Message about the medicinal properties of loaf bread. How to bake a loaf: dough recipe, decorations

Festive wedding loaf- this is not only a tribute to tradition, it is a symbol of triumph: it can be viewed and read, like an eternal book of the wisdom of our people. A person who will bake a loaf for a wedding must invest in it not only his skill, but also the warmth of his hands, soul, and vitality. Bread prepared according to the right recipe, can be stored for more than a month. It does not deteriorate, does not get stale - and who knows what it is connected with, either with the energy of the wedding, or with the power of the skill of the bakers.

According to tradition, the production of ritual bread was entrusted to craftswomen who are happy in family life, headed by the godmother of one of the newlyweds. There should be an odd number of women; widows, divorced or childless were not supposed to bake a loaf. Recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, today there are many variations of the festive loaf with various layers and fillings, but we decided to stick with the traditional recipe.

Ingredients: 1 kg flour, 8 eggs, half a glass of milk, boiled water, 1 tsp. salt, half a glass of sugar, spices to taste.

Do-it-yourself loaf cooking method

The yolks are separated from the proteins, rubbed well with sugar. By the way, the amount of sugar can be varied: someone will like almost unleavened dough and someone wants sweet pie. Add yeast: Yeast dissolves best in warm milk. If you decide to add poppy seeds, cinnamon, cloves and other favorite spices, they are also added at this stage.

Sift the flour thoroughly (to begin with, take 6 glasses, then you will be guided by the consistency of the dough), add salt.

Make a small hole with your palms, into which we pour a mixture of yeast and yolks with sugar, as well as a little less than half a glass of vegetable oil (you can use butter), mix well.

Proteins need to be beaten well, we add them to the dough last, smoothly proceed to kneading. The mass should be elastic, and so that the dough does not stick to your hands - periodically sprinkle it with sifted flour. Knead thoroughly and for a long time, at least 20-30 minutes. This work is not easy, so often our ancestors at this stage called for help from a happily married man.

When the dough has become smooth and uniform, it should be put into a clean and lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a towel or cling film and leave in a warm place for 1.5-2 hours.

The dough should rise by about 2 times, it needs to be kneaded again. We divide the dough into three parts: one will go to make jewelry, the second - for the loaf itself, the third - for the pigtail. We put parchment paper on a baking sheet, form a loaf, wrap it with a pigtail.

Beat the egg and brush it on the top of the loaf. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, send the base on the baking sheet for 20 minutes. If you put the loaf in an unheated oven, the dough may fall off. After 20 minutes, lower the temperature to 150 degrees, bring the bread to readiness. It is very simple to check this: pierce it with a match or a toothpick - if it is dry, then the loaf is ready. In the process of baking, you need to apply an egg to the surface several times - then the loaf will be rosier. Get it ready bread out of the oven, cover it with a towel.

Decoration of a wedding loaf

We recommend that you make a sketch according to which you will decorate the loaf. To keep the decorative elements stronger, you need to grease the bread with water. The dough must be rolled out thinly (up to 5 mm), constantly moisten the surface with a spray bottle. It is better to bake massive products like pigeons or rings separately, then you can be sure that the surface of the loaf will not sag under their weight.

Flat jewelry is not so difficult to sculpt, it is better to make them from unleavened dough without sugar, then they will remain light after baking. For figurines, grated dough is used: flour is rubbed into it until the consistency looks like clay.

You can decorate the product not immediately, but 15-20 minutes before it is ready. It is pulled out of the oven, decorated, and then sent back to the oven, then the contours of the figures will remain clearer.

Secrets of baking a loaf at home

• It is better to bake the product in the middle of the oven, then it will bake evenly.
• If the bread began to burn on top, you can put foil on it;
• If you want to make decorations unusual, you can tint part of the dough with cocoa, and then alternate the figures. You can not grease the decor elements with an egg - then they will stand out against the general background;
• Periodically, the surface of the loaf must be moistened so that it does not become weathered and cracked;
• Using dry yeast, molding can be done immediately, live yeast should “play”, after kneading the dough is covered and kept warm for a couple of hours;
• So that when cooling from moisture, the bottom of the loaf does not become damp, it is placed on a towel or napkin;
• Adhering parchment paper is easier to remove when the bread is warm, you will have to soak it from a cold loaf;
• AT gas oven in addition, a wide bowl with boiling water is placed below so that the dough does not dry out. For electric oven this method is rarely used.

