How to bake a loaf at home step by step. How to bake a loaf. Traditions to bake a loaf in Rus'

is an important element of the wedding ceremony. It symbolizes an appeal to higher powers, the promise of prosperity and prosperity for a new family. It is believed that the word "loaf" ("cow") comes from the word "cow", in ancient times ritual bread was replaced by a sacrificial animal.

It is interesting that presenting a loaf to young people and treating all wedding guests with this bread is a tradition not only in Russia. This part of the wedding ceremony in Ukraine, Belarus, Eastern Poland and Bulgaria.

Ingredients and equipment

The correct dough for a loaf is rich, sourdough, from flour ground on hand millstones. However, in modern conditions it is impossible to comply with all the conditions of ritual preparation, therefore, a recipe adapted to the usual set of products is given.

Which Ingredients necessary in order to make a loaf at home:

1. Wheat flour of the highest grade(1/5 - 1/4 part can be replaced with wholemeal flour or grain) - 6-8 glasses (900-1200 g);
2. ½ cup whole milk(or 10% cream);
3. 20-25 g yeast(for fresh, dry and "instant" should take into account the manufacturer's recommendations for the quantity per specified amount of flour);
4. chicken eggs- up to 10 pieces;
5. Sugar- up to 5 glasses (about 1000 g);
6. Butter unsalted (melted, high-quality vegetable odorless) - 100 g;
7. Salt- ½ or 1 teaspoon;
8. Spices according to taste and desire.

Important: traditionally baked without flavorings, the natural smell of pastry was important. Nuts, poppy or sunflower seeds, raisins, other dried fruits, dried berries (depending on the locality) were used as additives.

For technologists: perhaps you are faced with the task of establishing the production of wedding loaves in your bakery. The following key requirements and specifications may be useful to you: GOST 27842-88, GOST 31805-2012, GOST 31807-2012, GOST 5669-96 (these are just a number of basic standards, a more extended range of requirements should be checked with consultants in the food industry) .

In modern conditions, vanilla (pod pulp, extract, vanilla sugar or vanillin) and cinnamon will successfully complement the taste of sweet dough. To flavor unsweetened dough, coriander, black and red pepper (paprika), dried herbs and garlic are used.

To make a loaf with your own hands you will need:

• large bowl for kneading dough;
• sieve for sifting flour;
• spoon or spatula, better wooden, for kneading;
• whisk or mixer(blender) for beating eggs;
• measuring containers or kitchen scales for weighing products;
• cling film or lid to close the container with the dough for the proofing period;
• baking dish.

How to bake? Step by step recipe

Loaves are baked with different levels of sweetness: from almost bland to very sweet dough. The maximum number of products indicated in the list of ingredients is calculated for the sweet option.

For unsweetened, reduce the maximum rate of eggs by half, and put no more than 3-5 tablespoons of sugar. Reduce the amount of yeast for unsweetened loaf by 20-25%. Flour is pre-sifted!

So, the recipe for a wedding loaf:

1. Mix warm milk (cream) with yeast. If the yeast manufacturer recommends mixing it with flour rather than liquid, measure out a glass of flour, mix it with yeast and pour in the warm liquid. Knead the contents until there are no lumps.
2. Add salt to the dough, 3-5 tablespoons of sugar, if necessary, a little more flour. You should get a creamy mass. We leave it in a warm place until bubbles appear (the proofing time of the dough depends on the type and quality of yeast, 30-60 minutes).
3. While the dough "wanders", prepare egg mixture. Separate the yolks from the proteins, beat the yolks with the remaining amount of sugar until whitening and dissolving the grains, add warm butter to it and stir until smooth. Separately beat egg whites with a pinch of salt. It is not necessary to mix the yolks with butter, you can add them separately.
4. In a bubbling dough gradually pour in the egg-butter mixture, spices, ½ of the remaining flour. Mix thoroughly. Leave warm for another 30-60 minutes to ferment.
5. Add whipped egg whites, mix the dough.
6. Knead to the desired consistency, gradually adding the remaining flour. It may require a little more or less than indicated in the recipe.
7. Leave the dough to ferment in a warm place. Cover the container with cling film or a thick towel (lid). Let it double in size, fold it down and wait for it to increase again.
8. Form a loaf and let it rise in a baking dish. In the process of proofing, grease with warm water with sugar, immediately before baking - with melted butter.
   After baking, a hot loaf can be greased with jelly (half a teaspoon of starch brewed in half a cup of water). This will make the baked goods bright and shiny.

