Manchet

Manchet is a historical term for the finest white bread of medieval England. It referred to a small, pale loaf made from refined wheat flour and served to the nobility and at royal or ceremonial meals. In contrast with coarser breads baked from whole meal or rye, manchet signified high-quality ingredients and skilled milling and baking.

Production and characteristics typically included the use of finely sifted wheat flour and a light, well-aerated crumb. The dough was leavened, often with yeast derived from a previous dough or other natural cultures, and formed into small round or oblong loaves before baking in a hot oven. The resulting bread was pale in color, with a delicate crust and a fine texture, and its cost reflected the expense of milling refined flour.

Etymology and historical context indicate that the word derives from Old French manchet, meaning a small loaf or piece. The term appears in Middle English culinary and household records from roughly the 12th to 15th centuries, illustrating the social distinction between white bread for the privileged and coarser breads for others. As white bread became more common in later centuries, the specific term manchet fell out of everyday use, though it remains a notable descriptor in historical recipes and literature.

Today, manchet is primarily of interest to historians and culinary scholars as a marker of medieval dietary hierarchy and bread-making technology. References to the term appear in discussions of medieval banquet practices, bread weights, and the evolution of white bread in English-speaking regions.