Samhain, more commonly known as Halloween, is fast approaching!
Here is a quick 101 story of this holiday which is now associated almost exclusively with candy and horror movies!
The term Halloween comes from the English expression “All Hallows Eve” which means “The eve of all saints”. (All Saints Day, Catholic holiday, which is November 1)
The origin of Samhain goes back more than 2500 years . A party Celtic and Gallic which was celebrated to welcome the new year but also the spirits of the deceased.
Samhain is a joyous feast, of plenty, to celebrate the end of harvests.
But Samhain also has a darker side since the celebrations mark the start of the hardest season of the year, especially in our part of the country! : Winter.
The Samhain would also be according to the pagans, the day when the border between the worlds becomes the thinnest. A perfect time to honor our ancestors.
On the evening of the 31st we light the lanterns, we leave them a free place at our table and we celebrate with a feast of abundance. Bread, nuts, rosemary (Symbol of memories), harvest foods and mead.
With mead everything becomes very festive anyway! Besides, if you've never tried (And you're 18) the SAQ usually have them. It's delicious, you'll see.
In short, it was my little recap of this day waiting for you who is La Samhain.
I leave you my super easy Samhain bread recipe (real, not bar soap!), if you feel like bringing this pagan rite back to your festivities. (apparently since 2020 it has come back into fashion in addition to homemade bread)
Ingredients
Bread
- 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground flax
- 1 handful of walnuts
- 1 tbsp dry rosemary.
Coating
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
PREPARATION
Bread
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, hemp seeds, ground flax, rosemary, salt and yeast. Add water gradually.
This is pretty much the only more 'complicated' moment. Personally, I gradually add the water. 1/2 cup at a time, until batter is moist but not runny. The flour is different according to the seasons and the humidity of the dwellings.
- Mix with a fork until the flour is completely moistened, but the dough is not completely homogeneous.
- Cover and let stand 8 to 12 hours or overnight at room temperature. I recommend under the light of the oven which gives off a little heat.
- With your hands, deflate the dough by folding it on itself about 10 times.
- I coat the contours of the bowl and under the dough with vegetable oil. I sprinkle the hemp and the pumpkin seeds.
- Cover and let stand for about 45 minutes at room temperature or until the dough has doubled in size.
Cooking
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a casserole dish or an ovenproof saucepan with a capacity of about 3 litres, with its lid (not glass), and leave to heat for about 30 minutes. I don't have a lid, so I just have a cooking plate on my camping pan.
- Remove the lid from the casserole. Drop the floured bread in the center of the pan (if your pan is larger like mine, drop your compacted bread on the side of your pan). Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
- Let the bread cool on a wire rack or in the casserole dish. Remove excess flour.
And There you go! Happy Samhain celebration. xx