Wheatless Bread and the Royal Connaught Hotel - December 1917

“In the homes of the kitchen patriots who are loyally backing up the food controller in his conservation campaign, the meatless day is no more a novelty – and the sweetless day is a possibility.”

Hamilton Spectator. December 21, 1917.

As the year 1917 was nearing its end, the Great War had been going for over 2 ½ years. As well as the human carnage in Western Europe, there were many sacrifices being called for back in Canada.

Concerns about food shortages led the Canadian federal government to impose establish the office of a food controller and the launching of an education campaign.

The newly-opened Royal Connaught hotel in downtown Hamilton was the location where a “Wheatless Day” was inaugurated:

“The Connaught has right along served a variety of delicious war breads, in which a proportion of cornmeal, oatmeal or rye is substituted for wheat flour. This war bread, which has been very popular with Connaught patrons, differs in one remarkable particular from most other kinds. Recipes aplenty have been printed and given out on lecture platforms by food conversation experts – including those of the food controllers’ staff – and all agree that one-fifth is about the largest proportion of substitute cereals which can be used with wheat flour if the wheat flour is to be palatable.

“But Chef Baujard, the gastronomic artist who presides over a vast and wonderfully equipped domain in the lower regions of the Connaught, has changed all that. What this clever Frenchman doesn’t know about cooking isn’t worth knowing, and he has proved it by making palatable bread and rolls with a much larger proportion of substitute grains than has hitherto been thought practicable, and a consequent greater saving of wheat flour.”¹

¹ “Wheatless Day Inaugurated at the Connaught : Big Hotel Goes Food Controller One Better : It’s War Bread Now or Tickets for Bread Line Later : Chef Shares Secrets of His Experiments With Public”

Hamilton Spectator.    December 21, 1918.

The Royal Connaught, upon opening, quickly gained a strong reputation for the quality of the meals provided there. The chef in charge at the Connaught in December, 1917 was Chef Baujard:

““The Connaught has right along served a variety of delicious war breads, in which a proportion of cornmeal, oatmeal or rye is substituted for wheat flour. This war bread, which has been very popular with Connaught patrons, differs in one remarkable particular from most other kinds. Recipes aplenty have been printed and given out on lecture platforms by food conversation experts – including those of the food controllers’ staff – and all agree that one-fifth is about the largest proportion of substitute cereals which can be used with wheat flour if the wheat flour is to be palatable.

“But Chef Baujard, the gastronomic artist who presides over a vast and wonderfully equipped domain in the lower regions of the Connaught, has changed all that. What this clever Frenchman doesn’t know about cooking isn’t worth knowing, and he has proved it by making palatable bread and rolls with a much larger proportion of substitute grains than has hitherto been thought practicable, and a consequent greater saving of wheat flour.”¹

Chef Baujard was able to speak some English, but with only a limited vocabulary and with a heavy accent. Thus, the manager of the Royal Connaught, Mr. O’Neil, did the interview on the subject with the Spectator man:

 “ ‘We calculate that we save at least 1,500 pounds of wheat flour a month by the use of these war breads,’ said Manager O’Neil. ‘ And we’re going to save a lot more yet by our ‘wheatless’ days, when bread containing absolutely no wheat flour will be served.’

“Mr. O’Neil explained that experiments by Connaught chef along the lines of the wheatless loaf have proved so successful that patrons of the hotel had been enthusiastic in their reception of the innovation; and Chef Baujard has received many compliments on his triumph.

“Rye flour and oatmeal take the place of wheat in this wheatless loaf, and it can be readily understood that it conforms to a standard of palatability, when the Connaught’s reputation for bread and rolls is considered. This bread also has a very high food value, as oatmeal contains a greater percentage of albuminoids than any other grain, and is more nutritious than ordinary flour; while rye comes next to wheat in food value, measured by the amount of gluten it contains.

“Another conservation feat successfully accomplished by Chef Banjard is one never heard of before. That is the cutting out of wheat flour, on the wheatless day, from the manufacture of the justly-famed French pastry. The saving effected here is also very considerable.

“ ‘It is a case of war bread now, or tickets for the bread line later on,’ said Manager O’Neil, when discussing the necessity for conservation. ‘If every housewife would make economy fashionable before it becomes obligatory, a great saving would be effected.”¹

Manager O’Neil desired to provide information to Hamilton homemakers about the bread innovation which had been developed at the Connaught :

“So firmly is Mr. O’Neil convinced of the importance of the intelligent co-operation of every housekeeper that he would like to see every home baker using these war breads.

“In order that the housewives of Hamilton may have the advantage of tested recipes by the Connaught’s noted chef, Manager O’Neil kindly consented to reveal some of that culinary expert’s secrets.

“Here is the latest innovation, the ‘wheatless’ loaf, which the chef frankly admitted was ‘pretty hard’ when he first began experimenting, but which patrons now demand on Wednesdays.

“Toast bread – 2 qts water, 2 ozs. Salt, 2 ozs. yeast, 3 1/3 rye flour, 4 2/3 lbs. oatmeal. The above will make 15 lbs.

“Following are recipes of Royal Connaught war bread, and rolls, all of which should be baked well :

“ Rolls – 1 qt. water, 1 oz salt, 1 oz1 2/3 lbs. whole wheat flour, 3 1/3 lbs. oatmeal. The above will make 7 ½ lbs. rolls.

“French bread loaf – 1 qt. water, 1 oz. salt, 1/3 oz. sugar, 1 oz. yeast, 1 2/3 lbs. oatmeal, 1 oz. lard. The above will make 7 ½ lbs.

“Rye rolls – 1 qt. water, 1 oz. salt, 1 oz. yeast, 2 ½ lbs. rye flour. The above will make 7 ½ lbs.”¹