Is there 14 in a bakers dozen?

Answer 1

It is thirteen because the bakers often used to always make a spare so when preparing sets of cakes, buns, bread in dozens, if one went wrong it would not waste time etc. because there would always be a spare.

Answer 2

Generally a Baker's Dozen is referred to as 13, as in the 13th century King Henry III passed a law that made it a very serious offence for baker's to 'cheat' the poor by doing things such as baking hollow bread to save money and then selling it for full price. Baker's doing this could have their ears or hands cut off, so they started baking 13 for a dozen, in case one was burnt, lost etc. but mostly so they could not be accused of cheating the poor, as they sold 13 for the price of 12.

However later on in history a Baker's Dozen was also known as 14, though not nearly as much as it is known as 13, and 13 is technically a Baker's Dozen.

Answer 3

There can be 14 in a bakers dozen, tracing its origins back to England since the reign of Henry II, a bakers dozen was just a way to ensure compliance with weight regulation to avoid fine or punishment by adding an extra roll, bun, etc or two. In more modern times, if you order certain items from a bakery, specifically doughnuts, a bakers dozen is 14 as to accommodate the box size (13 would be a weird fit)

Answer 4

When bakeries used to dot neighborhoods, there was a lot of competition. Sometimes, a baker would add an "extra" item to a dozen to induce the customer to return.

Answer 5

In the past when you asked the baker for a dozen of whatever, you would always get an extra (thirteen), making it a bakers dozen.

Answer 6

A Baker's dozen is 13 because, for every 12 items a shop brought the 13th one would be given free so the shop could make a profit on the 13th item

Answer 7

Maybe because people would rather call it a "baker's dozen" than say thirteen, which is considered unlucky.

Answer 8

12 pieces = 1 dozen plus 1 for the baker

Answer 9

No, thirteen in a baker's dozen