Easy crust it: the science and history of sliced bread

Easy crust it: the science and history of sliced bread.

Not since the young, two dimensional child asked the wise old owl how many licks it took to get to the centre of the tootsie pop, or Lil' Kim for that matter, did people stand up and demand the answer to the age old question , “How many slices of bread make up a loaf?” This reporter cuts to the crust and diligently researched till the yeast literally rose to find the answer. Bread is one of the oldest, and delicious, prepared foods and can be made from several types of grains such as wheat, barley, buckwheat, cornmeal, millet, oates, quinoa, rice,and rye. Sliced bread, or a loaf of bread which has been pre-sliced, either manually or robotically and packaged for convenience and freshness, is an everyday staple in most house holds. Before getting into the technicalities of slicing bread, let's revisit the past and discover the trials and tribuations the world had to endure on the path to perfection.

According to Beth Hensperger's Bread Made Easy, “bread should never be cut with anything but a long stainless steel knife to avoid tearing the beautiful, tender interior and hacking at the crust.” However, after years of using one knife to cut a loaf of bread, people from all walks of life were crying out for a more convient way to get perfectly sliced bread without all the headache. Otto Frederick Rohwedder of Davenport, Iowa invented the first loaf-at-a-time bread-slicing machine. His original prototype from 1917 was destroyed in a fire, a fire that was not set by baking bread. The diagram below is his revised and finally patented version from 1928. This machine was a surprising five feet long and three feet high, which raises the question – was Mr. Rohwedder making bread for giants or did he not know the difference between inches and feet

The first actual slice of bread was cut on July 7^th, 1928 by the Chillicothe Baking Company of Missouri and that loaf was packaged as the "Kleen Maid Sliced Bread". Apparently spelling was not important to this company. However, slogans were important, as the not-quite popular phrase "the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped” was coined. Sadly, this did not catch on. Frank Bench, a personal friend of Rohwedder, took a chance on his friend's machine and it proved to be a success. The Chillicothe Baking Company increased its bread sales by 2,000 percent in two weeks. All across America people were making sandwiches by the thousands. However, there was actually a resistance to pre-sliced bread after the novelty wore off. Less than half of the American populartion still preferred to bake their own loaves and some critics complained that the bread did not stay as fresh as long as a whole loaf. The next baker on the scene was Gustav Papendick who bought Rohwedder's work in progress and attempted to turn it into a masterpiece. Papendick, or Good Ole Pappy as he was never lovingly called, came up with a way of keeping the slices of bread together so that they could be wrapped. After trying rubber bands and metal pins, he finally settled on a piece of cardboard, which had been invented in the 1870s.

Then Wonder Bread hit the shelves and forever changed the way we see and eat those glorious loaves of leven yeast today. Known as “the greatest thing since sliced bread”, Wonder Bread was the first mass-marketer of sliced bread as a product. These pieces of uniformly sliced bread “were like blank canvases, just waiting to be covered with jellies, preserves, butter or the new jarred peanut butter that was now available in stores.” (Gdula 37). Then, on January 18^th, 1943, the world changed. U.S. Officials imposed a short-lived ban on sliced bread as a wartime conservation measure. Ordered by Claude R. Wickard (the Food Administrator under the Franklin Delano Roosevelt adminstration). Scrap metal was badly needed for everything from guns and tanks to ships and bombers and so in order to preserve the liberty of the United States and the world they had to halt the production and repair of the slicers. Less than a week later, New York City mayor LaGuardia suggested that bakeries should continue to use their own bread-slicing machines but that newers one not be purchased.

An open letter to the publishers at the New York Times pleaded the case of many desperate housewives “I should like to let you know how important sliced bread is to the morale and saneness of a household. My husband and four children are all in a rush during and after breakfast. Without ready-sliced bread I must do the slicing for toast—two pieces for each one—that's ten. For their lunches I must cut by hand at least twenty slices, for two sandwiches apiece. Afterward I make my own toast. Twenty-two slices of bread to be cut in a hurry!”

Now that the history lesson is over, let's get down to the science. As slicing bread is not an exact science, though some critics believe it should be offered in the core curriculum of Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute, one must take the thick or thinness of the slices of bread into account. On average, there are 20 slices of bread in a loaf, in order to make an even 10 sandwiches. However, since an average slice of bread is approximately 1once (or 28.3 grams), a 1.5 lb loaf of bread should therefore contain 24 slices of evenly sliced bread. This theory can be de-bunked though when the variety of bread in brough t into question as certain loaves are more dense than others.

