One of the greatest treats at the bakery store is when you find a baker's dozen, a thirteenth item tossed in with the other twelve. While this practice has been around for quite some time, its origin is less than clear.
A common belief is that medieval law specified how much each loaf of bread should weigh, and that any baker who shorted a customer could expect to be punished. Because of this law, a baker would therefore include a thirteenth loaf with each dozen he sold, just to be on the safe side. While this belief contains a kernel of truth, it does not tell the entire story. Adding an extra loaf had nothing to do with the fear of punishment.
The law of @Assize of Bread and Ale, first appeared in @England in 1266. The law established both the weight and the price of loaves sold on the market. When the harvest was good, bakers could make more bread than they were able to sell locally. They would sell the excess loaves to middlemen to distribute elsewhere. However, since the weight and price were controlled, the only way for the distributors to make a profit would be to have extra loaves. The baker would therefore give them a thirteenth loaf for each dozen they purchased.
Interestingly enough, the practice of adding the thirteenth loaf to make a "baker's dozen" is older than the phrase itself. The phrase dates back only to 1599.
