Primitive Pine Dough Box, Hungary, Circa 1900

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Bread was an important staple for families who often had little else to eat. A steady supply required a lot … Read more Bread was an important staple for families who often had little else to eat. A steady supply required a lot of flour and hard work, frequently done cooperatively with groups of women sharing the kneading as well as the ovens. A dough box, with or without a lid and a stand, would be used to warm the flour by the fire before use. Its deep, slanted sides made it a great vessel for kneading and letting the dough rise. This primitive example has five boards plus the laterally applied strip at each end. The sides are shaped to form carrying handles for when the box is full. It retains some old worn white paint on the inside and green on the outside. See less