The Staple of the Table

Leavened bread became the staple food, particularly of the masses, though flat cakes and porridges in particular were still widely consumed.

Workers took hunks of bread into the field to sustain themselves throughout the day.

At the table, thick slices of bread known as trenchers were served with a variety of dishes, often forming the centerpiece or base of a meal.

Long before John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, made his famous innovation of adding a second slice on top in the 1700s, bread was commonly served as a base for meats and sauces.

Certain soups and stews were poured on top of bread placed inside a bowl or dish.