The following decorations are used for the loaf:

• Braids. They are braided from two or three strips of dough;
• Flowers. Take a piece of dough, form a cake out of it, make cuts along the edges so that the petals appear;
• Leaves. Roll out the dough, cut out the veins with a knife to make the products look more believable;
• Ears. Form a thin strip, make cuts on both sides, slightly pull on each edge to make the product more convex;
• Bird. The elongated oval is the body, then roll out the cake, form the wing and tail. Use a knife to make small cuts to simulate plumage.

Symbolism of wedding loaf jewelry

Leaves - health and youth, wheat - fertility and prosperity, flowers - beauty, pigeons or swans - fidelity, braid - family, grapes - wealth, viburnum - love.

A two-kilogram loaf is on average enough to serve 30-40 guests. Festive bread will become not only a tasty and symbolic dish, but also a wedding table decoration!

Types of loaf and chemical composition

In many processes of solemn meetings, the loaf plays one of the main roles when meeting dear guests. Indeed, for a long time the Slavic peoples had a tradition to meet guests with bread and salt, putting them on a towel, which spoke of the highest disposition and respect of the hosts for those who met.

Among the main types of loaves are:

• Festive.
• Wedding.
• Funeral.

For the preparation of any kind of the above loaves, baker's yeast, top quality flour, cow's milk, chicken eggs and additional ingredients, which are the secret of housewives and enterprises producing this product nutrition.

100 g of festive loaf contains:

• Water - 0.
• Proteins - 7.7.
• Fats - 6.3.
• Carbohydrates - 45.9.
• Kcal - 276.

Given the high calorie content of this product, due to the muffin, which is part of the festive loaf, one should remember about moderation in use, especially for those who follow the figure and count the calories of their diet.

The benefits and harms of eating loaf

• Baker's yeast used in baking loaf contains 16% protein, and dry yeast - 50%.
• Milk, flour, eggs, additives from raisins, dried apricots, dried fruits, which are part of the festive loaf, are a source of minerals and vitamins necessary for a person.

• Baker's yeast accumulates in the human body, absorbing vitamin B, while weakening the immune system.
• Yeast fungi are dangerous for the beneficial intestinal microflora and contribute to the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into the cells. Also, yeast microorganisms disrupt the normal process of cell reproduction and cause the formation of tumors.

Ritual traditions associated with the festive loaf

Festive wedding loaf. Before starting to bake the wedding loaf, the craftswoman had to wash herself, put a cross around her neck, and tie her head with a scarf. While baking, women sang songs and read prayers for the happiness and well-being of the young family. The dough was kneaded in a large form with a cross, and the main cook, who was responsible for the loaf, was allowed to touch the dough.

A man, a good family man, was supposed to send the loaf into the oven. The role of the womb was assigned to the stove, and the masculine principle was personified by a spatula, on which a loaf was fed into the oven.

They decorated the wedding loaf with ears of corn and dough braids. Often figurines of the bride and groom were sculpted, decorating with viburnum flowers and patterns, which were also sculpted in a special way from dough. All these decorations symbolized love.

After the wedding, the loaf was given to the newlyweds. The young people kissed the loaf three times, and then cut and treated the guests.

Today's traditions are simplified. A loaf is baked at bakeries, but still a loaf is one of the main attributes of every wedding ceremony today.

Recipe for making a festive loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour.
• 5g yeast.
• 25g melted butter.
• 3 tablespoons of milk.
• 2 chicken eggs.
• 2 tablespoons of sugar.
• 0.5 teaspoons of salt.
• Cinnamon or vanilla optional.

Cooking:

Dissolve one teaspoon of sugar in milk, and then yeast. Beat the remaining sugar with the yolks and pour into the yeast mixture. Pour 2 cups of flour into a large bowl, make a well. Whip the egg whites into a strong foam, pour the yeast mixture into a bowl with flour, egg whites and melted butter there. Mix, put the dough on the table and knead, gradually adding flour, so that the dough becomes smooth and does not stick to your hands.

