Bread was a staple in the 18th century diet, especially for soldiers. During Louisbourg’s heyday the King’s bakers churned out dozens of six-pound loaves of heavy bread made from stone-ground whole wheat and rye flour for soldiers’ rations. This dark, crusty bread and their allotment of salt pork was what kept them hale, hearty and ready to defend their city.
If you’ve ever wondered, while making a sandwich with your pre-sliced store-bought bread, how the bakers of the past managed without modern ovens and bakeware, this is your chance to find out. Visit the King’s Bakery to watch the bakers in action as they knead and bake the traditional bread in authentic period ovens. Sample some for yourself or take home a loaf for the family. You can choose between soldiers’, white, and 50/50.
The King’s Bakery is located at the corner of Rue de Petit Etang and Rue Royale in the Fortress of Louisbourg. To find us, simply look on your map or sniff the air for a hint of delicious baking bread and follow your nose to the source!
According to J.S. McLennan, the expenditure of Louisbourg’s fortifications during the period 1714 to 1758 was slightly over four million livres (or roughly 200,000 pounds in English currency during that era.
