What a wonderful way to welcome the New Year...with Mexican Sweet Bread! Did you know?
In Greece, the Greeks celebrate the beginning of the New Year by sharing a traditional sweet bread into which a coin has been baked. The bread is sliced at midnight and whoever gets the coin is believed to have good luck for the year
In Italy. Italians customs vary by region, but in certain areas eating lentils, often in combination with sausage (zampone), is believed to bring good fortune all year. In other areas, a sweet bread or cake like a panetonne or a torciglione is sliced and served to all as a symbol of hope and prosperity. The culmination of the Christmas celebration is actually held on January 6. The night before, children leave their shoes outside and an old woman – Befana – delivers presents. On that day, a torta della Befana, a cake in which a large bean is hidden, is served. The one who gets the bean has good fortune for the year.
In Ireland, an Irish tradition involves banging on the door and walls with Christmas bread to chase the bad luck out and bring good spirits to the household with the promise of bread enough in the New Year.
St. Joseph has been known to protect the common worker from a host of calamities, including illness, bad weather, poverty and all-around bad luck. So it's only fitting that his bread offered would do the same for the New Year!
Saint Joseph's Bread Adapted from the March 2008 issue of SaveurIngredients 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the proofing bowl 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup water, heated to 105-110 degrees 1/3 cup sugar 1 1/4 ounce-packet active dry yeast 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I substituted white wheat flour) 1 teaspoon salt 3 eggs, at room temperature Optional: 3/4 cup golden raisins, soaked in water for an hour, and ½ teaspoon anise seedsMethod Heat butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted; let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Whisk together water and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over top and whisk until combined. Cover with a tea towel and let it sit, until foamy, about 10 minutes.In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the flour, sugar and salt. Add cooled milk mixture, yeast mixture and 2 of the eggs and whisk until smooth, about two minutes. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, using a rubber spatula once dough begins to form into a ball. Once all flour has been added, turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about five minutes. Grease a large bowl with butter and add dough. Turn dough to coat with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about two hours.When ready to roll and shape, remove dough from bowl and punch it down, patting it into a flat rectangle on a work surface. With a rolling pin, continue to flatten the rectangle until it is roughly 12 by 16 inches. Using your hands, press dough into an even thickness.Place dough so that the longer side is parallel to your body. If using raisins and anise, add now, distributing evenly on top of dough. With your hands, roll dough into a tight tube, making sure it's an even thickness from end to end. Pinch tube along its crease to seal it. Gently roll tube back and forth to smooth. Leave it crease side down on work surface. Attach both ends of the tube to make a ring and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover loosely with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size, about one hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat remaining egg in a small bowl. Brush risen dough all over with egg. Using a razor blade or thin sharp knife, make Xs about one inch deep on top of ring and pull slashes apart slightly with your hands. Place baking sheet in oven and mist inside of oven with a spray bottle. Bake bread until deep golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack before serving.
