I have been following your discussions in this forum because I love making bread but I did not dare to participate because all of you are very skilful in bread making.
I am posting this recipe because it is traditional Greek and maybe you will find it interesting!
On Saturday my best friend, Irene is getting married and according to Greek tradition, we have to make the Bridal Bread.
In the old days, they made this bread instead of a wedding cake. In our days Greece is Americanized also and they prefer huge, white wedding cakes…(no offense panini!!)
I always use a starter instead of yeast and according to our tradition, since the wedding will take place on Saturday, on Thursday I have to prepare the starter and on Friday to prepare the bread.
My grandmother used to say that from the starter you can predict the gender of the first baby!!!
Ingredients
3 kilos of wheat flour
Starter made of the 1/3 of the flour
500 gr sugar
600 ml olive oil extra virgin
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 glass of wine of ouzo (the famous Greek liqueur)
2 tbs of cinnamon
2 tbs of salt
Some sugarplums and coarse sugar for decoration.
Make the starter with 1/3 of the flour, that means with I kilo of wheat flour. You have to leave it to rest for at least 10 hours I leave it for 24.
Place the rest of the flower in a large bowl and bring the olive oil to heat. The olive oil must be hot, almost boiling!!
Purr the hot olive oil in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. When it gets cold enough, grain this dough with your hands.
In a small hole in the middle of this “grained” dough , place the starter , the soda, the salt, the sugar, the vanilla and the ouzo.
In this very phase, you must add all the requited water for the kneading! You cannot use water afterwards.
At the beginning, the dough is very soft but as you work it it gets harder.
You need to knead it at least for I hour! Since I do not have big palms I need more time!!
I forgot to say! I always use my hands and not the food processor!
When your dough is ready add the cinnamon and work it a bit more!
The Bridal Breads suppose to resemble to a cake so I place them in a round pan !
Keep a small amount of the dough for the decoration!! You can make initials ir stars or birds not pumping hearts please!!!
Wet the surface of the bread and stick the white sugar plums.
Cover the bread with a woolen cloth for at least 8 hours
Preheat your oven in 200oC. After 20 min, low he heat to 140C
You will need 1 ½ hour to bake it!
As soon as you take it out of the oven sprinkle the coarse sugar!
Wish me luck!!
I am posting this recipe because it is traditional Greek and maybe you will find it interesting!
On Saturday my best friend, Irene is getting married and according to Greek tradition, we have to make the Bridal Bread.
In the old days, they made this bread instead of a wedding cake. In our days Greece is Americanized also and they prefer huge, white wedding cakes…(no offense panini!!)
I always use a starter instead of yeast and according to our tradition, since the wedding will take place on Saturday, on Thursday I have to prepare the starter and on Friday to prepare the bread.
My grandmother used to say that from the starter you can predict the gender of the first baby!!!
Ingredients
3 kilos of wheat flour
Starter made of the 1/3 of the flour
500 gr sugar
600 ml olive oil extra virgin
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 glass of wine of ouzo (the famous Greek liqueur)
2 tbs of cinnamon
2 tbs of salt
Some sugarplums and coarse sugar for decoration.
Make the starter with 1/3 of the flour, that means with I kilo of wheat flour. You have to leave it to rest for at least 10 hours I leave it for 24.
Place the rest of the flower in a large bowl and bring the olive oil to heat. The olive oil must be hot, almost boiling!!
Purr the hot olive oil in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. When it gets cold enough, grain this dough with your hands.
In a small hole in the middle of this “grained” dough , place the starter , the soda, the salt, the sugar, the vanilla and the ouzo.
In this very phase, you must add all the requited water for the kneading! You cannot use water afterwards.
At the beginning, the dough is very soft but as you work it it gets harder.
You need to knead it at least for I hour! Since I do not have big palms I need more time!!
I forgot to say! I always use my hands and not the food processor!
When your dough is ready add the cinnamon and work it a bit more!
The Bridal Breads suppose to resemble to a cake so I place them in a round pan !
Keep a small amount of the dough for the decoration!! You can make initials ir stars or birds not pumping hearts please!!!
Wet the surface of the bread and stick the white sugar plums.
Cover the bread with a woolen cloth for at least 8 hours
Preheat your oven in 200oC. After 20 min, low he heat to 140C
You will need 1 ½ hour to bake it!
As soon as you take it out of the oven sprinkle the coarse sugar!
Wish me luck!!