A solemn event - a wedding is associated with ancient folk traditions. Bachelorette, stag, ransom, bridal bouquet, wedding loaf originate in the depths Slavic epic.

Wedding bread is a good symbol of every wedding. According to tradition, relatives from the groom's side should bake a loaf for the wedding. A clean married woman with a strong family and healthy children is selected in advance. It’s great if the godmother of the groom bakes a loaf. The energy of a prosperous person leads to harmony and wealth in a new family. Bread is baked on the wedding day, a married man should send it to the oven. The baked pie is hidden from the evil eye to the moment of submission. The mother-in-law should serve the loaf to the newlyweds after arriving from the registry office or the wedding on an embroidered towel (long towel), giving a parting speech.

According to signs, newlyweds who have tasted bread and salt are not afraid of family troubles and hardships!

Whoever bites off a larger piece, the power in the house

Wedding cake decorations are also traditional. Spikelets symbolize wealth, doves - love, swans - fidelity, pigtails - fertility. Yes, and the round shape of the loaf itself - sun symbol.

Photo loaf at the wedding

The best loaf recipes for a wedding

Below is a step-by-step recipe for a wedding loaf at home.

Required products:

• 1.2 kg flour;
• 500 ml of milk;
• 5 eggs;
• 150 gr. Sahara;
• 2 teaspoons of powdered sugar;
• 1.5 teaspoons of vanillin;
• 400 gr. butter;
• 3 bags of yeast;
• 4 tbsp. spoons of honey;
• 1 st. a spoonful of salt;
• grease for golden crust: 1 egg, 1 spoon of milk, 1 spoon of melted butter.

Let's start cooking:

1. Beat sugar and eggs.
2. Milk, heated to 36 degrees, combine with whipped mass, butter and salt, mix. Add yeast, mix again. Pour in the sifted flour. Sifting enriches the flour with air, affects the quality of the future product.
3. Knead the dough thoroughly until it no longer sticks to your hands.
4. An indicator of a good kneading is a homogeneous smooth dough. Put in heat, cover with cellophane or a towel so that it does not dry out, for 1.5-2 hours.
5. Knead the risen dough again. Separate the fourth part for decorations, blind the ball from the larger part. Add raisins or a coin for the happiness of the young.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper on top of the dough. Give it a round shape. Turn on the oven to 200 degrees. Be sure to place a bowl of water on the bottom of the oven. Let the oven heat up and let the dough rest for another 10 minutes.
7. Lubricate the surface of the product with the prepared mixture to form a golden glossy crust.
8. Prepare decorations. To do this, roll the dough into a thin layer, cut out swans, leaves, flowers, berries with a knife or molds. Weave a pigtail from the dough, place along the edge of the loaf. Moisten with water to keep jewelry secure.
9. Put in the oven.
10. After 30 minutes of baking, check the product. Turn for even baking. The residence time in the oven is up to 50 minutes.

Take a dish, cover with a towel, take the baked bread out of the oven onto a dish, cover with a towel or napkin on top, let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or vanilla sugar.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the master class on cooking loaf with your own hands:

A video of cooking and decorating a loaf for a wedding will help you visually create your own culinary masterpiece!

It is also possible to bake a loaf in an electric oven

Bakeries offer to order for a solemn event, but it is possible to cook a loaf of yeast dough at home, the main thing is keep proportions ingredients and make an effort to knead.

