If something is considered excellent, the phrase “the greatest thing since sliced bread” comes to mind. But there was a time before sliced bread. Bread was sold in loaves of different sizes and shapes. It might come in long loaves or round loaves. Consumers purchased a loaf and had to slice it when they got home. This resulted in uneven slices and took time and effort. Recipes that used bread included instructions on how to slice it. A recipe in a March 1928 newspaper included directions to “slice bread 1-2 inches thick.”
Then something amazing happened. On this date in 1928, sliced bread was introduced to consumers. Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the first machine for commercially slicing bread. The first commercial sale was made by a bakery in Chillicothe, Missouri. It was billed as “the greatest forward step in the baking industry.”
Sliced bread was not an immediate hit with consumers. The sliced loaves looked sloppy and went stale faster than whole loaves. A system was developed to wrap the loaves and keep them fresh, but some consumers were still bewildered. Instructions on one wrapper informed customers that they needed to “open the wrapper at one end and remove as many slices as desired.”
Once the problems of sloppy-looking and stale loaves were solved with the wrapper, sliced bread caught on. Housewives loved the convenience of not having to slice bread by hand. And since slicing a loaf by hand resulted in uneven slices, they appreciated knowing exactly how many slices were in a commercially sliced loaf. Producers also loved the results, as consumption increased because people ate more bread when it was convenient.
When sliced bread was first sold, shoppers might find only one or perhaps two brands on the shelves. Today, the variety is staggering, and commercially produced bread is a staple in most American kitchens. Consumers can choose from white, wheat, and rye breads, as well as rolls and muffins. The bakery industry includes bagels, cookies, cakes, and pies, but the largest segment is still sliced bread.
Agriculture is the leading industry in North Dakota, and wheat is a major crop. North Dakota wheat plays a significant role in the baking industry. Hard spring wheat and durum wheat are especially favored for their high protein content and baking qualities. The introduction of sliced bread was a boon to North Dakota farmers.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources
- Bismarck Tribune. “Menus for the Family.” Bismarck ND. 3/28/1928. Page 5.
- Time. “How Sliced Bread Became the Greatest Thing.” https://time.com/3946461/sliced-bread-history/
