A little history...
Born in Catania, Sicily in 231 AD, Agatha of Catania was of great beauty. The Roman proconsul Quinten fell in love with her, begged her to marry him, but she refused. In retaliation, he had her arrested, tortured, and then had both of her breasts cut off. In a gesture of protection, she lost a hand. The next day, Agathe reappeared with her hand and chest miraculously restored. Despite this, Quinten condemned her to the stake, but an earthquake and an eruption of Etna shook the island once the fire was lit. Agathe protected the city by stretching her veil, thus marking the beginning of the cult of the saint in Sicily.
In Savoy, the cult of Agatha dates back to the annexation of Sicily to the Duchy of Savoy in 1713, following the Treaty of Utrecht. The inhabitants of Sicily invoke her as protector against fires, making her the patroness of young mothers and wet nurses. The hand-shaped brioche, reminiscent of Agathe's severed hand, was imagined by Mr. Richard at the end of the XNUMXth century, a baker in Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny.
Ingredients and materials
- 1 large salad bowl
- 1 grand bowl
- 1 large spoon
- Saffron
- 1kg of flour
- 250g sugar
- 250g of butter
- Salt
- 1 packet of baker's yeast
- 1 glass of milk
Configuration
Two hours in advance, prepare the equipment and ingredients at a low temperature. In the bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk then add flour spoon by spoon until you obtain a very “soft” leaven.
In the large salad bowl, mix a good half of the remaining flour with the sugar, salt and saffron. Then add the sourdough, mix while adding the rest of the flour little by little.
Knead with your hands. The dough should be soft and come away from your hands. It “takes” more or less flour depending on the quality of it.
Leave to rise for several hours depending on the temperature.
Knead the dough again and give it a flattened oval shape.
With your hand on top, look for the place of the fingers and cut the dough between the fingers with a knife. Spread your fingers widely apart as they will swell. Brush the top with egg yolk diluted in milk. Leave to rise for another hour.
When the dough is sufficiently risen, place it in a low oven initially. The hand raises again, then in a hot oven. Watch until the hand is nicely browned.
Bon appétit!