Here a simple recipe for baking loaf with dry yeast:

1. Melt 50 gr. natural butter. Separate the whites and yolks of 4 eggs.
2. In 6 st. spoons of milk at room temperature stir 2 teaspoons of sugar, add 10 gr. dry yeast (1 sachet), beat 4 yolks thoroughly with 3 tbsp. tablespoons of granulated sugar, combine with yeast mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, beat 4 egg whites with 1 teaspoon of salt until foamy. Combine the ingredients: pour 4 tbsp. wheat flour of the highest grade, add proteins, butter and yeast mixture, mix thoroughly. Knead the dough until it stops sticking to your hands.
4. Separate the fifth part for decorations, form a ball from the rest of the dough, put it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
5. Blind decorations, place on the base. Sprinkle with water, let stand for 3 hours in a warm place, preventing drying. Cover with cellophane or a towel, sprinkling periodically with water. After 3 hours the dough will rise. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, put a container of water on the bottom, bake until golden brown on the lower tier.
6. As soon as the loaf reaches the desired blush, reduce the temperature to 180 degrees, cover the product with foil on top, rearrange to the middle tier, bake for another 1 hour.
7. Carefully remove the bread, grease the crust with sweetened water, put on a dish, cover the bottom and top with towels.

After cooling down, meet the newlyweds with a loaf.

Cooking and baking a loaf is easy: it takes 4-5 hours of time, of which 3 hours the dough rises by itself!

Subject to the rules of kneading, the time of raising and resting the dough, the wedding cake will be soft.

Photo of dough for loaf

To impress the wedding guests, we bake a festive two-tiered loaf. Take all the products from the list above in double volume.

Divide the dough into 3 parts:

• to the bottom;
• upper tiers;
• decorations.

Simultaneously bake both parts on two baking sheets. After 30-40 minutes, when the crust is browned, at the bottom with a knife, remove the top with a diameter equal to the top, lubricate with water, hoist the second tier. Send to the oven until done.

Loaf decoration at home - manifestation of fantasy and skill! Be sure to blind the stand for the salt shaker in the center.

Photo of wedding decoration loaf

To make spikelets on a loaf:

1. Roll up sausages 2 cm thick, cut, imitating ears of wheat.
2. Cut the leaves from the rolled out thin layer.
3. Grapes are small balls.
4. Making swans from dough is easy. Roll 2 sausages 6 cm long and 1.5-2 cm in diameter. Stretch the dough to make a small ball at the beginning (head), a graceful neck in the middle, another ball further (this is the body).
5. We form the eyes, beak, wings, tail, bend the neck.

See the step-by-step design in the video recipe for a wedding loaf at home with your own hands:

You can make jewelry from white dough. It will be unleavened dough like for dumplings or protein.

Photo of loaf decoration at home

white dough recipe to decorate a wedding loaf:

1. 1 glass of water
2. 3 cups flour
3. 1 teaspoon of salt.

Need to: sift flour, add salt, water, knead. Roll out into a thin layer and cut out decorations. Place on the product cooked in the oven and bake.

Protein dough for decorating a loaf:

1. 4 squirrels,
2. 400 gr. flour.

Need to: sift flour, carefully beat in a blender with proteins. The dough will become elastic. Now sculpt decorations from it. When baked, they will retain a light color.

Why does the loaf settle after baking?

Cooking Tips:

1. Early opening of the oven for the first time. We put the bread in the oven, you can open the door no earlier than after 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven for 10-15 minutes.
3. Be sure to sift the flour. This is 40% success. The meaning of sifting is to enrich the flour with oxygen, then it will better react with the yeast.
4. Do not be lazy to knead thoroughly. Difficult physical labor, but the quality and splendor of the cake depends on the duration and intensity of the kneading.

Here are the reasons why donkey loaf. In order not to lose face in the dirt on the eve of the celebration - bake a trial. So you will take into account the nuances and on the eve of the event you will bake an elegant rich product.

