Sunday, October 4, 2020

Michaelmas....Dragon bread..

 



Everybody knows that I celebrate everything....I try to incorporate as many traditions in our home and our table as possible. On September 29th, it was Michaelmas day, also known as the Feast of the Archangels. Therefore, is a day to celebrate Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, along with all the All Angels.

What it is eaten this day? a  bread with a shape of a Dragon; thus, you can slice the bread as Archangel Michael did. Also, some vegetable tart and a soup.

I made Dragon bread, zucchini tarte and pumpkin cream.

Dragon Bread. I adapted this recipe from the blog Cypress Space

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour 
1 cup warm milk
1 tsp.  sugar
1.5 tsp. dry yeast

2 tablespoons of sourdough starter

2 tablespoons of  melted butter
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup golden raisins 

1/8 cup of sugar
1 egg yolk
1/8 cup of each  sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Don't mix it

Place the flour in a big mixing bowl. Set aside.

Mix the sugar and the yeast with the warm milk. When it is foamy, add  the butter along with the sourdough. Set this aside.
Place the sugar and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Place the raisins, egg yolk and seeds separated. Set these aside.

Arrange all the  bowls near the big mixing bowl of flour, light a candle and begin to tell this story (copied from Cypress Space and this blog adapted the story from All Year Round

Once upon a time, there was a small and prosperous land with lovely hills, valleys, forests,  mountains and happy, hard-working people (sculpt this landscape in the big bowl of flour making a valley in the center).


Then one day a dragon came, foaming and writhing, to lay waste to the land and left it barren (pour the yeasty warm milk in the "valley" and begin stirring to "lay waste" to the landscape)

Darkness came along with freezing ice (throw the salt and sugar down onto the "land") and the people, once happy and so full of light, became unable to work or even smile. (stir and stir to mix the dough).

The angel Michael looked down one day and saw this dark and dismal land and his heart was full of compassion for the people. With one hand he reached for a handful of stars and scattered them on the earth below. (add golden raisins)
 

With the other hand he took gold from the sun and sent it down upon the land as well. (add egg yolk)

The people were warmed by the stars and the sun and they began to work (mix dough with hands).

The farmers ploughed the land again and sowed their seeds (add sunflower seeds, continue mixing) and soon the crops began to grow.

Michael came to the people and told them to be brave and  work hard, to harvest their grain when it was ripe, and to grind it into flour. He told them to knead the flour into dough and bake it into bread, then to share that bread with all...for "each slice that is cut in friendship will warm your hearts and each piece that is eaten will give strength and power to overcome the dragon"  (knead)

The people did as Michael told them and, because of their hard-work and bravery,were blessed with prosperity once again. They sang a blessing as they shared their bread. (knead!)  


Now, the dough is ready for its first rising. Cover it and leave it in a warm place for 1 hour.

Take the gas out, and shape it in a dragon shape/. Let it rise for 45 minutes. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. ENJOY!


1 comment:

  1. You are so creative and that dragon looks so vivid! Love the golden crust!

    ReplyDelete