The story of the very first person – perhaps an Egyptian circa 3000 B.C. – who had the idea to knead the very first dough made from ground grains (i.e. flour with water) will forever remain a mystery. Further doubt is cast upon who invented the leavening process for dough – the act of letting it rise and increase in volume for a softer, honeycombed texture once baked.

And above all, we don’t even know who discovered the Italian lievito madre – the most delicious mystery of them all! After all, Italian gastronomy features a history in which the main protagonists knew nothing about technical chemical processes, fermentation or bacilli.