Wedding loaf at the celebration

DIY salt dough loaf

In order to make salt dough for modeling, you need to prepare:

• 1 st. fine salt;
• 2 tbsp. flour;
• 8 art. l. sunflower oil;
• 250 ml of water;

It is necessary to stir all dry ingredients in a deep container, then pour in sunflower oil and water. If you want the dough to take on a certain color, then gently stir in the carrot or beetroot juice. The dough will be soft and pliable!

Photo of salt dough for loaf modeling

To make a loaf with your own hands, remember that a braid or an ornate tourniquet along the edge is an obligatory element. This decor looks elegant, symbolizes happiness and wealth, does not allow pastries to blur. Weave it from individual bundles and place on the edge. The surface of the upper part of the loaf is filled with dough figures.

When decorating a loaf with modeling, in addition to traditional symbols, they use:

• stars;
• flowers;
• birds in the nest;
• rings;
• cones;
• grass blades;
• bunches of grapes;
• viburnum berries;
• thin braids;
• flagella;
• stripes.

Elegant loaf for a wedding- a symbol of a new family, joy and well-being, gives the newlyweds unforgettable moments that will be remembered for a lifetime. Be sure to decorate such a solemn event with them.

Lyudmila Domashnaya, Konstantin Larkov 09/10/2015 35819

I have been baking black and white bread at home for a long time, but I still don’t know how to decorate a loaf. My son has a wedding soon, and I decided to bake one of the main attributes of this holiday myself. As it turned out, it is very easy to fashion beautiful patterns on the top of a flour product.

It is a great thing when baking pleases not only with its taste, but also with its appearance. An intricately decorated loaf can become the main "hero" of the festive table or an unforgettable gift to your dear people. However, you can decorate homemade buns, bread and any other pastries with dough decorations.

Loaf dough

First you need to bake the base. Make it easy. Prepare the following foods:

• a bag of dry yeast weighing 8-10 g;
• 1 st. warm milk;
• 1 egg;
• vanillin;
• 80-100 g butter;
• 2-3 tbsp. flour;
• 0.5 st. Sahara;
• 1-2 tbsp. l. sunflower oil for greasing the baking sheet;
• 1-2 tbsp. l. milk or drinking water diluted with sugar, or 1 beaten egg to lubricate the loaf blank.

Take 1 tbsp. warm milk and pour it into a deep bowl. Add 1.5 tbsp. l. sugar, add yeast and mix everything thoroughly. Now add 1 tbsp to the resulting liquid. flour. The dough should be the same consistency as for pancakes. Leave it alone for 1 hour.

After this time, put softened butter, vanillin on the tip of a knife, an egg, 1 tbsp. flour, add the remaining sugar. Knead a soft elastic dough. Leave it in a deep bowl for another 1 hour. The size of the container must be chosen taking into account the fact that the dough will rise and double in volume.

While you have time, start making "decor".

Decoration of a wedding loaf

To do this, you will need: unleavened dough (like dumplings), kneaded from flour, water and salt. Adjust the number of components at your discretion - the dough should turn out to be tight and elastic. Prepare also a rolling pin, a knife and a glass for cutting circles.

Consider how to make basic elements from the test.

1. Do you want to build a salt shaker from the dough on the top of the loaf? There is nothing easier! Such figures adorn special loaves - wedding or those with which guests are greeted.

Cut a long, not very wide strip from the rolled out dough. Cut it lengthwise into 3 parts, without cutting to the end (photo 1). Weave a pigtail out of strips of dough (photo 2).

On one side of the pigtail, cut off a little dough, making the edge pointed. On the other side, cut out a small triangle in the middle (Pic 3).

Now align both ends so that they connect without gaps (photo 4).

2. Now let's make a daisy. Cut out a circle from the rolled dough (photo 5), make several deep cuts along its edges at a distance of 0.5 to 1 cm from each other.

