What do people like for discovering recipes? I don’t want or need algo or ai based things. Just a way to search a collection of recipes or at least browse by some filtering method. For example finding recipes that use pistachios and an animal or seafood protein.

I suppose almost a culinary wiki could be ideal.

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Have you ever heard of the National Loaf? No, it’s not a detective novel or a spy thriller. It’s actually a type of bread that was made in Britain during the Second World War. And it was not very tasty.

I stumbled upon this curious fact while reading some of the descriptions left by my Grandma. She often wrote about bread becoming chewy and grey, and I wondered if she was just being picky or if there was something more to it. So I did a bit of googling and discovered the National Loaf.

Apparently, the government decided to make this bread from wholemeal flour with added calcium and vitamins, to cope with the shortages of white flour and sugar. They also claimed that it was healthier and more filling than white bread. But there was a catch: the National Loaf had to be sold one day old, or so the legend goes. This might explain why my Grandma was obsessed with the idea that bread should not be eaten on the first day. I’m not sure if this rule was actually enforced, but I do know that the National Loaf was often sold one day old anyway, because of the rationing and the difficulties of getting to the shops.

Here is some more detail on the National Loaf:

The National Loaf was a bread made from wholemeal flour with added calcium and vitamins, introduced in Britain during the Second World War by the Federation of Bakers (FOB). Introduced in 1942, the loaf (similar to today’s brown bread) was made from wholemeal flour to combat wartime shortages of white flour and sugar. The loaf was abolished in October 1956.

Working with the government, the FOB published four recipes for wholemeal bread, which became the only recipes that could legally be used to make bread in the U.K. The National Loaf was grey, mushy and unappetising; only one person in seven preferred it to white bread, which became unavailable. The government insisted on it because it saved space in shipping food to Britain and allowed better utilization of existing stocks of wheat.

Eleanor Roosevelt, the American First Lady, visiting Buckingham Palace in 1942, noted that “We were served on gold and silver plates, but our bread was the same kind of war bread every other family had to eat.”

Doesn’t sound very appetising, does it? Well, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try making your own National Loaf at home. Here is the recipe:

National Loaf Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lb wholemeal bread flour
• 1 ½ tbsp salt
• 1 ½ tbsp dried yeast
• 1 dsp (dessert spoon) of honey or treacle (equivalent to about two teaspoons)
• 450 ml tepid water (approximately 2 cups)

Instructions:

• Mix together all the ingredients and knead for about 10 minutes until you have a soft dough.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it with a dish towel, and let it rest until it doubles in size (around 2 hours).
• Knock back the dough, give it a short knead, and then cut it into two equal pieces.
• Place the dough in 1.5-liter loaf tins (8 x 4 x 3 inches) and allow it to rise for another 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and bake the loaves for 30 minutes. To check if they’re ready, turn them out of their tins and tap the base—if it sounds hollow, they’re done.
• Allow the loaves to cool on a wire rack.

The National Loaf was a staple during wartime rationing. It had a chewy crust and was sometimes dipped in water to add moisture. Interestingly, bread was never rationed throughout the entire war, and the National Loaf became both “unpopularly popular” and a symbol of resilience.

And did you know it was the only bread available – and it kept being made for years after the war – it wasn’t until the 1950’s that White Bread made a reappearance – that surprised me, I mean I suppose I would have presumed rationing wouldn’t have ended as soon as the war ended – but 5 years later – that’s a long time

What do you think, would you have eaten the National Loaf? Or would you have preferred to go without bread altogether? Let me know in the comments below. And if you do try the recipe, please share your photos and opinions with me. I’d love to see them!

https://penofglen.wordpress.com/2024/03/05/from-gold-and-silver-plates-to-grey-and-mushy-bread-the-national-loaf-and-its-legacy/

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