Actually, Paul Burke, a female baker is, properly speaking, a baxter — one of the feminine variables other than -ess [just to complicate things, but, hey, who said life was supposed to be simple!?]: as in spinster, which originally simply meant a female spinner, but acquired present meaning becoz she wd be left at home spinning after her sisters had married and moved away.

Animaterra, one remembers similar controversies [none ever really resolved, probably] regarding authoress, poetess, &c. But I do feel 'actress' a useful distinction [for eg casting directors &c - esp these days when the world is full of female Sams, Charlies, Tommys, Mickeys...]