St. Joseph’s buns are a typical Sicilian recipe with a simple dough, but the addition of fennel makes them special and tasty.
A type of bread that can be made as a single loaf or divided into buns like I did, and you can have fun with different shapes.
I wanted to carve them at least on the surface, but then I forgot and… nothing will be for next time!!!
The St. Joseph’s bread has a dough with ‘0’ flour and semolina flour, which will already give it a unique taste, then with the addition of fennel seeds, it will be the best.
I didn’t put a lot of fennel, only because I don’t like the seeds to remain whole and at that moment I couldn’t use the coffee grinder to blend them, so I reduced the amount a bit.
As we all know, March 19th is celebrated as Father’s Day and St. Joseph is also considered the protector of workers, but customs and traditions for this occasion vary in each city.
Generally, these fragrant buns are found in Sicilian ovens and have a cut incision on the surface, as tradition, on this feast day they are brought to church for the blessing, then distributed to the community.
About 205 Calories per serving
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 14 buns
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: Father's Day
Ingredients for Making St. Joseph’s Buns
- 3 1/3 cups durum wheat flour
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/8 cups water
- 1 3/4 tsp fresh yeast
- 2 tsp barley malt (or honey)
- 1 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
Preparation of St. Joseph’s Buns
I made the dough in the evening with cold water and little yeast, after 1 hour of rising I put the dough in the fridge and left it overnight, the next day I took the dough, let it rise, divided and shaped the buns.
If you want to make the recipe a bit faster, also add 10 grams of yeast and you will have buns ready on the same day.
In a bowl, place the water and yeast, let it dissolve, then add the semolina flour and mix well.
Then add the salt, oil, and mix, add the malt or honey and finally the all-purpose flour and fennel seeds, working the dough well.
Once the dough is made and a soft but not sticky dough is obtained, let it rise in a bowl covered with cling film.
If the dough tends to be too soft, add flour in equal measure between semolina and all-purpose.
At this point, if you have put little yeast, place the dough in the fridge, otherwise in the oven with the light on for at least 2 hours.
Once risen, pour the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, create a ball, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
At this point, divide the dough into 14 pieces of about 3.4 oz each, form the balls, and place them on a non-stick baking sheet or lined with parchment paper.
Let rise again for at least 1 hour….
…..then bake in a hot oven at 392°F for about 12-14 minutes.
