Bread has been one of the principal forms of food for man from earliest times, and the trade of the baker is one of the oldest in the world. From Old Testament times, all the evidence points to the fact that bread-making—preparing the grain, making the bread and baking it—was women’s work; but in the palaces of kings and princes and in large households, the baker’s duties were specialized. A Baker’s Guild (The Guild of Master Bakers is still alive today) was formed in Rome somewhere around 168 B.C. From then on the industry became a separate profession. Members of the Guild were forbidden to mix with "comedians and gladiators" or from attending performances at the amphitheater, so that they might not be contaminated by the vices of ordinary people.

In today’s world of bread-making, bakers are still an honored group of cooks. And although bread is much more available in supermarkets and commercial bakeries, the most sought after is the h...