The test should be 500g. Cut off 100g from it for decoration. Put on a baking sheet, formed in the form of a loaf ball. Lubricate with water and decorate with ears, flowers, braids, etc., attaching them to the dough with water. As it dries, it is necessary to moisten the jewelry for 3 hours, until the loaf comes up.

Before placing in the oven, grease the loaf with beaten yolk and bake at a temperature of 200º C on the lower shelf until browned. After that, it is necessary to cover the loaf with foil and continue baking for an hour at a temperature of 180ºС. After the loaf is baked, you need to slightly open the oven door and let it stand for 15 minutes. Loaf, after cooking, cover with paper and wrap with a regular towel for the night. Enjoy your meal!

Loaf is a traditional wedding pastry, which is a symbol of not only family happiness, but also fertility, as well as the transition from a bachelor carefree existence to a life full of obligations. It was baked only by experienced women who were happily married. In no case were the childless, divorced, and widows allowed to participate in this case. It was believed that their fate could affect the future life of the young. Not everyone knows how to bake a loaf. After all, the tradition is gradually disappearing into oblivion. However, the recipes have survived to this day.

A little about traditions

They may differ from each other. However, the method of baking and accompanying rituals remain unchanged. The most suitable day for making a wedding loaf is Saturday. Everything you need for baking is brought to the house, where preparations for the celebration will take place.

The preparation of a wedding loaf should be accompanied by all the necessary rituals. Otherwise, he will not have the magical power that is attributed to him. Now weddings are held at the end of the week. Therefore, in most cases, order in confectionery. It is not right. The loaf should be baked by relatives of the newlyweds.

It is worth noting that the size of the muffin also matters. There is a sign: the larger the loaf, the happier and stronger the marriage will be. Therefore, if desired, the number of components that go into the baking composition can be increased. In the old days, such large loaves were baked that it was simply impossible for one person to lift them.

How to bake a wedding loaf at home

To bake a loaf for the newlyweds, you must prepare all the products in advance. To prepare the muffin you will need:

1. 7 to 9 cups of wheat flour.
2. 20 g dry yeast.
3. 100 g of oil on a vegetable or creamy basis.
4. ½ cup milk. Can be replaced with water if necessary.
5. 10 chicken eggs.
6. 2 teaspoons of salt.
7. 6 to 8 tablespoons of sugar.
8. Spices for flavor. In this case, it is better to use vanilla sugar, lemon zest or cinnamon.
9. Fillers for taste - raisins, marmalade, nuts and so on.

Dough preparation

So, how to bake a loaf for newlyweds? First of all, you need to prepare yourself. Baking muffins in a bad mood is not recommended. After all, the loaf gives rise to a new marriage. Therefore, it should be baked only in good mood. All recipes for loaves begin with the preparation of dough. This is the most crucial moment. Since not everyone can bake a loaf at home, it is worth following the sequence and doing everything carefully.

To begin with, it is recommended to slightly warm the milk or water. The liquid should be warm, but not hot. Milk should be poured into a deep container. Add dry yeast to this and mix everything gently. Add sugar to the liquid. One spoon will suffice. It should dissolve in milk.

After that, a small amount of wheat flour must be added to the dough. It must be sifted through a sieve. The result should be dough, like pancakes. The finished dough should be lightly sprinkled with flour, and then covered with a towel or napkin. In this form, the mixture should stand for 1-1.5 hours. It will be possible to get the dough when it increases to the maximum. If this is not done in time, cracks may form.

You can speed up the process if you wish. To do this, the container with the dough should be placed in a bowl filled with warm water. It should be noted that with this method it is necessary to change the water regularly. This is necessary to maintain a certain temperature.

Dough kneading

How to bake for newlyweds? This process requires careful preparation, as well as compliance with all the rules. When the dough is ready, you can start kneading the dough. How to do it?

First you need to separate the whites from the yolks. You can do this with an empty plastic bottle. One of the yolks should be left to lubricate the workpiece before baking. What to do with the rest? The remaining yolks should be gently rubbed with sugar. The resulting mass should be introduced into the dough. wheat flour it is worth pouring into a deep container, separating a small amount to form jewelry. This will take about one glass.

