Time Travel Kitchen
The Delicious Story of a Secret Society of Bakers
There’s a secret society of bakers that’s been around since the 1930’s.
Writer and journalist Jennifer Billock writes about discovering this group in her terrific piece A Secret Society of Chicago Bakers Meets Every Month and It’s Keeping Beloved Bakeries Alive which went viral last September just ahead of publication of her new book Historic Chicago Bakeries .
It was during these years of The Great Depression that thirteen Chicago bakery owners, ‘The Baker’s Dozen’, began meeting in secret once a month to check in with each other, share their bakes and keep each other going.
The descendants and owners of these family-owned bakeries (some not as secretive as in the past) continue to meet monthly with the same goal: survival.
Intrigued by this story, I’ve visited two of these historic bakeries (so far) and loved what I’ve found - the freshest pastries and cakes, buttery cookies and that unmistakable scent of a bakery as you walk into the shop. I even love the bakery boxes.
I reached out to Jennifer, (who also writes on Substack, link below) for a Q & A to learn more and she graciously agreed.
Q: Hi, Jennifer. Thanks for taking the time to tell us more. What drew you to write about historic Chicago bakeries?
A: I grew up eating at bakeries in and around Chicago, so since I write history books and love to bake and go to bakeries, it seemed like a logical choice. A delicious, logical choice.
Q: How did you learn about The Baker’s Dozen?
A: I actually heard about this from the owner of Bennison’s Bakery in Evanston and his dad. His dad had been an early member and now as current owner he’s a member. I interviewed the two of them for the book and it came out in conversation.
Q: What surprised you most about the society and how did you get access?
A: I was most surprised at how long The Baker’s Dozen has been around! That’s almost one hundred years of the same bakeries working together and staying friends. It’s amazing that it hasn’t fallen apart or ended.
Getting access was not that easy. Some members are completely quiet about it - they truly want it to be a secret society. Others are happy to talk about it as long as you don’t mention it in connection with them.
And still others like Weber’s Bakery actively promote the group on their website. So it was really just talking to different members to see who would let me interview them about it.
Q: Is there one, quintessential Chicago dessert?
A: Definitely the Atomic Cake. It’s local to Chicago, and more specifically, to the south side.
It’s sold in some places up north, but it’s an iconic, south side staple.
Q: What do you want people to take away from reading your book?
A: I hope people begin to understand the rich and robust baking history here in Chicago, and if they’re a local or former local, that they can reminisce about the city’s past. I also want to highlight different bakers so we can move back a bit to the days when everyone knew who was making their bread, cakes and brownies.
These bakers are something special. I want people to shop at them and preserve Chicago’s baking traditions. ❤️
To read more from Jennifer, subscribe to her Substack here: KitchenWitch
Jennifer’s work has inspired me to seek out and support these and other independent bakeries here and to learn more about small bakeries around the country.
Do you have a local favorite? I’d love to hear about it. Let me know in the comments.
For a recipe for Atomic Cake and more about its creation, you can click here:
Celebrating Atomic Cake, the iconic South Side creation that defies gravity
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Jolene
Credits and Sources:
Billock, Jennifer “A Secret Society of Chicago Bakers Meets Every Month and It’s Keeping Beloved Bakeries Alive” Block Club Chicago, September 12, 2021.
Billock, Jennifer. Historic Chicago Bakeries. Charleston, SC, American Palate, 2021.
Photos: Jolene
Do they have an initiation? A special handshake? I think we should be told! 😀 That's amazing, like a medieval guild...
What a subject line!!