Bread—Staff of Life & Stuff of Dreams
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During World War II, bread was a food fraught with emotion. A humble thing enjoyed by nearly every person—and a component in many other dishes—it is so easy to forget the labor involved in a loaf of bread. The standard loaf of white bread requires a generous amount of wheat flour, which requires even more of the wheat itself, since most of the bran and germ are removed. The great majority of people around the world depend on commercial growers and grain processors for this wheat.
Guarding Wheat in Wartime
Millions like those in 1940s Britain also depended on the safe shipment of wheat. From the beginning of the War it became apparent that bread and flour would have to be guarded ferociously.
The majority of wheat in Britain was imported by the Merchant Navy. When you consider that 4700 of their ships were destroyed and more than 29,000 seamen killed, it is easier to understand why cargo on these ships was selected with extreme care. When it came to wheat, every possible bit that could be used, was.
By 1942, it became illegal to sell white bread in Britain. Citizens were fined for giving bread to the birds. Cutting down on bread was encouraged so more wheat would be available for the military and less would need to be shipped. Every single slice counted, down to the heels and including the crusts.
The National Wheatmeal Loaf
The very-much-whole-wheat National Loaf—with 85% of the wheat bran included—became the daily staple. It was a heavy, greyish bread that most people did not enjoy. It was baked once a week and not sold on the day of baking. Allowing the bread to sit until the next day allowed it to be cut into thinner slices.
To keep the amount needed down further, posters encouraged people to eat less bread and more potatoes. Lord Woolton, Britain’s Minister of Food, pleaded, “Remember that if everyone in Great Britain wasted ½ ounce bread daily we should be wasting 250,000 tons of wheat a year, and that 30 wheat ships would be required to carry that amount.”
Bread may have been a precious commodity during World War II but it was not rationed in Britain until after the War. Because so much of Europe had been starved during the conflict and normal crops had not been able to be planted, the postwar food shortage was severe. Poor weather conditions in 1946 compounded the problem. These events led to bread, flour and flour confectionery being rationed for two years, from 1946 to 1948. This was the height of post-war austerity and a cruel blow to Britain’s citizens.
Bread in Other Allied Nations
Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States underwent rationing as a way to help get enough food to Britain, other countries in war zones and the military. Bread was not among the items rationed but it was not to be wasted. Citizens were encouraged to use only what was necessary and not waste even one slice of the white bread they were fortunate to have.
In the United States, the drama around bread happened in 1943 when sliced bread was banned. Sliced bread dried out quicker and therefore required more waxed paper to keep fresh. Also, it was thought that the alloyed steel in the slicing machines could be recycled for military manufacturing.
The backlash from homemakers was instant and severe. Shortly after the ban, it was decided that bakeries with existing slicing machines could continue to use them—only new machines could not be purchased. As it turned out, the shortage of waxed paper was not as bad as imagined and the war effort could be sustained without melting down the slicing machines, so sliced bread was back in stores.
This seems humorous, especially considering that sliced bread only became an option in mid-1928! Before the invention of the bread slicing machine, everyone cut loaves at home.
Saving & Storing Bread
Perhaps there was some value to selling the sliced loaves in waxed paper, as it was determined that waxed paper preserved bread for up to four months. Reclaiming and recycling ingredients became a national pastime in many nations—food was not to be thrown away.
Wartime cooks shared tips for how to store and use bread. One woman in England was awarded five shillings for her tip on how to keep bread from becoming moldy in humid weather: Line the bread box with paper towels lightly sprinkled with corn flour.
Governments also shared ideas. The Ministry of Food in Britain suggested using a slice of leftover cold toast to thicken soup. Add the toast to hot soup and boil together until the bread has fallen apart.
Ways to Use Stale Bread
Fairy Toast was another way to use up stale bread. It consisted of wafer-thin slices baked until crisp and golden brown, then stored in an airtight tin. The toast could be a substitute for either regular bread or plain biscuits (cookies).
Wheatmealies were a breakfast cereal substitute. These were made by cutting slices of stale bread into ¼-inch cubes and baking at a low temperature until crisp and browned. Then, the cubes were served with milk and sugar—or whatever sweetener was available.
One lovely way to use a few slices of leftover bread is in Summer Pudding. This is a recipe with only a few simple ingredients. The flavor comes from fresh, seasonal fruit. The majority of the sweetness comes from the fruit itself, so fully ripe fruits are best. It is meant to be served with custard so that will add to the sweetness—just something to bear in mind.
I am including my variation of the recipe here (there are many ways to make it but the structure is the same). I am also including two custard recipes—one with eggs, milk and butter, and one without. In places where berries are beginning to ripen, it is a great time of year to try this recipe but bottled fruit can be used if that is all you have. Summer Pudding is a light, yet filling, dessert that wastes not—in true wartime fashion.
Custard (with eggs & butter)
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon butter
3 eggs
1 tablespoon/15ml vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch or arrowroot powder
In a medium saucepan, heat milk and butter until butter has melted. Remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla extract, sugar and corn starch/arrowroot until well blended. Temper egg mixture by adding 1/4 cup of hot milk while whisking constantly. Then, slowly add egg mixture to milk in saucepan, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk over medium-low heat until custard thickens. Serve warm or chilled.
Custard (without eggs or butter)
3 cups cold milk
4 tablespoons corn starch or arrowroot powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon/15ml vanilla extract
Combine milk, corn starch/arrowroot and sugar in a medium saucepan. Whisk until corn starch/arrowroot is thoroughly dissolved. Cook over medium-low heat, gently whisking, until mixture begins to thicken. Add vanilla extract; then, continue to whisk until mixture has thickened. (Recipe makes a more pourable custard.) Serve warm or chilled.
Summer Pudding
Ingredients
Instructions
- Stew fruit, sugar and water (as needed) until fruits are tender.
- Remove any thick crusts from bread slices. Cut slices into strips to fit a 2-cup basin without leaving gaps. (Cutting the slices into diagonal thirds, with strips slightly wider at one end than at the other, works well.) Dice crusts into small pieces.
- Line basin with bread strips so that no basin shows through. Spoon half of fruit over bread, reserving as much juice as possible. Cover with a layer of bread crusts.
- Add remaining fruit (reserving juice); then, cover with a layer of bread strips.
- Carefully pour fruit juice over all. Place a saucer over the pudding; then, use a heavy can or jar to weight the saucer. Leave for at least 2 hours to cool and set.
- Turn pudding out carefully onto a plate. Serve with custard (recipes in blog post "Bread--Staff of Life & Stuff of Dreams.")
References
Fearnley-Whittingstall, Jane. The Ministry of Food: Thrifty Wartime Ways to Feed Your Family Today. London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd., 2010.
Bread photo by Jude Infantini on Unsplash.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23