What do we call the person who makes bread?

The story behind the answer

This craftsperson mixed flour and water, controlled fermentation using barm (yeast from brewing) or sourdough, shaped loaves, and baked them in large ovens for the community. By contrast, a miller ground grain into flour, a confectioner specialized in sweets (rare before cheap sugar), and a chef cooked varied dishes in noble households—distinct medieval roles.

In medieval Europe, bread was the caloric backbone, so authorities tightly regulated loaf weight and price (e.g., England’s Assize of Bread and Ale). Many towns had guilds and communal or lord-owned “banal” ovens that people paid to use. To avoid penalties for underweight loaves, some sellers added an extra—origin of the “baker’s dozen.”