Why a Bakers Dozen is 13 Instead of 12

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There are three main theories for why a baker’s dozen is 13 instead of 12, but most think it has its origins in the fact that many societies throughout history have had extremely strict laws concerning baker’s wares, due to the fact that it is fairly easy for bakers to cheat patrons and sell them less than what they think they are getting.

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[TodayIFoundOut]

Now that you know the truth about the baker's dozen check out this video and find out the fascinating story about the time a company baked a giant cake to win a court case:

[Silkendrum]

When my mother was young, and still when I was young, baked goods were not bought at a grocery store, but at the baker's.  (Same with meat - all meat was from the butcher shop.)  Anyway, kids were sent to the baker's shop to pick up the rolls, cookies, cakes, etc., whatever was baked that day, and the theory was that the baker gave 13 to make sure 12 made it home.

[lancelindlelee]

I always thought that it was simply because the extra one is to test if the batch came out right. Sell 12 then test (and eat) 1

[RLCypher]

The guy at the donut shop always told me it was 13 so you could have one to enjoy now while still bringing home a dozen, but this explanation makes sense too.

[OriginalPiMan]

12 of today's, 1 of yesterday's.

[frozeneternity]

I always thought they always just made the 13th as a sample one so that it wouldn't break the 12 set

[nosuchthing]

Wow, laws to protect people. What a concept.

[rparl]

Little drops of water, little grains of sand; make the milkmaid wealthy and the baker grand.

[CarlosIsDown]

All these great pictures of bread. I wish to commit carbicide.

[chenoaholdstock]

I was told that when children were sent to buy baked goods, they'd eat one on the way home, but their parents would get mad at the Baker for it, so children who asked for a bakers dozen had one to eat on the way home.

[ReverendTed]

Like many others here, I always presumed it was because the baker would have one for himself - for pleasure or taste-testing. I guess a followup question is: why are baked goods so frequently sold by the dozen? Is it the 3x4 grid?

[therightstuffAK]

I used to work in a bakery, and always have thought a baker's dozen is 14. Somebody laid it out to me that on a round baking pan, baking rolls for instance, you'd have 7 on the outer ring, 6 on the inner ring, and 1 in the center of the pan, for a total of 14.

[ohgodnotlucy]

hand cut off? The bakers in my city were straight up executed if they sold bread that was too short. The cathedral in the centre of our city has two metal rods on the side that were the standard for length. If I recall correctly, they would put the offending bakers in a cage and drown them in the Danube river. They were pretty strict about their bread back then...

[LordMayorOfDairyBell]

The real reason for a baker's dozen being 13. 12 for the costumer, one for the baker. They are selling food, you don't want to sell people bad food or else they don't come back. Baker's started selling all 13 when advances in technology made baking things properly, much easier. Seriously, try cooking anything with a wood stove or oven, without a clock, without exact measurements of ingredients, or any idea of hot your oven/stove is.

[thethingonlycatscansee]

I would get confused between 12 and 13 if I had to be up that early as well...

[Kavetrol]

For medieval baker selling bread was only a side job. Their main
activity was renting space in their oven to the families of the town.
They would put in their own loaf last to block the access to the inside
of the oven so people could see that they could not had stolen any
dough from other loafs.

[Hil]

was the ear cut off before being nailed to the door or not? :-P

[yognut]

i thought it was because in royal courts there was a poison taster and he got the 13th and that way the noble never had to see 11 rather then a whole 12

[FYIitsnotme]

A baker's dozen is 13 because if it was 12 it'd just be a normal dozen ;)

[SpiritBear]

Why do you sound like you're talking through several layers of fabric?