Some of you may know this particular type of bread by another name, such as Tasty or sliced loaf, but whatever name you use for it, this stays the same – a loaf of bread that is sliced evenly. These slices can be a thin quarter of an inch or a thick half an inch. No matter how thin or thick the slices may be, these sliced loaves make eating bread easier, which is why it is considered one of the greatest inventions ever.
How did sliced bread come to be? When did this become a common sight in bakeries and bakeshops worldwide? Who is to be credited for the creation of such a convenient way to eat bread?
In 1928, a man named Otto Rohwedder, invented a cutter that would slice loaves of bread easily. He first had this idea 16 years earlier, in 1912 to be exact, and after he presented such an idea to bakers near his home in Iowa, he found that the idea was not being met with the same enthusiasm he had for coming up with it. He was being laughed at and being told that bread that was pre-sliced would go stale quicker than whole loaves, so his idea was perceived as dumb.
He thought of a way to counteract the problem of bread going stale after being cut by suggesting that these be packaged immediately and in whole in waxed paper after the cuts are made. Bakers still did not like the idea, but he went and worked on making the machine anyway. Fast forward to 16 years later, and with bakers still leery of the idea, he was able to convince one bakeshop to use his bread slicing machine. A bread making company in Missouri, the Chillicothe Baking Company, agreed to sell the first batches of sliced bread on July 7, 1928.
With a little advertising and people eager to try out this new idea in bread, sliced bread became a resounding success. From that day forward, sliced bread has been a part of almost every bakery, bakeshop, and household, thanks to an idea that would not go away and a machine that became the standard for all bread loaf slicers that are being used today by breadmakers and bakers everywhere.
Now, you can see bread slicing machines that come with adjustable blade spaces to help make different widths in sliced bread. You can now see thick slices, thin slices, and medium slices. You can also see this machine being used on whole wheat loaves, white bread, multi-grain bread, and any type of loaf bread around. All thanks to a man who would not give up and would not let the disbelief of others dissuade him from following a dream.
