National loaf... World War2

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Bread was a big thing during the two World Wars. The Brits created the National Loaf...

National Loaf - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The National Loaf was a fortified wholemeal bread, made from wholemeal flour with added calcium and vitamins, introduced in Britain during the Second World War by the Federation of Bakers (FOB), specifically Dr Roland Gordon Booth.

Here is the recipes...

The National Loaf

The National Loaf From: Ministry of Food – Jane Fearnley Whittingstall Makes two loaves 1 ½ lb wholemeal bread flour* 1 ½ tbsp salt 1 ½ tbsp dried yeast 1 tsp honey or treacle (two teaspoons…

livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.com

Wartime World, Part Two: The National Loaf

As we embark upon our trip “back in time” to 1943 it might be wise to know a thing or two about wartime bread. In Britain, where food was quite scarce, a ban on commercially baked…

thedeadbeatssociety.wordpress.com

As we embark upon our trip “back in time” to 1943 it might be wise to know a thing or two about wartime bread. In Britain, where food was quite scarce, a ban on commercially baked white bread went into effect on April 6, 1942. As most of the flour used to make “white” bread was imported from abroad there was a great shortage. The Ministry of Food introduced the “National Loaf” at this time. This gray and gritty bread was to be the staple of British cuisine. Bakers were banned from baking any other type of bread except the “National Loaf.” Dubbed “Hitler’s Secret Weapon,” our British allies forced it down to keep from starvation. But surprisingly enough, the health benefits of a diet based upon this bread were quite alarming. The added vitamins along with the the wholewheat (wholemeal) flour (as opposed to the bleached white flour they had baked with before the war) gave the British the vigor to fight and win a world war.

 

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In WW2 America banned sliced bread...

Sliced bread - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

In 1943, U.S. officials imposed a short-lived ban on sliced bread as a wartime conservation measure.[10][11] The ban was ordered by Secretary of Agriculture Claude R. Wickard, who held the position of Food Administrator, and took effect on January 18, 1943. According to The New York Times, officials explained that "the ready-sliced loaf must have a heavier wrapping than an unsliced one if it is not to dry out." It was also intended to counteract a rise in the price of bread, caused by the Office of Price Administration's authorization of a ten percent increase in flour prices.[12]

Remembering When America Banned Sliced Bread

During World War II, the U.S. government turned to drastic rationing measures.

www.atlasobscura.com

In the end, no thumbs were severed and Americans were reunited with the sliced bread they had learned to hold so dear. When the 1950s rolled around, consumers were eating six slices of industrially produced bread a day, and the nationwide ban was little more than a quirky anecdote about the bizarre indignities of wartime rationing.

 

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The Civil War Bread... recipes...

Civil War Bread Recipe

About: Civil War Reenacting, Historical Cooking, Living History, Self-Sufficient Living, Civil War Food,Civil War Recipes, Revolutionary War Recipes

www.worldturndupsidedown.com

During the mid-1800s, bread was a stable food. Like today, there were many different types of bread and bread mixtures. Cornmeal, rye, potatoes, rice, hominy, buckwheat and other variant ingredients were used to make different kinds of bread. Most of these breads had a base of wheat flour and a smaller proportion of another type of flour or ingredient.[1] Bread was thought to be unhealthy when warm; so many books advised waiting a day before eating.[2]Bread was available for purchase at bakeries but many houses still made their own bread. Bread was also being manufactured by machine at this time.

Civil War Pumpkin Bread Recipe from the Confederate Receipt Book

Civil War Recipe for Pumpkin Bread from 1863. This is a recipe that substituted pumpkin for eggs, milk and butter and is surprisingly palatable.

www.worldturndupsidedown.com

Southerners rushed to show off their ingenuity by using substitutes for wheat and relied heavily on cornmeal but people soon tired of substitutes and worked to try to figure out more complex substitutes that better mimicked the real articles. Soldiers and civilians alike wrote about being sick of corn bread.