What does a wedding loaf mean for modern newlyweds and do they attach the same importance to it as in the old days? By no means, quite often it is simply replaced with a wedding cake, without thinking about the fact that the loaf, the recipe of which is passed on from generation to generation, is not just bread. A wedding loaf is a whole ritual, a kind of sacrament, which is celebrated before a solemn wedding. And not everyone can take part in its baking. Who knows, is not the rapidly growing number of decaying marriages a consequence of the non-observance of centuries-old traditions laid down by our wise, all noticing ancestors who reverently treated bread, considering it the most generous of the gifts of Mother Earth.
According to Slavic tradition, since pagan times, a wedding loaf, the recipe of which was sacredly stored, is an obligatory attribute at every festive feast about marriage (wedding). A circle-shaped loaf is a symbol of the heavenly luminary, which they tried to appease in such a way that the Sun God was merciful, took under his cover and blessed the newlyweds. The presence of a loaf at a wedding feast predicted a long, happy and wealthy life for young people.
They prepared celebratory loaf of bread loaves - certainly married, and, necessarily, happy married women. Childless and widows to the sacrament of baking a ceremonial loaf were not allowed. The number of participants was supposed to be odd (3, 5, 7). A senior loaf was appointed - a woman living in harmony with her husband, who has responsive and hardworking children. It was believed that a loaf is a recipe not only for baking. It was believed that happiness, love and consent are passed from the loaf to the newlyweds.
So, the mysterious ritual of baking a wedding loaf consisted of several conditions that must be fulfilled.
- the right to knead the dough was given to a happy woman (loaf), who previously covered her head with a scarf, washed herself and put on a pectoral cross;
- a married man put a loaf in the oven;
- During the preparation, the prayers “Our Father” and “Theotokos” were read, the sentences were sung: “You peck, fight a loaf, thicker than a brick stove, above a column of oak”;
- the finished loaf, the recipe for the decoration of which provided for the presence of viburnum - a symbol of strong and strong love, wheat - prosperity and prosperity, was kept away from prying eyes, covered with an embroidered towel before the celebration.
The sign meant that the larger and higher the loaf would be, the richer and happier the newlyweds would be, therefore they tried to bake loaves of large sizes.
Wedding loaf. Recipe
Ingredients:
- flour - eight glasses;
- sugar - 7-8 tablespoons;
- eggs - 10 pcs.;
- milk - within one or two glasses;
- oil (vegetable or butter) - 100 g;
- yeast - 25 g;
- salt - a couple of teaspoons.
Wedding loaf recipe . Cooking
- Yeast is bred in warm milk, mixed with yolks and sugar.
- Squirrels whisk separately.
- Flour is poured into a vessel to knead the dough. A mixture of yeast with yolks and sugar is added. Mix and spread whipped proteins, salt and oil.
- Knead the dough for a long time and thoroughly (about half an hour), laying it on a table previously sprinkled with flour. The approximate yield of the finished dough is about 2.4 kg.
- A pound of dough is left for decoration.
- The main piece, rolled up in the shape of a ball, is laid out on a baking sheet, decorating it with leaves, flowers, braids, etc.
- Leave to approach until the product tripled in volume. Before being sent to the oven, the loaf is greased with whipped yolk to make it rosy and shiny.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 250-300º for about half an hour, lowering the temperature to 180º at the end.
- After baking, the finished loaf is covered with a napkin, so it will not dry out, but will be soft and lush for a long time.