Pan di San Giuseppe

(St. Joseph’s Bread)

March  19: Feast Day of St. Joseph

St. Joseph’s Day is just two days after St. Patrick’s Day. The latter is a well-known Irish holiday, but St. Joe’s feast day is more popular to Italians, especially Sicilians. In the 1800s, the immigrants brought their traditions to New Orleans, Louisiana, and set up altars in honor of San Giuseppe. As Houston, Texas, is in close proximity, some churches around our town host Italian spaghetti fundraising dinners on the weekends closest to St. Joseph’s feast day. They also have ornate displays with fancy decorated desserts and breads on the altars.

We were inspired to bake a simpler bread at home as we learn more about Highlander’s patron saint. The crumbs and the sesame seeds represent the sawdust of St. Joseph’s carpentry trade.

This bread is a delicious way to observe St. Joseph’s feast day!

Recipe

(Adapted from Mangia Bene Pasta)

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup milk, warmed to 105-115 degrees F
• 1 package (¼ ounce / 2 ¼ teaspoons) yeast
• 3 cups bread flour, divided use
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted and melted
• 3 eggs, divided use
• 1 teaspoon anise extract (or ½ teaspoon anise seed)
• Sesame seeds

Directions

Bloom the yeast in the warm milk for around 10 minutes. Then pour it into a mixing bowl. Add one cup of flour with the sugar, salt and melted butter. Mix well using the paddle attachment.

Add two eggs and anise plus another one cup of flour. Mix well. Stop the machine and change the paddle attachment to the dough hook. Gradually add the last cup of flour and mix until the dough comes together. 

Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour until doubled in size. Dump the dough on a clean, floured surface and punch down. Divide in two. 

Roll each piece into a long rope (20-22 inches in length). Loosely twist/braid the ropes. Tuck the ends of the dough underneath itself. Carefully pick up the dough and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover again and let it rise for another house until doubled in size.

Beat the last egg with about a tablespoon of water. Brush onto the dough. Sprinkle sesame seeds all over. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Slice and serve.

Notes

• Learn more about the Sicilian traditions of St. Joseph altars from the Virtual St. Joseph Altar website. 
• We hope to add more recipes for St. Joseph’s Day in th future. Check out the ones we posted in the past: sfinge (cream puffs) and pappardelle (sweet noodles) di San Giuseppe.