In a separate container, beat the egg whites. Now you need to prepare vegetable-based oil or melt butter in a water bath. It is worth making a small depression in the flour, and then pour the yolks with dough and whipped whites into it. Salt and oil should be added to the mass. After that, you need to knead the dough well on the loaf. As a result, the mass should stop sticking to the hands. This process can take up to 30 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic.

When the mass is ready, it should be transferred to a bowl and placed in a warm place for two hours. After that, the dough should be kneaded and left for a while. It must rise.

We form pastries

So, how to bake a loaf beautiful and ruddy? After the dough is ready, you can begin to form a loaf. How to do it?

To begin with, you should separate from the total mass from 500 to 600 grams of dough. This amount will be enough to form jewelry. Form a ball from the remaining dough. The baking sheet should be covered parchment paper. Put a ball of dough on it. It is recommended to moisten the workpiece with water. This must be done very carefully.

Now you can start making jewelry. The blanks and the loaf itself during the manufacturing process should be regularly moistened with water. To keep it from drying out and cracking. While decorations are being made, the loaf may increase in size.

Decoration methods

Loaf decoration is another crucial moment. This process should be given special attention. After all, each element of decor is fraught with a certain meaning. There are several ways to decorate muffins. In the first case, the elements are still attached to the raw loaf. This method is only suitable for experienced housewives. After all, there is a risk that the jewelry will become vague and lose its attractiveness.

The second way is to decorate the loaf 15 minutes before it is ready. This method is suitable for those who decorate muffins for the first time. In this case, the elements will have time to brown without losing their shape.

Jewelry and their meaning

It is customary to decorate a wedding loaf with elements that carry a hidden meaning. What to choose for muffin decor? Most often used for decoration:

How to sculpt jewelry

Making decorations for a loaf is a difficult task that requires accuracy and certain knowledge. So, here are some ways to create elements from a test:

1. To make a bunch of viburnum, you need to roll up enough thick balls. After that, each blank must be cut into two parts. The result should be hemispheres. They should be fixed on the surface of the loaf, while forming a viburnum branch.
2. To make a pigtail, you need to twist three bundles from the dough. Their length should be 2.5 times the circumference of the loaf. One edge of the blanks must be carefully fixed, and then braided from them. In conclusion, the element should be fixed with a skewer.
3. To make a wheat ear, you should roll up a tourniquet. One end should be narrow, and the other wide. After that, the workpiece must be transferred to the loaf. The wide edge should be slightly incised with scissors so that something like ears of corn is formed.
4. To make roses, you need to roll out 3-4 thin circles. One of the blanks should be rolled up, and the next ones should be wrapped around it, slightly bending the edges. The result should be a neat and lush decoration.
5. To form the leaves, you need to cut a rhombus from the rolled dough, and then cut its edges. The result should be teeth. The veins on the leaves can be made with a knife.

Is it worth it to make a recess for salt

In the center of the wedding loaf, as a rule, a small depression is made. After baking, a small container with salt is placed in it. The notch on the muffin also needs to be decorated. To do this, you can use elements such as a pigtail, ears of corn or leaves.

When the newlyweds are presented with a loaf, they will have to break off a piece of muffin for themselves and, dipping it in salt, eat it. This is an obligatory ritual that symbolizes a pound of salt eaten together, and also portends a happy life for a married couple.

How to bake a loaf

While the decorations for muffin are being prepared, it is necessary to turn on the oven and heat it to 200 ° C. When all the blanks are ready, it is necessary to decorate a ball of dough with them. In conclusion, the loaf should be covered with a solution prepared from the yolk and a tablespoon of water. Thanks will be ruddy and appetizing.

So, how to bake a delicious loaf for a wedding celebration. The dish with the workpiece should be placed in a preheated oven. During the baking process, it is not recommended to open the door and check the readiness of the muffin. Otherwise, the loaf will settle and lose its splendor.

