Hi friends,
I went down a research rabbit hole to find out where the A to Z bread recipe originates. I've been making it for years and years and you've probably had some if I've ever fed you banana bread. This is not, by the way, a sneaky preamble blog post to the recipe. It's all about the sleuthing and its results. We've got footnotes! I've even started experimenting with Chicago Manual of Style citations. And yes, fine, I do link to the recipe, but that's not the point. The point is, who is Hazel Gentry?
You would be forgiven if you thought that A to Z bread is just one of those American standards like banana bread or blueberry muffins, or heck, apple pie, and that it's been passed down since ye olden days from grandmother to granddaughter, homey and ancient. My hunch was that it was probably developed in the Midwest, or maybe New England. Well, you'd be wrong! And I was wrong!
Thanks for reading and see you on the internet!
AK