I quickly discovered this when I hit the asiles of the groceries stores. Here are my findings

Bread Table No. 1

Brand	Weight	# of Slices
POM White Sandwich	675g	17
Hearth Oven -Wheat	24g	14
Sara Lee Honey Wheat	567g	20
Wonder bread	680g	26
Weston Super Toast Whole Wheat	570	19

Bread Table No. 2

(RecipeHut.com)

Type of Bread	Lbs	Slices	Inches Thick	Without End Crusts	Photo
White Bread	1 lb	17	5/8 inch	X
White Bread	1 lb	23	1/2-inch	X
White Bread	2 lb	28	1/2	X
Whole Wheat	1 lb	16	5/8-inch	X
Rye	1 lb	19	5/8 inch	X

Any way you slice it, sliced bread is an important part of our daily diet. Clearly, marketing has a large impact on the packaging and selling of bread. Customers are drawn to thickly sliced, fluffy loaves but due to economic restrictions opt for thinly sliced, mass produced pre-packaged loaves. The shape of the loaf and consistency of each grain type are also factors to consider. The dense the bread, the smaller the loaf, the fewer number of slices. In a perfect world, each loaf, would consist of each slices to last one (1) person a week. Say, 2 slices of toast in the morning (2 X 7 = 14) plus enough to make lunches for a few week days (2 X 3 {seriously, I don't have a sandwich every day!} = 6) resulting in 20 slices of bread per loaf. Most mass produced varieties of bread will give you that number – but are you willing to sacrifice flavour for quantity?

Bibliography

Burton, Bill. “Liberty: Best Thing Since Sliced Bread.” Bay City Weekly, January 25, 2001.

Gdula, Steven. The Warmest Room in the House. Bloomsbury, New York, 2008.

Hensperger, Beth. Bread Made Easy: A Baker's First Bread Book. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, 2000.

Levenstein, Harvey. Paradox of Plenty: A Social History of Eating in Modern America. University of California Press, 2003.

Morris, Evan, "Ever Wonder Where the First Sliced Bread and Other Famous Foods got Their Names?" Reader's Digest, January 2006.

"Ready-Sliced Bread Favored," The New York Times, January 26, 1943, p. 8

Ripley, Catherine Stortz. “A 'Slice' of History: Inventor's Son Returns to Where Sliced Bread Began” http://www.homeofslicedbread.com/

Temple, Will (2008-07-05). "Sliced bread 'a world first'". news.com.au.

Wenske, Paul. "History of sliced bread little known on 75th anniversary". Kansas City Star, July 28, 2003

http://www.puzzookies.com/SlilcedBread.html

Essay Number 2 on the way.

Coming soon to a blog near you. I'm currently working on another important thesis concerning a well known yet little researched subject. Well, that's half true. Keep your eyes peeled... or should I say sliced... No. That just sounds gross.

Pronk is the word!

To be called a "pronk" is not very nice indeed. According to Weird and Wonderful Words edited by Erin McKean, a "pronk" is someone who is weak or foolish.

I think we need initiate an awareness campaign. People can not go around naming names, insulting the uninformed, pulling out jives and jamboree handouts!

Spread the word. There are many pronkers out there, if I may coin the term. You, my good girl/guy/man/woman, are far from a pronk.

One more time. PRONK!

From the mailbag

Note from a reader:

Dear Duck Soup,
What's a pronk? Someone called me a pronk today, and I don't think they were admiring my new skirt. Does is have anything to do with flonk? Why is my spell checker underlining these words?
Yours truly,
Curious in Calgary

It's as easy as duck soup, or is it?

By CLP

Where did the saying “It's as easy as duck soup” come from and what exactly does it mean? Stumbling across this saying in an advertisement in Popular Mechanics magazine from the late 1940s, one assumes it is in reference to the ability to use the product for sale. Must one use the tool to make the soup? Must one consume the soup before operating heavy machinery? All these questions and more will be answered as we delve into the strange and wonderful world of idioms, cartoons and classic films.

In order to properly begin the search, Roget's New Millennium Thesauras was consulted. It gives the following synonyms for “(as) easy as duck soup,” “breeze, cakewalk, cherry pie, child's play, cinch, easy, kid stuff, no sweat, no brainer, picnic, pie, piece of cake, pushover, snap, turkey shoot, velvet, walkover and waltz.” Therefore, duck soup must be used in reference to something not difficult and requires little effort. It is interesting to note that within the synonyms there are other references to food. Does that imply that the preparation of food is simple and uncomplicated? Most professional chefs would certainly disagree.

As the library does not house Popular Mechanics magazine for more than two years, I was unable to replicate here the original ad that sparked the research. However, during my research, I came across an advertisement for Duck Soup hand cleaner. I found it important to include as it clearly explains the intentions behind the brand name.“It's DUCK SOUP with Duck Soup hand cleaner” as it removes grease and removes paint. Using this product would make one jump up in the air with both feet and jazz hands raised in excitement!

The first recorded use of this idiom was in a cartoon by TAD in 1902. An idiom is an expression or phrase whose meaning cannot be understood by the literal definitions but rather from the figurative meaning. Thomas Aloysius Dorgan, April 29, 1877 – May 2, 1929, may not have invented the saying “as easy as duck soup,” he was the genius behind many popular expressions such as “for crying out loud”, “dumbbell”and the less used and the equally confusing “as busy as a one-armed paperhanger” meaning someone who is overworked.

