Bread Baking Traditions in the Second Half of the 20th Century in the Silesian, Opole, and Lower Silesian Voivodeships in the Light of the “Polish Ethnographic Atlas” as Source Materials

Abstract

This article addresses the topic of homemade bread production in rural areas of south-western Poland during the second half of the 20^th century. The study focuses on selected localities within the Silesian, Opole, and Lower Silesian voivodeships. Its foundation rests on primary source materials gathered as part of the research conducted for the Polish Ethnographic Atlas [PEA], based on a standardized questionnaire titled Folk Material Culture. The core of this study consists of archival record – particularly the narratives of respondents and the metanarratives of researchers – which represent the most valuable aspect of the collected materials. The article presents the findings of an analysis of these archival sources. It discusses the methods of bread preparation, the tools and equipment necessary for this process, and the various ingredients involved, including sourdough starter used in making bread dough. In addition, the study addresses selected magical practices traditionally associated with bread-making. The documented accounts reveal not only traditional methods of preparing bread but also the evolving nature of these practices in the context of broader socio-economic transformations. These include the impact of modernization on everyday life and the influence of multicultural environments, particularly in regions inhabited by postwar settlers. The data thus provide a valuable basis for understanding the processes of change affecting domestic bread production in the postwar period.