Baked into Bethlehem

Congratulations to our Baking Challenge Winners!

On May 30, we hosted the Baked into Bethlehem Baking Challenge at the Luckenbach Mill. Thank you to everyone who participated and attended the event!

Baked into Bethlehem – November 14 through July 26

Since its founding by Moravian settlers in 1741, Bethlehem has woven baking into the fabric of its cultural identity. From the aromatic Moravian sugar cakes originally baked in communal beehive ovens to the delectable pies and artisanal cookies of today, this exhibition traces the evolution of baking as a cornerstone of Bethlehem’s community, spirituality and creativity.

Tour with the Beer & Bread Combo Ticket

Offered in conjunction with the National Museum of Industrial History (NMIH), purchase a Beer & Bread Combo ticket that will allow you access to visit both the Moravian Museum & Kemerer Museum as a part of the Baked into Bethlehem exhibition, but also access to view NMIH’s newest exhibit Cheers to 250: Brewing in America. NMIH’s exhibition is looking at the brewing history from colonial hearths and taverns through the modern industry today.

With this ticket you are able to visit all of the museums during their open museum hours. Please check here for the hours for NMIH.

Tour Baked into Bethlehem with Richard Groman

Many area residents still remember fondly the cakes, pastries and other sweets from Groman’s bakery that marked major milestones in their lives, from their wedding day to their children’s birthdays. Founded in the 1920s, Ezra D. Groman Bakeries grew from a Moravian mint recipe into a regionally beloved business known for its elaborate tortes and cakes, often adorned with Richard Groman Sr.’s signature bowtie. Today the Groman family continues to bake their original-recipe sugar cookies once a year for the holiday season, sold exclusively through HBMS.

Throughout the Baked into Bethlehem exhibit, the community has the rare opportunity to hear Richard Groman Jr. as he talks about his family’s baking history followed by a tour of the exhibition, which features original machinery and treasured objects from the Groman family collection, on display at the Kemerer Museum.

Tours will take place at 11 AM on the following dates:

• January 17 (additional tour at 1 PM)
• February 21
• March 21
• April 25
• May 16
• June 20
• July 25

Tickets are $15 for HBMS members and $25 for non-members.

The Baked into Bethlehem journey begins with the early Moravians, for whom baking was both a necessity and a sacred ritual. Beehive ovens, integrated into the architecture of the early Colonial settlement, produced breads, cakes and cookies that sustained the community and symbolized shared faith and labor. Artifacts like original recipes and 18th- and 19th- century baking tools illuminate this foundational era, showcasing the discipline and devotion embedded in every cake and loaf.

As Bethlehem grew into an industrial hub, baking shifted from communal hearths to home kitchens, where women shaped domestic life through culinary artistry. Handwritten recipe books, intricate cake molds and cherished techniques reveal how baking became a means of celebration and a vessel for family traditions passed down through generations.

Waves of immigration in the 1800s and 1900s enriched Bethlehem’s baking culture as German, Slovak, Italian and Latino communities introduced their own sweets such as kolaczki, pizzelles and conchas. These recipes, adapted to local ingredients, blended seamlessly into the city’s culinary tapestry, reflecting its growing diversity and shared identity.

Festivals such as Blueberry Festival and Apple Days at Historic Burnside also bring Bethlehem’s baking traditions to life, showcasing products by local bakeries, including Vallos Bakery and Back Door Bakeshop. These family-focused events unite home bakers and professional artisans, blending classic recipes with modern innovation to foster community pride and connection.

Baked into Bethlehem invites visitors to experience baking as more than a necessity or a craft. It is a living tradition that carries Bethlehem’s history, binds generation and celebrates the city’s multicultural spirit. Through artifacts, oral histories, photographs and interactive activities, this dynamic exhibition honors the enduring legacy of baking in shaping the city and the region’s past, present and future.

Help Us Continue the Story

We are looking for object that help illuminate Bethlehem’s rich and diverse community history. If you have items such as baking tools, family heirloom cookware, or any unique baking memorabilia, we would love to see them. All accepted objects will be placed on loan for display at the Kemerer Museum or Moravian Museum of Bethlehem and returned to the lender upon the exhibition’s closure. You will be notified if your loan is accepted to the exhibition.

We are also looking for photos of cakes that Groman’s Bakery decorated for you or your family to showcase one of the Lehigh Valley’s bakeries.

Share Your Story

We invite community members to share their personal stories, memories, and traditions around baking as part of a living oral history collection for Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites. Through these StoryCorps interviews, we hope to capture the warmth of family kitchens, the aromas of cherished recipes, and the ways baking connects generation across time. Whether it’s a bread recipe passed down for a century, a favorite holiday cookie, or a story of learning to bake with a loved one, each recording will help preserve Bethlehem’s rich cultural heritage. These voices and memories will become part of the Baked into Bethlehem exhibition – celebrating the people, traditions, and shared spirit that make our community’s baking history come alive.