Recipe from La Laguna Tenerife: This bread symbolises protection, sustenance, and generosity. In many communities, a blessed piece is kept at home throughout the year as a sign of abundance and care for the household and animals.
Ingredients
- 1 kg of wheat flour
- 25 g of fresh yeast (or 8 g of dried yeast)
- 500 ml of lukewarm water
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of sugar (optional, depending on local tradition)
Preparation
- Dissolve the yeast in a little lukewarm water along with the sugar and leave to rest for 10 minutes until frothy.
- Place the flour in a large bowl, add the salt, and mix well.
- Incorporate the dissolved yeast, the remaining water, and the olive oil.
- Knead until you obtain a soft and elastic dough.
- Cover the dough with a clean cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Shape into small loaves or one large loaf, according to tradition.
- Place them on a baking tray and let them rest for another 20 minutes.
- Bake at 180 °C for 30–40 minutes, until golden brown.
- Allow to cool. Traditionally, the bread is taken to be blessed on St. Anthony’s Day.