Chew on This – Baltimore Bread!

by Nancy Siegel, Professor of Art History and Culinary History, Towson University

Baltimore is a city identified by oh, so many delectable culinary treats. In addition to the iconic crab this city produces award winning pit beef, spices, cookies, coffee, ice cream, whiskey (I could go on and on….). While we associate our fair city with the creative and innovative work of hard-working local entrepreneurs, farmers, and cooks, celebrating our agricultural resources and geographical identity has historical precedent. From the early nineteenth century on, women created recipes in recognition of and praise for the cities that they loved. Baltimore is no exception. In 1853 Mrs. J. Chadwick included a recipe for Baltimore Bread in Mrs. Chadwick’s Cook Book. Home Cookery (Boston: Crosby, Nichols, and Co.):

“Baltimore Bread. Take an earthen vessel larger at the top than the bottom, and in it put one pint of lukewarm water, one and a half pounds of flour, and half a pint of malt yeast; mix them well together, and set it away (in winter it should be in a warm place) until it rises and falls again, which will be in from three to five hours. It may be set at night if wanted in the morning. Then put two large spoonfuls of salt into two quarts of water, and mix it well with the above rising; then put in about nine pounds of flour and work the dough well, and set it by until it becomes light. Then make it into four loaves.”

Ever hungry to promote the best this city has to offer—We are Baltimore Proud.