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Bread: A Global History (Edible) Hardcover – October 15, 2011

by William Rubel (Author)

4.3 59 ratings

Part of: Edible (92 books)

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It is difficult to think of a food more basic, more essential, and more universal than bread. Common to the diets of both the rich and the poor, bread is one of our oldest foods. Loaves and rolls have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs, and wheat has been found in pits where human settlements flourished 8,000 years ago. Many anthropologists argue that the ability to sow and reap cereals, the grains necessary for making bread, could be one of the main reasons why man settled in communities, and even today the concept of “breaking bread together” is a lasting symbol of the uniting power of a meal.

Bread is an innovative mix of traditional history, cultural history, travelogue, and cookbook. William Rubel begins with the amazing invention of bread approximately 20,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent and ends by speculating on the ways in which cultural forces and advances in biotechnology may influence the development of bread in the twenty-first century. Rubel shows how simple choices, may be responsible for the widespread preference for wheat over other bread grains and for the millennia-old association of elite dining with white bread. He even provides an analysis of the different components of bread, such as crust and crumb, so that readers may better understand the breads they buy. With many recipes integrated with the text and a glossary covering one hundred breads, Bread goes well beyond the simple choice of white or wheat.

Here, general readers will find an approachable introduction to the history of bread and to the many forms that bread takes throughout the world, and bread bakers will discover a history of the craft and new ways of thinking that will inspire experimentation.

From the Publisher

food, history, culinary, cooking, cookbook

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A fun, smartly written series appropriate for a popular audience that likes to eat . . . the Edible series books provide level-headed and enjoyable overviews of food culture . . . These will create a little library that any foodie will be proud to show off . . . aesthetically pleasing volumes with decent content that would make good presents.”
—Winterthur Portfolio, on the Edible series

― Winterthur Portfolio

“Through Rubel’s eyes, this seemingly simply category of food—a side to any dish and vehicle for any topping—tells a cultural history of humans from the center of the table. . . . Rubel clearly has a deep fascination for the world of bread, and will give a taste of that same fascination to readers.”

-- Abi Stokes ― Newcity

“A cute 150 page history of baking, from Mesopotamia to the present. . . . Neither too light nor total fluff.”

― The Fresh Loaf

“Bread: A Global History is an informative and lighthearted book about our staff of life. The book is slender to the hand, but packed with history, facts, and stories. . . . Fascinating.”

― In Mama’s Kitchen

“In discussing bread one can ‘find oneself talking about some of the largest issues of history and society,’ as William Rubel notes in his sprightly primer . . . [he] is well versed in early history and archaeology . . . engaging as well as controversial.”

― Wall Street Journal

About the Author

William Rubel lives in Santa Cruz, California, and is a freelance food historian. He has been making bread since he was eleven years old and for the last ten years he has been studying the history of bread. He is the author of The Magic of Fire: Cooking on the Open Hearth.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Reaktion Books (October 15, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1861898541
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1861898548
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.75 x 0.7 x 7.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,496,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,541 in Bread Baking (Books)
- #1,810 in Gastronomy History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 59 ratings

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William Rubel

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William Rubel is an author living in Santa Cruz, California. He writes on a wide range of subjects. His two books are The Magic of Fire, the book on hearth cooking, and most recently, Bread, a global history. William writes for Mother News where he has published articles on hearth cooking, making butter at home, the fabulous heirloom Italian corn, Floriani Red Flint, and how to make wonderful simple breads at home. William wrote a piece for Economic Botany, the journal of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, on the edibility of Amanita muscaria -- the red mushroom with white dots that is so commonly found on the forest floor in children's illustrations but really does exist in real life, too. In Gastronomica William has published on the breads that were prepared In the English journal, the Petit Propos Culinaire, he published the first English translation of the the fabulous breads found in the early French Cookbook, Les délices de la campagne,by Nicolas de Bonnefons for the first time since the 1600s making this rare set of recipes available to wider audience.

He is currently working on two projects, an expanded history of bread, and a revision of his annotated volume, The French Gardiner (1654) by Nioolas de Bonnefons. To learn more about William visit his web site at www.williamrubel.com. Thank you.

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4.3 out of 5

59 global ratings

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Mercy Ingraham

The History of Bread

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2012

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Bread: A Global History begins with ancient history in the fertile crescent of the Red Sea. The use of wild grains in bread-making probably predated agriculture and the domestication of animals. This book, which is the 24th in a series of edible histories, is ably edited by Andrew F. Smith.

