# Cottage loaf

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{{Short description|Type of bread}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name             = Cottage loaf
| image            = Cottage loaf 2.jpg
| image_size       = 250px
| caption          = A small cottage loaf baked in a traditional bakery in [Rochester](/source/Rochester%2C_Kent), Kent
| alternate_name   =
| country          = [England](/source/England)
| region           =
| creator          =
| course           =
| type             = [Bread](/source/Bread)
| served           =
| main_ingredient  =
| variations       =
| calories         =
| other            =
}}
thumb|A baker removing a cottage loaf from the oven during World War II in Britain
A '''cottage loaf''' is a traditional type of [bread](/source/bread) originating in [England](/source/England).

The loaf is characterised by its shape, which is essentially that of two round loaves, one on top of the other, with the upper one being smaller: the shape is similar to that of the French [brioche](/source/brioche) à tête and the ''pain chapeau'' of [Finistère](/source/Finist%C3%A8re).<ref name=ocf>Davidson, A. ''The Oxford companion to food'', OUP, 2006, p.99</ref>

The origins of the name and shape are unknown but possibly extend back hundreds of years.<ref>{{cite book| last = Cauvain| first =Stanley P. |author2=Linda S. Young| isbn = 0-8493-1221-3| title = Baking problems solved| publisher = CRC Press| year = 2001| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=EY_IEkv4CDYC&dq=%22Cottage+loaf%22+bread&pg=PA270| page = 270}}</ref> [Elizabeth David](/source/Elizabeth_David), who described the cottage loaf in her ''English Bread and Yeast Cookery'', surmised that the shape may have arisen as a way of saving 'floor space' in old-fashioned [bread oven](/source/bread_oven)s.<ref name="ocf"/>  The name, however, did not first appear in writing until the mid-nineteenth century.<ref name=ayto>Ayto, J. ''The glutton's glossary: a dictionary of food and drink terms'', Routledge, 1990, p.80</ref>  It was formerly possible to find an oblong version, known as a "cottage brick", and common in the [London](/source/London) area.<ref name="ayto"/>

Cottage loaves, while formerly common, are now rarely found in bakeries, as they are relatively time-consuming and difficult to make, and in common with other round loaves are less convenient for [slicing](/source/sliced_bread) into consistent sizes.

==See also==
{{portal|Food}}
* [List of British breads](/source/List_of_British_breads)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web|url=http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-archive/1/A01023.shtml |title=English Cottage Loaf |publisher=Chef2Chef |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928205752/http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-archive/1/A01023.shtml |archivedate=28 September 2007 }}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1103/basic-bread-cottage-loaf.asp | title = Bread Making Demonstration—Basic Bread: Cottage Loaf | publisher = Chef Taylor Piercefield & RecipeTips.com }}

{{British bread}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}

Category:British breads
Category:English cuisine

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cottage loaf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottage_loaf) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottage_loaf?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.