaten
was related to ones
status in society. The
whitest of breads were
eaten by the wealthiest of
people; the breads with
some whole grain present
were eaten by the middle
class; and the poorest of
people ate whole grain
breads and spelt breads.
Breads and porridge in Antiquity were
made from both local and imported grains.
Generally, the type of bread or porridge
eaten was related to ones status in society.
The whitest of breads were eaten by the
wealthiest of people; the breads with some
whole grain present were eaten by the
middle class; and the poorest of people ate
whole grain breads and spelt breads. For
people who ate their grains in the form
of bread, the flour was often milled at their
house. To help separate the chaff from the
grain, the grain was lightly toasted or dried
in the sun. After the chaff was removed, the
grain was crushed using a mortar and pestle
and it was then milled between two stones.
After the grain was milled it was sifted to
the desired degree. Examined remains of
Egyptians show excessively worn teeth
which has been attributed to a fine sand
in the flour due to the milling process.
(Flandarin & Montanari p. 39).
The initial flatbreads made by the Egyptians
were made from flour (wheat, barley or
spelt), water and salt. Hieroglyphics depict
people kneading dough with their hands
and larger quantities processed using the feet.
Flatbreads were baked on hot stone slabs or
on a stone hearth of an oven. Alternatively,
breads may have been baked on the oven
wall, much like authentic Naan is baked
today. (Flandarin & Montanari p. 39).
As cited by Athenaeus, the Greeks from
antiquity were known to have seventy-two
distinct types of bread. (Revel p. 65). The
scope of their products is indicative of the
sociological and technological developments
that happened in Greece during that time.
The process of milling flour and grain
advanced to the degree that they could
produce multiple grades of flours. Another
important development for breads and
pastry was the redesign and use of wood
fired ovens in order to establish bread
production. The diversity of available
ingredients provided many different flavor
combinations to explore. A large selection
of grains, herbs, oils, fruits and nuts were used
to create a wide array of breads. With these
three important developments, the function
of grain as being simply for nutrition shifted
to bread being associated with civility and
gastronomic innovation. (Revel p.64-5).
Leavened breads were produced from about
1500 BCE onward. (Flandarin & Montanari
p. 39). The only reason this was possible, as
the case remains today, is that wheat was
readily available and contained the necessary
gluten forming proteins glutenin and gliadin.
Two dominant theories exist concerning
the development of yeasted bread.
The first theory is that the Egyptians, who
had mastered the process of brewing beer,
used beer instead of water for their bread,
thus inoculating the dough with yeast.
continued on page 4
3