When the surface of the muffin becomes ruddy, it is necessary to cover the dish with foil, and then reduce the temperature in the oven to 180 ° C. When the loaf is ready, it is necessary to cool it for 20 minutes. To do this, turn off the oven and open its door. Slightly cooled product should be put on a dish or tray, previously covered with napkins.

Final stage

The surface of the loaf must be lubricated butter. Also for these purposes, you can use water with sugar. Top the muffin with paper napkins, and then with a towel. Baking in this form should "rest" during the night. It is worth noting that you can present such a loaf for a birthday.

Making a wedding muffin is an event that requires accuracy and full dedication. The hostess must put a piece of her soul into her creation. It is necessary to bake a loaf with love, as well as with prayers.

Since ancient times, there have been many traditions in Rus'. One of these traditions is baking a loaf before the wedding. It was baked 1 day before the celebration.

How to bake a loaf - ingredients

For the loaf you will need:

• 800 g of premium flour;
• 350 ml of milk;
• 5 eggs;
• 5 st. spoons of sugar;
• 250 g vegetable or butter oil;
• 50 g fresh yeast or 10 g dry;
• 1.5 teaspoons spoons of salt.

How to bake loaf - dough

Cooking dough is one of the important processes for obtaining a beautiful and tasty loaf.

• Heat half of the milk until warm.
• Dissolve and stir the yeast in it, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sugar, 2 tbsp. spoons of flour.
• Should work batter. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size and full of bubbles, 40-60 minutes.

How to bake loaf - dough

• The remaining milk is heated, mixed with melted butter, you can take vegetable oil, then you don’t have to melt it, sugar and salt. The liquid must be warm, not hot, otherwise the yeast will die.
• We prepare a large bowl, pour in the approached dough, liquid ingredients, beaten eggs room temperature, 1 yolk is left for lubrication of the loaf on top.
• Gradually add flour and knead the dough with your hands for about 20 minutes, until it becomes homogeneous and lags behind your hands.
• Cover the dough with a towel and put in a warm place until it doubles in size, 1.5-2.0 hours.
• We separate a small piece (about 500 g) from the dough for decoration, and moisten it with water so that it does not dry out.

How to bake a loaf - baking

• We cover the baking sheet with parchment paper, roll the dough into a ball and put it on the paper.
• From the rest of the dough, carefully and quickly roll up decorations.
• If the hostess is experienced and already knows what the nuances of baking can be, then decorations can be attached to a raw loaf.
• We do this: we wrap a ball of dough on paper around a braid woven from dough, pre-moisten the braid with water so that it sticks to the dough better. You can also attach the braid to the loaf with a skewer.
• Lubricate the loaf with yolk mixed with 1 tbsp. spoon of water, and decorate with dough figures. It is not necessary to grease the figures with yolk so that they remain lighter than the loaf itself.
• We turn on the oven in advance at 200 ° C to warm up, put the loaf for 20 minutes, the oven door cannot be opened, otherwise the loaf may settle.
• Then we screw the oven up to 170 ° C and bake for another 40 minutes, if the set time has not passed, and the loaf starts to burn, cover it with foil.
• Turn off the oven and leave the loaf in it to cool gradually for 20 minutes.
• We take it out of the mold onto a tray covered with a napkin, grease it with butter or sweet syrup on top, cover with a towel and leave it like that for 5-6 hours.
• And if the hostess bakes a loaf for the first time and is not confident in her abilities, then it is better to grease the loaf that has come up with yolk and set to bake, and 15-20 minutes before the end of baking, put the decorations soaked in water on the loaf and bake.

How to bake a loaf - decoration

In Rus', loaves for newlyweds were decorated with dough figures, which symbolized love and wealth.

Here are the most basic ones:

• We braid the braid from 3 thin, hand-rolled sticks. It symbolizes the sun and bright feelings for each other.
• A branch of viburnum is love and prosperity in the house, we lay it out from dough balls cut in half and thin twigs from dough.
• Ears of wheat are fertility. We twist a strip of dough, thinner on one side, thicker on the other. We cut the thick side with scissors in the form of spikelets.
• Roses are love. We roll out 3-4 small circles, roll one circle with a roll, and roll the others one by one around it, unbend the edges.
• Leaves are a symbol of abundance. We roll out a layer of dough, cut out rhombuses, cut them off at the edges, you can still cut the edges and there will be teeth at the leaves.
• For a convenient location of the salt shaker on the loaf, we make a recess for it like this: we braid a thin pigtail from the dough, connect the edges - we get a circle, moisten the bottom of the circle in water and glue it to the loaf.