The primary thesis is that bread is more than merely a food or a summary of ingredients: it is also a concept. Mr. Rubel strives to enlarge the way we think about bread by taking us on a bread tour across time and through international space. He is a serious food historian, excellent cook and baker, and the author of The Magic of Fire--an encyclopedic book of fire cooking, which is sadly now out of print.

As culture develops, bread becomes a social marker--the whiter the bread, the more desirable it is. The poor consumed a more primitive loaf--darker and less desirable. Fashions in food are generally guided by a wish to imitate what is eaten by the wealthy. This still tends to be true. Although the history of bread can be seen as a steady march toward whiter and finer flour, today consumers are being drawn to more primitive ingredients and techniques because of our awareness of the enhanced flavors and healthy characteristics of whole grains.

The book emphasizes leavened, kneaded dough, but also includes relevant information on flatbreads, pancakes and shortbreads. Mr. Rubel dispels the myth that cooking over a fire is a "primitive" activity. He appreciates that the campfire provides an "infinitely nuanced oven" for baking breads at different levels of heat. If the baker knows how to manage a fire properly, he has a far greater range of temperatures available to him than he does in the modern conventional oven.

Recipes for 7 different kinds of historic breads are included, as well as a glossary defining ninety-nine different kinds of bread. My only complaint about the book is that it is too small, which makes it difficult to see the detail in the excellent photographs and prints. This is a fascinating book to read, and has succeeded in changing the way I experience a loaf of bread. I think that's what the author had in mind.

Mercy Ingraham

17 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

One of the Very Best Food Histories I Have Read!

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2019

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This little book is by far the favorite title I have read to date in the Edible Series of books. Mr Rubel knows his topic completely, and is an excellent writer. He explains everything in great factual detail, rather than winging it by the cuff theorizing as some do. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in food history and in understanding the whats and whys of bread making through the ages. It is a fascinating work.

One person found this helpful

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A CT Mom

Great history, recipes hard to follow

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2013

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I love the history section, the discussion of the different grains and other ingredients that have been used in bread and the explanation of the different breads eaten by different parts of society. The photos and descriptions of the steps that went into producing flours at different time periods were fascinating. I do wish the recipes at the end were formatted better, they were conversational but not something you could just open the book and try - I needed to re-write them to be able to make them and see the steps without searching through the paragraph for the ingredients.

2 people found this helpful

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Hunter Crainshaw

Excellent book.

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2015

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This book came along at the perfect time for me. I am preparing to teach a course at a School of Divinity about the Lord's Supper. I wanted to know more about bread--its history and varied uses and meanings over time. Rubel provided me with just the sort of foundation I needed. His writing is clear and engaging and stretched my knowledge about bread and bread-making. I am grateful for a well-researched book that provided me with the knowledge I sought and invited me to read more.

4 people found this helpful

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UpState NYer

Well written history on bread

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2017

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Think you know everything about bread? Try this book. Its and eye opener. Good for the foodie history buff.

One person found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Very dry

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2014

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I was disappointed with this book. I'd read the Sandwich one first and it was much more interesting. The writing style of this one is so dry, not an anecdote in sight and little about the cultures of the bread eaters. The flow was a little hard to follow sometimes, too. The thing that was very irritating to me was that US was spelled very consistently as us; as in England, us and Germany. It interrupted my concentration frequently as I was trying to figure out if this was a statement and what did it mean? Was it something political, did he assume that only Americans would be reading it, what?! For a typo, it was remarkably consistent.

5 people found this helpful

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homebody

Bread has a wonderful history.

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2017

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I'm really enjoying this book. It's full of such interesting facts and I'm learning so much.

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Easy car ride read.

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2019

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Very educational and informative!

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

P. Salus

Not a cookbook

Reviewed in Canada on February 2, 2019

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This is a superb small volume on man's use of various grains to produce baked goods we refer to as breads. There are a few recipes here, but they are ornaments. The history proper is the important thing and it is well and concisely presented.

Patrick Bernier

For bread lovers

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2012

Verified Purchase

A relevant history of breads all around the world, by a specialist of cooking with fire and magic. Do not use it to learn how to make bread but what is the spirit of bread.

2 people found this helpful