about us:
sfbi
S I
ince 1996, the San
Francisco Baking
Institute (SFBI) has
trained hundreds of profes-
sional and aspiring bakers
from all over the world. We
have acted as the unofficial
training site for several
award-winning Baking USA
Teams and hosted a variety
of international groupsfrom
countries including Russia,
China and Japaninterested
in bringing artisan baking
back to their homelands.
SFBI is recognized within
the baking industry as a place
where artisan baking is
respected, appreciated and
celebrated. We are passionate
about sharing our knowledge
and enthusiasm with students
and clients in an effort to
raise the level of the craft.
2 11
from michel:
remembering professor calvel
Michel Suas, Founder/President
n this issue of our
quarterly newsletter,
I want to talk about
a very important person
for me personally, and
the bakery industry in
general, because of his
Michel Suas
professional guidance,
belief in quality and goals for achievement:
Professor Calvel. Professor Calvel passed
away on August 28, 2005, at the age of 92.
He devoted his life to the baking industry.
Compared to Professor Calvel, many of us
could take one step back and reflect on
ourselves to see how truly dedicated we are
when we say that we believe in and support
education for the baker and the consumer, as
well as the quality of breads.
To me, it seemed that Professor Calvel never
changed physically or professionally. Some
of us called him Pappy Calvel among
ourselves. Not very tall, he had white hair
and a soft voice. He always said ouuuiii.
Even though he had a soft voice, it was
heard all over the world. He always said
what was on his mindto everyone from
the flour mills, equipment manufacturers,
bakeries large or small, ingredient suppliers
and schools.
Once he criticized the Larousse
Gastronomique for not giving enough
importance to bread for its nutritive and
gustative quality. Professor Calvel had
only one goal: education and the quest for
better quality. He believed that bread is an
important part of our nutrition and health.
He wrote Le Gout du Paina book that would get an earful of commentseither
quickly became the Bible for bakers,
communicating the true basics we all
need know to produce any type of high
quality breads. The book is translated in
many languages, including Japanese and
Spanishin English it is known as The
Taste of Bread.
To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.
I knew and worked with Professor Calvel.
He is the person who hooked me up with
bread while I was working as a chef in France.
What I admired the most in Professor Calvel
was that he was very approachable. He was
friendly and agreeable to everyone, from
the apprentice baker to CEOs of the largest
companies. If you called him or wrote to him
(No email! Lucky him.) he always answered
back with a handwritten note. It usually was
a small note on a fine, almost transparent
sheet of paper, but he had so much to say he
ended up writing on the side.
If you needed his assistance, Professor Calvel
was always prepared to offer help. He must
have had a suitcase ready to go at all times.
The fees were never his first concern. He
was constantly ready to go on a mission to
assist, not to make money or as the guru
of the baking industry, but as a person who
was concerned and appreciative of anyone
willing to make the best quality bread
possible and, most importantly, to help get
his message out.
I think that even today a lot of bakers who
read The Taste of Bread, worked with, or
studied with Professor Calvel have a soft
voice in the back of their head telling
them to produce and develop the finest
quality (or theyll be in trouble!) This is
true for everyone from the flour mills, to
the equipment and ingredient suppliers, to
the bakers.
Professor Calvels message of education and
quality awareness was honest and direct. He
only used his influence to encourage you do
a great job and to support you. Or else you
one-on-one or in front of an audience! His
sarcasm was always polite but to the point.
I am sure you know about autolyse.
Professor Calvel is the one who developed
this step during the mixing process.
continued on page 10
La Rochefoucauld
recipe of the season: pumpkin pave
A
s the weather cools and the holidays
approach, the bakers selection of fresh
ingredients changes. Fall brings a new
crop of crisp apples and specialty vegetables
such as pumpkin and squash, which serve as
the foundation of many traditional American
holiday treats. Pav, meaning brick or slab,
refers to the shape of this pastry. Fresh
or canned pumpkin may be used and an
interesting variation may be made with
fresh butternut squash. The nut meal in the
streusel may be substituted; however, if nut
pieces are used, the quantity of butter may
need to be reduced by 15-20%.
Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.
bakers tip: best results from vanilla beans
by Brian Wood, Baking & Pastry Instructor
V
anilla beans add
a subtle yet full
vanilla flavor and
an appealing visual quality,
that imitation vanilla cant
provide, to an infinite array
Brian Wood of pastry and baked goods.
With the expense of vanilla beans as high
as it is, they should always be used to their
fullest potential.
Infusions
Whenever adding vanilla bean to a creamy
mixture such as a ganache, mousse or crme
Anglaise, the most flavor will be obtained
through an infusion. The infusion may be
hot or cold and may last from 30 minutes to
Process, Hazelnut Streusel
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer
fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until
a streusel is formed. Per 12 sheet, place .650 kg/
23.25 oz. of streusel onto a sprayed half sheet pan
with a pan collar. Press the streusel down to form
the bottom crust. Bake at 350 F convection for
about 12 minutes, or until the crust starts to
brown. Reserve until cool.
300 F convection for about 35 minutes or
Process, Pumpkin Filling
Scale all ingredients and have all ingredients at
room temperature. Cream the cream cheese,
vanilla bean, allspice and cinnamon together
in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Scrape down the bowl. Once smooth, add the
sugar slowly and mix until well incorporated.
Scrape down the bowl. Next, add the maple
syrup and mix until incorporated.
24 hours. For shorter infusions, it is best to do
a hot infusion. The primary liquid is brought
to a boil with the scraped vanilla pod. It is
then covered with plastic wrap and set aside.
Used Pods
Even though a vanilla bean may have been
used once, that doesnt mean it cant be used
again. There are several ways to reuse scraped
vanilla pods. One way is to leave the pod
uncovered at room temperature. The other is
to dredge the pod in granulated sugar.
Drying the pod is advisable if you wish to
grind it into a powder. Some pastry chefs do
this and use the vanilla pod powder in pate
sucree or other cookie doughs.
Add the pumpkin puree and mix until smooth.
Scrape down the bowl. Add the eggs slowly
and mix just to incorporation. Scrape down
the bowl again and mix briefly.
Assembly, Pumpkin Pav
Pour the Pumpkin Filling over the pre-
baked Hazelnut crust. Sprinkle the remaining
Hazelnut Streusel over the filling. Bake at
until the filling is set. Cool overnight and
portion the following day.
Jane Austen
Dredging the pod in sugar is a more versatile
way to recycle the pod. When dredged,
sugar will adhere to the pod and draw out
any remaining seeds and essential oils. This
is the process for creating vanilla sugar.
Vanilla sugar can be replaced for all or part
of the sugar in any formula. When pods are
dredged in sugar they will remain somewhat
moist. This is helpful because used pods
may be applied in place of new ones for
preparations such as pastry cream or crme
Anglaise and more flavors will be extracted
than if they were dried.
 Happy Thanlksgiving from all of us at SFBI!
New 2006 Course Schedule Inside...

