If you’re Orthodox Christian and grew up in a country where the majority of the Christian population celebrated Christmas in December, then you’ve probably had to explain why you celebrate Christmas in January AT LEAST a few times. Do you have a go-to explanation? I do. And while it’s second nature to you and me, it’s a concept that is very confusing for some. Why use the Julian calendar when the rest of the world doesn’t? Wouldn’t it be easier to just celebrate when everyone else does? Those are just some of the questions I’ve been asked over the years. But those confused faces turn to smiles once I start to talk about how I technically get 2 Christmases, what I call the “American” Christmas and then Christmas-Christmas. And then we start talking about the food…
A key component of a Serbian Christmas meal is the Česnica, a special honorary bread prepared for this occasion. Similar to a Slava bread, it is decorated with various symbols of importance like a cross of course, grapes, a barrel, wheat, and other things. Unlike Slava bread, the Česnica has special symbolic items hidden inside. One item in particular that everyone hurries discreetly to find is the coin. You see, the individual preparing the bread, usually the wife or mother, tosses in a cleaned coin (I wrap it in aluminum foil), and bakes it into the bread. Then, when it’s time to eat, everyone breaks off a piece of the bread and whoever’s piece contains the coin is said to have good luck and lots of money the rest of the year.
Other items usually included:
- Dren/Drenjina (cornealian cherry) to symbolize good health
- Wheat, to indicate a good harvest/fruitful year
- A piece of the yulelog used in Christmas rituals to symbolize fertility and success
- Corn and beans to represent good health for any livestock
As you can see, the Česnica is the crown jewel and much more than just a bread shared with the family during the Christmas meal. Before the meal begins, everyone participates in turning the bread 3 times while reciting a prayer. Then the bread is broken up by hand and enjoyed along with all the other special dishes.
For my recipe, I’m using a milk and egg style bread (Pogaca) because this is a special loaf. For Slava bread, I always prepare a plain bread recipe as that’s traditional. You can read more about the decorations I used as well as the recipe for that here.
I hope you had a chance to learn something new today and I hope you decide to make this decadent bread even if you’re not celebrating with us this January. This makes a delicious special occasion loaf too!
Are you following me on Instagram yet? If you’re not, what are you waiting for? I’ve very active there and you can always send me a message with any questions about a recipe or process. I try my best to respond promptly as most of my followers are usually making the recipe in real-time and reaching out for help as they go! Think of it like having me on speed dial 😉
Božićna Česnica /Serbian Christmas Bread
Cuisine: Balkan, Serbian6
servings1
hour30
minutes40
minutesBožićna Česnica, the crown jewel of the Christmas meal with loads of symbolic additions hidden in the folds.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon (10 g) dry active yeast
1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
1 cup (250 ml) warm milk
3 heaping spoonfuls (53 g) yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup (100 ml) oil
2 eggs (3 if smaller)
4-5 cups (600-700 g) all-purpose flour + more for rolling out dough
- For brushing/za premazivanje
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk
Directions
- Prepare your decorations the day before and leave out to dry overnight. See the decoration recipe and instructions here.
- To a small bowl add the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Stir to incorporate all the yeast and set aside in a warm place to proof. I usually place it in my microwave or next to the stove if I’m cooking.
- To a large mixing bowl add in the eggs, oil, salt, and Greek yogurt. Whisk to combine everything and when the yeast has proofed add it in as well. Stir to combine and then add in the flour.
- Stir the dough with a wooden spoon until incorporated and then using your hands knead the dough until the dough is compact and still slightly sticky. It should not be wet and should come together into a ball.
- Form the dough into a ball and dust very lightly with flour on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise until double in size. If your kitchen is warm this will take 20-25 minutes but if it’s cooler, it may take up to 40 minutes. I place my bowl in the microwave (turned off).
- Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C. Line a round 12 inch/28 cm baking pan with parchment paper on the bottom. Grease the sides of the pan lightly with baking spray or with a bit of oil.
I use a springform pan to make it easier to remove. If you don’t have a springform pan then grease the sides of your baking pan well so the dough is easier to remove or line the entire pan with parchment paper including the sides. - When the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Knead it gently and then split the dough into 10 pieces, with 1 piece being slightly larger than the other ones. Shape each piece into a dough ball and insert any symbolic pieces like the coin and other items throughout the dough. Set aside.
- Start with the largest piece. Knead it briefly and form it into a smooth dough ball. Then, using your hands, flatten it slightly and place it in the middle of the baking pan. Next, take another dough ball, split it into 3 smaller pieces, and roll each small piece into a rope. Braid the 3 pieces and wrap the braid around the centerpiece of dough. You may need to stretch the braid a bit to ensure it wraps around the entire piece of dough in the middle of the pan.
Pro tip: You can also split the braid in 2 and create a cross on top of the centerpiece of dough. - Next, place the remaining dough balls all around the centerpiece. Don’t worry if there are gaps, when the dough rises, it will fill in.
- Cover the baking pan with a clean kitchen towel or plastic bag and allow to rise for about 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has risen slightly, it’s time to place the decorations on top. Decorate as you please. Press each decoration on top of the dough while applying slight pressure but be careful not to dent the dough. Be gentle.
If it has trouble sticking, brush the bottom of the decoration with a bit of water and then press onto the dough. - Brush the entire bread and decoration with the egg wash and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. If the bread begins to brown too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking for the full time. Be mindful of how fast the decorations are browning and cover the bread if you need to.
- Once baked, allow to cool completely and serve room temperature. Store any leftovers in a plastic bag.
Notes
- Prepare your coin by washing it well with soap and water. I like to also wrap the coin in aluminum foil.
- You don’t have to brush the decorations with the egg wash if you don’t want to. You can leave them dry and they will bake a lighter color than the rest of the bread.
- While the bread expands and bakes be aware that some decorations will move. But that’s ok and the beauty of this bread!
- Don’t try to eat the decoration pieces. Because they are made with a harder dough you may chip a tooth! If making decorations with the bread dough itself, you may eat them but they won’t hold their shape as well.