Lightly press the edge of each sector with your fingers, giving it the shape of a petal (photo 6).

Roll a ball from a small piece of dough and place it in the center of the workpiece in the form of a camomile core (photo 7).

Similarly, you can make two parts and put them one on top of the other - you get a voluminous flower. You can make even more details by reducing the diameter of the circles.

3. To make a cornflower, cut out a circle from the rolled dough, make 5 cuts along the edges, dividing into 5 parts. In this case, one part should be twice as large as the rest (photo 8).

Then lightly pinch the larger part at the base (Pic 9).

Make shallow cuts on the base in the form of a mesh (photo 10), and on the petals - shallow dots and dashes-patterns (photo 11).

4. The next figure is called "aquilegia". Cut out 5 circles from the rolled out dough, fold each in half (Pic 12).

Connect the ends of the resulting semicircles (Pic 13).

Arrange the petals close to each other on a flat surface so that they touch in the center (Pic 14).

Roll a small piece of dough into a ball and place it in the center in the form of a core (Pic 15).

Now form a ball from the yeast dough, place its shape, and decorate on top with the figures that you just blinded. Do not forget to grease the workpiece with a beaten egg or milk with sugar. Bake the loaf at 180°C. When it's browned, take it out of the oven.

Solemn ceremonial bread can be decorated not immediately, but 15 minutes before readiness. In this case, the figures are guaranteed not to blur and will be lighter than the main product. Attach them best with a raw egg.

My loaf turned out to be small, but fabulously beautiful. If you want to bake a large product, increase the amount of ingredients.

Bread has always had a special meaning in Rus'. It is with large round bread - a loaf, which was often baked for holidays and important events, that many ceremonies and rituals are associated. Dear guests were met and seen off with a loaf, and the most magnificent and skillfully decorated loaves were the main treat at weddings.

The history of the origin of the loaf in Rus'

The custom of serving special pastries at weddings dates back to the ancient Slavs. In ancient Rus', bread was considered the great gift of the nurse of the earth, and the sun was the main patron. Therefore, the predecessor of the festive loaf was round like the sun and symbolized fertility, abundance and prosperity.

Origin of the word "Karavai"

There are several assumptions about the origin of the name of ritual bread in Rus'. The most common of them boils down to the fact that the word "loaf" comes from the word "cow", which in Slavic dialects means "bride". And the suffix "ay" in the word acts as a symbol of a bull, that is, a man. Thus, the loaf personified fertility, the unity of the feminine and masculine principles.

Traditions to bake a loaf in Rus'

Baking a loaf was accompanied by a certain sequence of rituals. Loaf women were invited to make festive bread - women who are happily married and have healthy obedient children. Being engaged in the preparation of festive bread, loaf women passed on their experience to the young and shared family happiness. And a married man had to plant bread in the oven. During all these rituals, special songs and prayers sounded to receive God's blessing to the young.

The size of the loaf was also of great importance, as it personified the status of the nascent family. The desire to cook the largest and highest ceremonial bread often turned into the fact that several rows of bricks had to be taken out of the oven in order to get the baked loaf. The finished treat, in addition to various patterns of dough, was decorated with ears of wheat and clusters of viburnum. Such decor was symbolic and meant family well-being, harmony and love.

Traditionally, baking a loaf in Rus' was preceded by some event. This bread was baked only on special occasions, most often for weddings or to meet long-awaited guests. The hospitable hosts always greeted dear guests with bread and salt. Often it was a rye loaf with salt, which was presented on a towel.

A frequenter of all Slavic weddings - a lush ruddy loaf - was always baked in a round shape, symbolizing the pagan god the Sun. It was believed that this deity descends to earth in order to take under its wing the newlyweds, crossing the line of family life, beautiful, but not easy.

