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Bread of St. Joseph


Decorated St. Joseph's bread

St. Joseph's Bread: ingredients and recipe to make a typical Sicilian product for Father's Day.

Each region has its own typical recipe and in Sicily , on the occasion of Father's Day, St. Joseph's bread is prepared. With a profound symbolic meaning, it is prepared in various ways. The most widespread version is the one based on re-milled and richly decorated semolina. There is also a simpler variant whose shape resembles simple sandwiches where the dough is enriched with anise or fennel seeds.

The feast of St. Joseph is deeply felt on the island and we will discover, by taking a leap back in time to its origins, the strong link with pagan propitiatory traditions. Here's how to prepare decorated St. Joseph's bread.

Altar dedicated to San Giuseppe with three floors filled with decorated bread and other Sicilian delicacies.
San Giuseppe, altar dedicated to the saint in Sicily – primochef.it

Preparation

Bread of St. Joseph

1

Start by pouring the flour into a bowl and making a well in the center.

2

Warm up a glass of water taken from the total and let the yeast dissolve in it, then add it to the flour.

3

Start kneading with a wooden spoon, then adding the remaining water a little at a time. As soon as the dough takes consistency, continue working it on the pastry board.

4

Form a loaf and let it rise for 2-3 hours or until it has doubled in volume.

5

Divide the dough into smaller parts and, following the traditional instructions that we leave below or your imagination, form the decorated loaves .

6

Brush them with the beaten egg and cook them in the oven at 190°C for 25 minutes (if large, it may take longer). Let them cool on a rack.

Usually bread is prepared following a precise symbolism , the shapes given are:

  • The staff of St. Joseph, representing command;
  • St. Joseph's beard , symbol of wisdom;
  • The hand of Saint Joseph, which symbolizes the blessing and refers to the craftsmanship of the holy carpenter.

Furthermore, there are other forms of bread , including animals, fruits and flowers, which conceal an intricate system of religious symbolism.

As mentioned, it is possible to make even the simplest St. Joseph's sandwiches . In this case, add two tablespoons of fennel seeds to the dough and, after leavening, divide it into 70 g portions. Form balls, cut them into a cross and let them rise again for an hour. Cook in the oven at 200°C for 15 minutes.

Conservation

Both versions should be kept in a dry place, away from sources of light and heat and inside a special container or paper bag for a maximum of 2-3 days .

Origin and history

The feast of St. Joseph which coincides with Father's Day, falls every year on March 19th. Although it has a religious connotation (see the link with Jesus' father), it can actually be traced back to the Hellenic-Roman cult of Adonis , a mythological figure linked to wheat. The end of March in fact coincided with the arrival of spring and the celebration of propitiatory rites to promote fertility and abundance.

With the arrival of Christianity, the cult took, especially in Sicily, the form we know today. Among the customs still active is that of setting up a real banquet, called St. Joseph's dinner , in the shape of an altar.

A picture of the Child or the Holy Family is placed on the top, while on the way down we find decorated breads, fried foods and other typical traditional desserts such as buccellato, pignolata and cannoli . The Artaru (this is the name of the structure) is sumptuously decorated with laurel branches ( murtidda ), lentil and wheat plants sprouting in the dark ( lavureddu ) and flowers ( balicu ).

In 2020, St. Joseph's Bread was placed on the Intangible Heritage Register .

Read also
Tortelli di San Giuseppe: the perfect sweets for Father's Day

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