Whats Rising San Francisco Baking Institute Newsletter Fall 2005

a history of baking: rising through the ages

by Brian Wood - Baking & Pastry Instructor

South San Francisco, CA 94080 An Introduction to the History of Baking The diet of Neolithic man consisted of roughly 50% hunted foods
480 Grandview Drive and Pastry: Neolithic Period through the such as deer, fish, or pheasant; 50% gathered foods such as nuts
San Francisco Baking Institute Middle Ages and berries, and grains such as oat, rye, spelt, millet and wheat.
Predecessors to the most primitive breads emerged: simple gruels

Permit No. 855

San Francisco, CA
PAID Brian Wood
T hroughout history people have sought
out foods that are beneficial to our
health, foods that will ensure our survival
as a species. Though the lives of humans have
become more complex since the days of the
made by boiling foraged and grown grains in water to procure a
softened grain texture. This proved to be more digestible than raw
grain and the boiling process made more of the nutrients of the
grain accessible.

U.S. POSTAGE Baking & Pastry Instructor

hunter/gatherer, our needs for nourishment have This transition from mobile to fixed communities marked a slow
PRSRT STD remained the same. Over time, advances in science and technology turning away from the wild. (Flandarin and Montanari p. 71-2).
have allowed us to meet these needs more fully. Europeans who lived in more temperate areas, especially in the
northern regions of Europe, tended to rely on a combined agrarian
To better understand the history of baking, we will need to explore and hunting/gathering approach. In these areas the land was diverse
a wider history. Developments such as new agricultural technology, and it provided a nourishing diet. The predominately agrarian
the threat of famine, the rise and fall of nation-states, the marriage of culture eventually spread west through Europe and established a diet
San Francisco Baking Institute Kings and Queens, the Industrial Revolution, access to information, that would come to be the foundation of what Westerners eat today.
Baking and Pastry Arts School for Professionals & Enthusiasts the Church, and wars have all influenced what we have come to (Flandarin & Montanari p. 28). The settlers produced numerous
480 Grandview Drive South San Francisco, CA 94080 know as bread and pastry. cerealsgenerally wheat and ryeand raised livestock such as
phone 650.589.5784 fax 650.589.5729 sheep, goat, cow and pig. Even though these communities had
Neolithic Period (10,000 BCE to 4,000 BCE) access to meats, they tended to eat balanced diets of meat and grain.
visit us online at www.sfbi.com The animals were also valued for their furs and milks. (Flandarin &
The Neolithic period is marked by the shift from mobile hunting
Montanari p. 28).
and gathering societies to fixed agrarian-based communities and the
WHATS RISING development of key items such as clay pottery. As ancient technology developed, the processes of preparing grain
as food changed as well. The characteristic hard texture of grains
THIS SEASON ... Pumpkin pie, if rightly made, is a thing led to soaking them to create a porridge. This porridge may have
been originally eaten raw; however, it was soon heated on hot
of beauty and a joywhile it lasts ... stone slabs or even baked under embers to create a type of crude
introduction to baking history
Pies that cut a little flatbread. These flatbreads most likely had benefits over porridge
as they had a longer shelf life and could be transported easily
remembering professor calvel less firm than a pine during expeditions. The nutritional benefits of eating porridge and
2006 course schedule board, and those flatbreads made from various grains may have made the difference
between survival and death. Grains provided essential nutrients
recipe of the season: pumpkin pave
that run round your that were not readily accessible from meat. Grain was cared for
plate are alike to be and eaten by entire communities during Neolithic times, and so a
bakers tip and more! culture of collaboration and sharing surrounded this essential food.

avoided.
The House Mother continued on page 3

Whats Rising is designed and edited by

Jennifer Donahue Marketing Communications
www.jenniferdonahue.com
whats inside: history of baking, 2006 course schedule, seasonal recipe,
bakers tip, remembering professor calvel and more ...
1