So, we learned how to bake a wedding loaf.

Loaf ... among the Slavs, one name evokes a feeling of something festive, solemn and triumphant, isn't it? This is not surprising, because loaf is the main wedding bread among the inhabitants of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. At the wedding, it is the young people who first taste it, after which they share this skillfully decorated bread, treating all participants in the celebration.

By the way, according to Russian custom, dear guests are greeted with a loaf - this is called "Bread and Salt". For such a case, it is customary to bake a rye loaf, which is carried out on a towel - an embroidered towel. This custom dates back to ancient times - then bread was a deity.

It is also noteworthy that in ancient Rus' the loaf was also used at ... funerals. So, especially for the day of mourning, a loaf was baked, which was laid on the lid of the coffin, and then it was distributed to the relatives of the deceased at the cemetery.

It was this many-sided bread that I decided to bake. To be honest, this is my second experience, but without modesty I will say that I am very pleased with the result. The crumb in the loaf turned out to be insanely airy, porous and unusually tasty. In addition, the loaf came out quite spectacular, with a shiny ruddy crust - family and relatives appreciated it at its true worth.

How to cook "Karavai" step by step with a photo at home

We take 150 ml of milk, yeast, a couple of tablespoons of sugar and 4 tablespoons of flour. In warm (37-38 ° C or so that the fingers are warm, but not hot) milk, add sugar and yeast. Mix and add flour. It turns out a mass like sour cream - this is a dough that needs to be put in heat for 40-45 minutes.

After mixing, this is such a heterogeneous, sticky, even somewhat watery dough. It's hard to believe, but soon it will become very smooth. Knead this dough for 20 minutes. I did it with my hands, trying to give him all my love. Undoubtedly, this is a rather difficult process, but believe me, it's worth it - we bake CARAVAY after all!

And here is the dough - gradually, during kneading, it became more and more homogeneous, it acquired smoothness. Then it began to move away from the walls of the bowl, turning into a tender, but at the same time elastic bun. We cover the bowl with a towel made of natural fabric so that the dough breathes, but does not air out. We give him a rest and grow up exactly an hour and a half.

Without wasting time, let's start preparing the dough for the decor of the loaf. For it, we need all two ingredients: egg white and wheat flour. Depending on the number of decorations, we measure the required volumes. I took 125 grams of protein and 250 grams of flour. That is, for such a test, the required proportions are as follows: 1: 2 - protein: flour.

There is nothing complicated in kneading the dough - just combine these two products until smooth. But keep in mind that the dough winds up very quickly and begins to harden, so we make decorations quickly. We put the dough with which we do not work in a bag, and if necessary, take it out and tear off a piece.

And now the most interesting thing - we form and decorate the loaf. I used a springform with a diameter of 20 cm to make the loaf tall. You can mold directly on the baking sheet - this is a personal matter for every cook. I lined the bottom with parchment paper. I really regretted that I didn’t do it on the sides, since the loaf touched the sides of the mold during baking and partially lost its relief. So, turn on the oven at 200 ° C. We put yeast dough into the form, having previously kneaded it and made the shape of a round loaf. We give the loaf a little (about 20 minutes to come up warm) and proceed to the decoration stage. Mix the yolk and a spoonful of milk, after which we grease the loaf from all sides. We lay the decorations on the loaf - they stick to the dough quite easily due to the yolk. Roses and spikelets (they are the heaviest) I strengthened with toothpicks, since the previous experience was somewhat sad. The rest of the decorations - as your heart tells you. It is not necessary to lubricate the decorations, otherwise they may burn. That's all, the most difficult part of the path has been passed - while we were decorating, the loaf approached properly. We put it in the oven. We bake the first 20 minutes at 200°C, after which we lower the temperature to 170°C and cook for another 40 minutes. If the top of the loaf starts to brown too much, cover it with foil.