For the first time ever, it is possible to bake “The Bread of the World”, a cross section of the most popular breads around the world. The form and ingredients of the bread have been determined by algorithms processing bread recipes from all corners of the earth. This datagenerated recipe has then undergone further kneading by star baker Sébastien Boudet. The end result is a succulent flatbread – the bread of the world.

Ankarsrum Kitchen AB – manufacturer of the distinguished Swedish kitchen appliance Ankarsrum Assistent Original – is today revealing the recipe for “The Bread of the World”. Using the recipe, home bakers big and small can bake a bread that is a cross section of bread from countries around the world.

The kitchen appliance Ankarsrum Assistent Original is becoming increasingly popular, both in Sweden and abroad. Our ever stronger international position gave rise to the idea of finding a way to engage and unite people across the world through baking. Today, we are proud to share the recipe for “The Bread of the World”, a global bread recipe that represents the people of the world and is based on what we have in common. “We hope that all home bakers, both beginners and those with experience, will give it a go and bake the bread,” says Marcus Grimerö, Marketing Manager at Ankarsrum Kitchen AB.

The recipe for “The Bread of the World” is data-generated and based on algorithmic processing of the most common ingredients and attributes in bread recipes across the world. This has made it possible to determine a cross section of ingredients, quantities, baking technique and form. The result was a flatbread that, among other things, contained three kinds of flour.

From complex data to succulent bread with Sébastien Boudet

In order to make the data-generated recipe possible to bake in practice, Ankarsrum has worked together with eminent baker Sébastien Boudet, known from the jury on Swedish Channel 5’s show “Dessertmästarna”. Based on the computer’s recipe, Sébastien has developed the final recipe for “The Bread of the World”. For example, he has optimised the quantities of the ingredients.

Because computers and people do not speak the same language, my role has been to make the recipe human. I have dedicated my life to baking bread and have a lot of knowledge and experience about how bread looks and how it is baked around the world. It’s exciting to have been part of creating a bread that’s not so traditional and also represents a cross section of the world. In an increasingly polarised

world, I think baking bread is a fantastic way for us to unite, says baker Sébastien Boudet.

Step by step – a data-generated flatbread becomes reality

The work began with a preliminary study and the development of a strategy to derive “The Bread of the World” scientifically and empirically.

Research was done to find the most popular bread from every country on earth. The criterion was traditional recipes where assessments were made based on the frequency of occurrence and history based on aggregated data from recipe banks, cookbooks, Wikipedia and blogs from the various countries.

A global bread database was created containing the recipe from each country that was most featured and that had a sufficient quantity of statistically acceptable information. This database categorised all conceivable attributes and ingredients that a bread recipe might possibly contain. The result was 12,608 unique data points (e.g. quantities, degrees, and forms).

In the final phase, a series of algorithms was developed, each of which computed which ingredients, which quantities of each ingredient, which baking technique and which form “The Bread of the World” was to have. The results of these individual algorithms were then combined into a data sheet that generated the source code for “The Bread of the World”.

Finally, star baker Sébastien Boudet adapted the recipe’s method and ingredients to make the bread bakeable and edible.

For more information, please contact:

Marcus Grimerö, Marketing Manager Ankarsrum Kitchen AB E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 0490-53372 www.ankarsrum.com

About Ankarsrum Kitchen AB Ankarsrum Kitchen AB is one of three companies in the Ankarsrum Industries group. Located in the distinguished company town of Ankarsrum in Småland, the firm markets, sells and distributes the kitchen appliance Ankarsrum Assistent Original®. This kitchen appliance was first developed in the 1940s by industrial designer Alvar Lenning under the three watchwords of quality, functionality and design. Ankarsrum Assistent Original® became Sweden’s first kitchen appliance and is just as popular today. Since its launch in 1940, 1,500,000 Ankarsrum Assistent Original® machines have been sold in 30 different countries.