Take a step back into the 1830s, the "last days of a rural golden age," where the local baker was the only thing standing between a village and starvation. In this episode, four professional bakers leave their modern machines behind to master the grueling, 9-hour process of traditional wood-fired baking. From harvesting heritage grains to fermenting dough with brewer's yeast, they discover the incredible flavors—and the back-breaking labor, of our ancestors. However, the idyllic countryside isn't all it seems; as wheat prices soar and famine looms, we see the desperate measures taken to survive, including the consumption of "crammings" or chicken feed. This is the authentic, often-forgotten story of the people, the sweat, and the science that fueled the British Empire. You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more. Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: https://bit.ly/4pyExyn Subscribe to Parable for more Religious History documentaries! This channel is part of the History Hit Network. Any queries, please contact us at: [email protected] #Parable #ReligiousHistoryDocumentary