Mazanec, the Czech version Easter bread, is dated from late 15th - early 16th century. It's a type of kolach (the generic term for holiday bread in Slavic countries) usually filled with raisins & almonds. Unlike Russian kulich and Polish babka, it's scarcely glazed and rarely painted. The recipe featured in today's post is from Domácý Kuchařka (1826) by Magdalena
Dobromila Rettigová.
 |
| A portrait of M. D. Rettigová by Jan Vilímek (after 1890) |
.jpg/348px-Dom%C3%A1c%C3%AD_kucha%C5%99ka_(1826).jpg?20211105101230) |
| Cover page of M. D. Rettigová's best-seller |
Some information about the distinguished lady who penned Domácý Kuchařka:
Magdalena Dobromila Artmannová (1785-1845) was born into a German-speaking family of Všeradice, in Central Bohemia. Her father was German and her mother of Czech origin. Magdalena was inclined for education and talented in writing. Her earlier books were novels, typically addressed to female readers. After marrying the lawyer A. J. S. Rettig, she was involved in the Czech national movement. She began to use her middle name, Dobromila, and was instructed in her mother tongue. Encouraged by Rettig, she wrote verses in Czech. After travelling from place to place due to husband's business, Dobromila settled in Litomyšl, on the Bohemian-Moravian border. In 1826 she published her famous book of local & Central European recipes, which quickly became a national best-seller. The chapters were neatly organized and the directions much clearer than early 19th century books usually gave. The recipes used local ingredients that were measured in local units. Mazanec is featured in the section on "cakes, buns, pastries & treats".
The original recipe (translated by Google with the help of my Czech friend):
"Velikonoční mazanec. Nech zlehka rozpustit tři čtvrtě libry nového másla, dej do něho půl třetího žejdlíka sladké smetany, 6 neb 8 žloutků, čtyry lžíce hustých kvasnic, 3 loty tlučeného cukru, všecko dohromady dobře rozmíchej, a zadělej tím pěknou suchou mouku v hezky tuhé těsto, dobře ho vypracuj, až jde od vařečky a dělají se pěkné puchýřky; pak do něho ještě vmíchej s půl citronu drobně rozkrájenou kůru, trochu tlučeného květu, a nech ho dobře skynout; potom těsto osol, dej do něho 4 loty pařených rozkrájených mandlí, 4 loty velkých hrozinek, a zase ho vypracuj, načež z něho dělej pěkné kulaté. bochánky, pomaž je rozkloktanými vejci a nech je pěkně vypect. Z toho těsta může se udělat buď jeden velký, nebo dva malé mazance; velký se musí pect na pomazaném papíře a plechu v chlebové nebo koláčové peci, malé však se mohou upect v dobře roztopené troubě."
"Easter cake. Slightly melt three-quarters of a pound of new butter, add 2.5 zejdlik (=0.895 lt) of sweet cream, 6 or 8 egg yolks, four spoons thick yeast, 3 loty (=51g) of beaten sugar. Mix well and knead into a nice stiff dough, which comes off a wooden spoon and makes nice blisters. Stir in the grated peel of half a lemon, a little ground nutmeg, and leave to proof. Add 4 loty (=68g) of steamed and chopped almonds, 4 loty (=68g) of big raisins, and work the dough again. Shape into round loaves, paint them with beaten egg and let them bake until golden. You can make either one big or two small loaves from this dough. The big loaf must be baked on greased paper and metal sheet in a (large brick) bread oven; small ones, however, can be baked in a well-heated (smaller) metal oven."
.JPG)
Comments