Rumford Baking Powder

C O N T E N T S

History of Bread
Development of Baking Powder
Eben Horsford
Rumford Chemical Works
Count Rumford
Landmark Designation and Acknowledgments

Rumford Baking Powder

Bread is considered a basic foodstuff; eaten down through the ages, it continues to be a staple of the modern diet. Yet through much of history, bread was not the light, airy, leavened loaf, roll, or cake of the modern era. The bread of today owes much to the development of new strains of grain, updated milling techniques, and modern ingredients. Especially critical was the evolution of the leavening agent, whether yeast, baking powder, or something else.

The development of modern strains of cultured yeast and the introduction of baking powder contributed to the bread that is today taken for granted. The story of baking powder — used in cakes and quick breads most commonly — owes much to the scientific investigations of Eben Horsford, a New York-born, German-educated chemist. In the mid-19th century, Horsford devised the basic formula still used today for the manufacture of Rumford Baking Powder.

The American Chemical Society designated the development of Rumford Baking Powder a National Historic Chemical Landmark on June 12, 2006, in a celebration in East Providence, Rhode Island.

History of Bread | Development of Baking Powder | Eben Horsford
Rumford Chemical Works | Count Rumford | Landmark Designation and Acknowledgments