Though I was unable to find a print or on-line copy of his cartoon, I did find a description. The cartoon shows a man in a Police Court juggling a bottle, pitcher, plate and salt shaker with the caption “Duck Soup.” Now, that unlike the ad above, does not clearly explain anything. Does it imply how easy it is to entertain or persuade the police? Does it refer to the ability of the criminal to balance a certain lifestyle? Does it mean the individual wishes to make duck soup with the utensils he's throwing into the air? We will never know as TAD took the explanation of this cartoon to his grave.

Richard A. Spears writes, “when a duck is cooked, it releases a lot of fat and juices, making a “soup” without effort.” (14). One could make the connection between the rich and fatty broth to actual riches. It is much easier to accomplish one's goals when the funds are ready and available but I digress.

The true recipe for duck soup seems to be equivalent to chicken soup. One must boil the carcass of the duck for several hours in a vat of water, removing the bones after several hours. The meat is then chopped and then returned to the pot. One then washes and chops a selection of vegetables, such as carrots (though I would not recommend this evil root), potatoes, celery, cabbage, zuccini, and onions and adds them to the fatty broth. Some cooks even add extra duck blood to the soup for flavour. Herbs such as bay leaf, sage, thyme and oregano can season the broth as needed. After further simmering for an hour, one can vary the recipe by adding wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc, to taste. Duck soup is easy to eat as the pieces of meat and vegetables are in bite size pieces. The Brome Lake Ducks website indicates where one can purchase the famous treat of the Eastern Townships but does not actually offer for sale Duck Soup or make mention of a recipe either.
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable points out the allusion may also be to a 'sitting duck' as an easy target. (421). The image of the sitting duck on the water is dualistic. A duck on the open water is an easy target for hunters as it can only escape certain death by ducking into the water as there are no plants around for protection. Secondly, one can view a body of water as a natural soup bowl, flavoured by the flora and fauna found within. Therefore, in this sense, duck soup, as a delicacy, is quite easy to obtain as one merely has to scoop up some lake water.

On an interesting side note, the duck seems to be a favourite among American idioms. There are several references to this fine feathered friend in such statements, “as a duck takes to water,” “dead duck,” “lame duck,” “like water off a duck's back,” “sitting duck,” and “ugly duckling”. What makes the duck so special. It is a member of the Anatidae family which includes most waterfowl. They have a life span of two to twelve years depending on the type of duck. They range size and shape and come in a variety of colours and sexes. Ducks can swim and float, are waterproof and may actually be smarter than dolphins. Are ducks the key to understanding our civilization?

Perhaps the most famous use of the phrase “Duck Soup” comes from the 1933 Marx Brothers movie of the same name. The four Marx Brothers, Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo, appear under the opening credits as four quacking ducks swimming and cooking in a kettle over a fire. Groucho gives the following recipe in an attempt to explain the title: “Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you'll duck soup for the rest of your life." In this case, Groucho means one should avoid this arrangement for the rest of time.

This film is a satire of blundering dictatorial leaders, Facism and authoritarian government. The Marx brothers attack the absurdity of government, wars fought over petty matters and arbitrary legal systems. This makes one think back to the TAD cartoon of the man juggling so many objects. When corrupt government attempts to juggle too many problems at once it is only a matter of time before everything hits the floor. Therefore, thinking it is “duck soup” to manage a country shows how much of a “no-brainer” you truly are.
Daffy Duck stars in Duck Soups to Nuts, 1944, a parody of the Marx Brothers film. Daffy avoids the barrel of Porky Pig's shot gun by stating, “I'm not just your ordinary, meat-on-the-table duck. I'm gifted. I'm just slopping over with talent.” While other ducks simply float around on the water, Daffy is busy filing his nails, which is a clear example of how amazing he truly is.

In conclusion, life can be easy as duck soup and also as complicated as duck soup. Though this saying was truly only remotely popular for a very brief period of time, I believe it is up to the next generation make it known and widely used again. If not, let me suggest some alternative phrases which could be put into the lexicon of 2008, “as easy as walking through plate-glass windows,” “as easy as walking in size 13 rubber boots,” “as easy as The Burt,” or “as easy as opening a beer with a belt buckle.”

FIN

Bibliography

Ayto, John, ed. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 7^th edition. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. London, 2005.

Brome Lake Ducks LTD. http://www.bromelakeducks.com

“Cartoonist, Dies In His Sleep.” New York Times. May 3, 1929.

McCarey, Leo. Dir. Duck Soup. Marx Brothers, USA 1933.

Roget's New Millennium Thesauras. 1^st edition. Lexico, 2008.

Spears, Richard. A. Straight from the Horse's Mouth and 8,500 Other Colorful Idioms. NTC Publishing Group. Illinois, 1997.