San Biagio Doughnuts. February 3rd is the feast of Saint Blaise, the protector of the throat. Thus, in Italy, from the days leading up, anise-flavored doughnuts are made. Anise because: This herbaceous plant has small fruits, which we call seeds, that help us fight cold, asthma, and bronchitis. Even the Greeks knew the properties of this plant; and Pliny recommended drinking anise-flavored wine to treat scorpion stings. Meanwhile, in England in the early fourteenth century, King Edward I imposed a tax on its trade to raise the necessary funds to repair London Bridge. Easy to grow and then dry to have this pleasant aroma on hand, which is also used to make liqueurs to flavor desserts and coffee.
There are hundreds of recipes to prepare on this occasion, this is one of many.
Soft and fragrant, they offer a moment of delicacy and flavor to our breakfast.
Other traditional preparations dedicated to saints can be found below:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 10 doughnuts
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: San Biagio
Ingredients
Simple and readily available ingredients.
- 8 cups flour
- 1.5 cups milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3.5 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3 eggs
- to taste anise powder
- 0.9 oz compressed yeast
- 1 egg yolk (For brushing)
- 1 espresso cup milk (For brushing)
Steps
A simple dough with double rising. Then the scent of anise and soft goodness.
Dissolve the yeast in a little warm milk taken from the total amount, add it to the flour and then add all the other ingredients. I did not specify the weight of the anise. If you like it, you can add more, or just enough to give it a good aromatic note.
Knead well until you obtain a smooth dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place, but not exceeding thirty degrees Celsius (86°F). I recommend the oven with a pot of boiling water on the bottom. This also prevents drafts and helps maintain good humidity.
After the necessary time, take the dough and divide it into equal pieces. I made 10 pieces to have doughnuts about 6 inches in size; if you prefer, you can make smaller pieces. Allow to rise again until doubled, and before baking, brush with egg yolk and milk emulsified together and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (356°F) in a preheated oven for about thirty minutes.
Your San Biagio doughnuts are ready. If you can resist, wait before enjoying them.
Great also when accompanied with a bit of jam or dipped in hot chocolate.
A few more tips
You can choose to make only two doughnuts to cut into slices, or form a braid and make a crown. Creativity in the kitchen plays an important role. For tradition, anise helps with throat ailments, and the doughnut shape was practical for hanging on a stick, carrying on the arm after church, or decorated with ribbons to offer as a gift. The doughnut shape also represents the cycle of seasons and divine protection without end.
