An interesting question...

[jimfromtx]

Okay, I'll bet all of you have heard of the phrase "The best thing since sliced bread." Well, my question is, what was the best thing before sliced bread? And don't say unsliced bread, cause I'm sure that stuff better than that was out at the time...

[Christopher]

But before sliced bread there was no such thing as unsliced bread. Back in those days we just called it bread.

[Lillie]

I interpret that phrase as: "The best thing since the idea of sliced bread." In my interpretation, the sliced bread idea is so good because before that, there was no sliced bread. It's not so much a matter of what was better before, more of what's come since sliced bread was invented.

[kanashimi]

I guess the wheel would be a clever invention

And how did they slice bread when slicing bread was invented?.. ._.

[Dragonfire]

Before sliced bread it was ripped-up bread. Apparently they decided that cutting it with a sharp object was better than ripping it into uneven pieces.

When was sliced bread invented anyways?

[Wicked Monkey]

Sliced bread - meaning pre-sliced, packaged bread - has existed only since 1928, and it appears to be something of an arbitrary selection as the benchmark against which later inventions should be judged.
A little known fact about sliced bread is that its origin can be traced back to a single place. Chillicothe, Missouri, is the official "Home of Sliced Bread." Sliced bread was born in Chillicothe, Missouri, on July 7, 1928.

[jimfromtx]

Wow, I did not know that...guess you learn something every day, huh?

[Xil]

People. They still are, in my opinion.

[Skynetmain]

I don't know what the best before sliced bread is, but I know what the best since sliced bread is: sliced bread

For those that don't know get that joke: In high school, we were asked to design a really cool, made-up product for an English class. My friend and I came up with: sliced bread. It was really super bread that could cure cancer, do your homework, and end nuclear war, but it was still sliced bread. Tagline: 'The best thing since sliced bread... sliced bread!'

[o_0]

I hate that phrase, mostly because I hate sliced bread.

I prefer loafs, like the kinds you get at Panera.

[shapu]

Random fact #2: Panera is called "St. Louis Bread Company" in the St. Louis metro area, because it was founded here. Then the company was purchased by Au Bon Pain, a larger bakery chain, and they decided to keep it as St. Louis Bread Co in the St. Louis area (because it sold better in testing). They just called it Panera everywhere else as they expanded.

They decided that their panera brand was better than their bon pain brand at making money, so they sold off their Au Bon Pain stores and are now the Panera company.

Nifty, huh?

Anyway, the best thing before sliced bread was obiously root beer. Still is, actually.

[Dragonfire]

I've never heard of Panera, but I've seen Au Bon Pain's in Atlanta airport and in NYC.

Anywho, the best thing before sliced bread was, in my opinion, croissants.

(Oh, and sourdough owns.)

[Bangel]

Aw man, Shapu, you beat me to it. :( The St. Louis Bread Company/Panera in actuality, though? It's really gross, I hate going there. All they have is bagels and salad and bread. Not very exciting.

Which one do you go to, Shapu? There's ten in St. Louis alone.

[benladesh]

The best thing before slided bread is the thing they invented and used to slice bread. Its the best thing before because It made the slided bread

[shapu]

Which one do you go to, Shapu? There's ten in St. Louis alone.

There are far more in the suburbs, I assure you.

I usually end up in the one in the Delmar loop, since I work in the area and live in UCity.

On-topic, I wonder if there are bakers' conferences where they discuss the newest thing in slicing technology...