Description

Loaf is called sweet round yeast bread, which is a frequent "participant" in East Slavic rituals, mainly wedding ceremonies. It is believed that the custom of presenting newlyweds with this festive bread originated in the ancient Egyptian civilization. Later, this knowledge migrated to Ancient Hellas and Rome, and with the advent of Christianity became the property of the whole world.

The history of the origin of the loaf is shrouded in solid symbolism. Ancient people associated wheat with wealth, success and prosperity, respectively, bread with a golden crust, baked in the shape of the sun, was identified with good luck and a well-fed life. Therefore, the loaf through the centuries carried the glory of the sacred symbol of prosperity and family well-being. Of course, the baking of this solemn bread was approached extremely scrupulously and even with the use of certain magical techniques. For example, flour was poured for him from 7 different bags, and water was taken from 7 different wells. In addition, such a responsible business as preparing a loaf for the newlyweds was entrusted exclusively to a married woman who was undoubtedly happy in marriage and raised healthy, mischievous children. After all, only a prosperous hostess in her personal life could convey to the wedding bread a rainbow mood and positive energy, which is so necessary for the newlyweds. The main cook thoroughly washed herself, put a scarf on her head, and a cross around her neck - and only after that she could start kneading the dough. This process was “spellbound”, because it was always accompanied by the reading of prayers or cheerful singing performed by other loaf women helping in the kitchen.

The dough was kneaded in a special huge shape with a cross. None of those present, except for the head cook, had the right to touch either this bowl or the dough itself. When the dough "ripened" for baking, the next important step came - sending this bread to the oven. This mission was assigned exclusively to a married man. In general, baking a loaf in Rus' symbolized the conception of a child: for example, the oven personified the female womb, the shovel on which this festive bread lay was the masculine principle, and the finished loaf was a symbol of the child. This whole process was reminiscent of a kind of sacrament that was performed on the eve of the wedding and only in the groom's house.

At first, they did not attach much importance to decorating the loaf, usually they were limited to braids made of dough. However, over time, loaves became more "dressed up": they were decorated with bright flowers and ears of corn, colorful patterns and paired figures, as well as a pagan symbol of love - viburnum branches. The size of the loaf also mattered: large and lush bread-sun promised the newlyweds a rich, joyful life.

The loaf was presented on an embroidered wedding towel only after the wedding, and this was done by the mother of the groom. The newlyweds kissed the bread three times, after which they cut it into pieces and treated the guests. Modern weddings demonstrate completely different traditions: a loaf, as a rule, is bought in a store, and at a wedding, the newlyweds bite off slices from it - whoever has a larger piece will run the house.

Ancient loaf recipes included a special leaven for the dough or consisted of a fermentation process caused only by thorough kneading. In our time, wedding bread is baked mainly from yeast dough with the addition of milk, flour, cream, eggs, sugar, salt and other ingredients. Many modern housewives improve its taste with cinnamon, dried fruits and vanilla.

The composition and useful properties of loaf

To call this bread a "source of health" will not turn the tongue of any normal nutritionist. But still, in small quantities, a loaf can be not only harmless, but even useful. After all, baker's yeast is a high-protein product: pressed contains about 16% protein, and dry - 50%. In addition, they, as well as eggs, milk and flour, from which the loaf is baked, contain some minerals and vitamins.

Product harm

Fortunately, the loaf is not sold on every corner, and our traditions provide for the use of this bread very rarely - only at wedding feasts or anniversaries. For all its festivity and symbolism, the loaf, like any other yeast product, does not particularly replenish our body with useful substances. On the contrary, baker's yeast, taking root in the human stomach, actively absorb the intake of B vitamins and even undermine the immune system. Accumulating, they weaken the body's defenses and make it more susceptible to various diseases. Yeast fungi also eat the beneficial microflora of the gastrointestinal tract and play the role of a kind of "Trojan horse" that promotes the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into the cells of the digestive organs, and then into the blood and the whole body. In addition, yeast microorganisms contribute to the disruption of normal cell reproduction and the formation of tumors.