The Bread and Biscuit Baker's and Sugar-Boiler's Assistant Including a Large Variety of Modern Recipes

"The Bread and Biscuit Baker's and Sugar-Boiler's Assistant" by Robert Wells is a late 19th-century guide for those in the baking and confectionery trades, presenting a wide array of recipes for breads, cakes, biscuits, pastries, and sweets, while also investigating the science of baking. It starts by looking at the baking industry, noting slow improvements in bread making and underlining the importance of baker training. Wells stresses the importance of the science behind fermentation and baking, noting a general lack of knowledge in the field. He shares his concerns about current methods and expresses hope for progress in the future, proposing that better education and scientific application will improve baking.