Why Are There 13 In A Baker's Dozen?

It's been this way since medieval times.

Roses, pencils, eggs, cookies—these are just a few different things that always come by the dozen. But if you ask for a baker’s dozen at your local bakery, you’ll get 13—not 12—goodies. While a dozen means a group of 12, a baker’s dozen is a group of 13, an odd number of bakery goods that came about in medieval times.

What Is The Origin Of A "Baker's Dozen"?

The story of the "baker's dozen" has nothing to do with faulty mathematics (bakers have to be good at basic math, after all). The story of the baker'd dozen likely came about as a response to the Assize of Bread and Ale Law passed in 1266 in England under the reign of King Henry III:

This law regulated the sale and production of two important 13th century food items: bread and beer. For bread, the king determined a specific weight that customers could legally expect a baker to provide for a certain price. The stakes were high for medieval bakers, who were threatened with beating and imprisonment.

Since yeast in bread dough often a mind of its own and the weight of two loaves of identical size might weigh different amounts, throwing in an extra loaf was a precaution. When customers ordered a dozen, this practice ensured that the baker would never be short of the legal expectation—and a baker's dozen was born.

Why Is Food Sold By The Dozen?

Selling food by the dozen goes back to Elizabethan England. Farmers and bakers adopted the practice of selling eggs and bakery items by the dozen as a way to make selling goods at market easier and to avoid making change.

According to the New York Times, a farmer could sell one egg for a penny or 12 for a shilling (which equaled 12 pennies). Selling things in units of 12 carried on to America, and when you buy eggs, they are still sold by the dozen.

Related: Our 22 Most Popular Bread Recipes Of All Time

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