Ostara 2023: Fresh Herb and Cheese Brioche Rolls
If you got a chance to read our post from Friday, you saw that our main intentions for this sabbat are set towards a journey of renewal and rebirth. As easy as it is to set an intention, it is the action you take to bring it to fruition where the real magical work comes in.
When I was thinking about what foods I wanted to feature for Ostara, one of the first that came to mind was one of my favorite breads in the entire world; rich and eggy brioche. When done right, this buttery French bread is a treat beyond compare and lines up absolutely perfectly with the correspondences of the season. I chose to go in a slightly different direction with this batch and made it into savory, herb and cheese packed little rolls that are a lovely compliment to a breakfast, brunch, or dinner meal. Before we jump into the recipe, let’s take a look at some of the specific ingredients that make up this decedent bread and how we are going to be harnessing their energies.
Dairy
When venturing into bread baking, you’ll find that there are two main “umbrella” categories out there: Lean dough and rich dough. A lean dough at its core are breads that often utilize the most basic bread making ingredients (flour, yeast, water, and salt) and focus more on fermentation for flavor and gluten production to achieve their characteristic chewy inner structure and a crisp outer crust. Rich doughs on the other hand usually feature several decadent components, such as eggs, butter, and milk and because of this sports a more rich, pastry-like taste and softer overall texture; Our brioche definitely falls into this second category as it uses all three of these luscious ingredients, plus some.
This sabbat is a celebration of fertility (both literal and figurative), embracing the divine feminine, and drawing in more abundance into our lives. Milk, butter, cheese and other dairy products are excellent for spellwork centered around these elements because they embody nourishment, prosperity, and life giving energy.
While eggs can be bulked into the dairy group and are an extremely important symbol of this sabbat, I am planning on focusing much more closely on them in our next recipe, so be sure to check back for that!
Fresh Herbs
Soon enough, all of the beautiful green new life spring has to offer is going to be surrounding us. Green is absolutely the color most associated with Ostara due to its correspondence with success, prosperity, abundance, manifestation, and fertile mother Gaia herself. It was a no brainer for me then to encourage these energies in this recipe by adding in a bunch of fresh herbs to the dough.
For this batch, I chose to use dill, thyme, parsley, and chives. Beyond lending their beautiful flavors to the bread, I was pulled towards this specific combination of herbs to aid in clearing away any lingering negative thoughts and behaviours that no longer serve me; creating space for new, positive growth.
Wheat Flour
Much like dairy, wheat is very often a symbol of life sustaining energy, prosperity and abundance, due to its significant role in nourishment globally. Wheat based products, especially bread, have held an extremely important place in the survival and cultural development of society at large; with bakers once being regarded as the most essential workforce of their community.
Many cultures have used and still use wheat and products made with it as part of ritual practices and as offerings to appease and honor deities and spirits. Here, we are using the energies locked within it to help us manifest the bounty of the season into our own lives and give us the strength to continue on our journey.
The Lessons of Bread-Making
Whether you are new to bread baking or a seasoned veteran, each loaf has a message or lesson for us if we are willing to listen. That might sound a bit weird right now, but I promise to make it make sense soon.
While most cooking and baking requires our time and energy to complete it, bread is one of the few unique preparations that often asks for more involvement on our end. It expects you to get your hands a little dirty during the process and absolutely demands patience; you are working on its schedule, not the other way around. These are reminders that no matter where our journey’s end is, we have to be active in finding our way to it; being a bystander in your own life isn’t an option if you truly want to succeed.
Another lesson I have learned time and time again from my baking experiences over the years is that as much as it is a strict mathematical formula to bake properly, there is room for mistakes to happen and for things to still turn out okay in the end. I’ll be honest, I’m not perfect at following a recipe even as a professional; sometimes I read too quickly or mix up a step. I can and have absolutely beaten myself up over it, only to have the product come out okay after all is said and done. The lesson here is that no matter what the outcome may be, you deserve the space for forgiveness. You don’t have to be expected to be perfect 100% of the time and growth often times comes from learning from our mistakes.
When all is said and done, even if you do end up back at square one, each lesson is a tool to use on your next try; the key is to never stop trying. Your happiness and success are more than worth the effort.
The Recipe
Fresh Herb and Cheese Brioche Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. all purpose flour (prosperity, abundance)
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast (action, rising vibrations)
- 4 oz. whole milk, heated to 100 degrees F (fertility, prosperity, divine feminine/ Goddess energies)
- 4 oz granulated sugar (attraction of positive energy, sweeten spellwork)
- 4 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks (fertility, new beginnings, abundance)
- 2 tsp sea salt (purification, protection)
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill (prosperity, realignment of self)
- 2 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley (clear away negative thought patterns)
- 2 Tbsp fresh chives (protection from negative energy)
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme (confidence, welcoming success)
- 8 oz unsalted butter, softened (smooth transitions/changes, spiritual energy, abundance)
- 8 oz semi hard or hard cheese of your choosing, crumbled finely (fertility, nurturing energies, prosperity)
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, place your flour, yeast, and sugar and mix briefly to combine then add in your salt, milk, fresh herbs and eggs and begin blending on low speed until combined.
- Once your mixture comes together into a shaggy dough, bring the speed on the mixer up to medium and allow the dough to knead until it starts to become shiny and elastic, approximately 10 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl down as needed.
- Once your dough reaches this consistency, lower the speed on the mixer and begin to add in your butter in slowly, a tablespoon at a time. Be sure to allow each piece of butter to fully incorporate before adding the next one. Scrap the sides of the bowl often to ensure all of the butter is incorporated into the dough evenly.
- Bring the speed back up to medium-high and allow the dough to knead again for another 8-10 minutes. I like to hand knead the dough in the bowl during the last 2 minutes of the process, however this is not a necessary step. Your finished dough should be very elastic, smooth, and will be slightly sticky.
- Scrap the sides of the bowl once more and with oiled hands, gather the dough together into a smooth, uniform ball. You can place the dough back into the bowl of the stand mixer or into a new clean, large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm area with a kitchen towel over the bowl to proof for 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Prepare muffin or cupcake tins with a generous amount of butter or pan spray or alternatively, you can use paper liners.
- Once your dough has doubled in size, place it onto a floured work surface and begin to portion out 3oz pieces of dough; you should get 15 equal pieces at this weight.
- Cup each dough ball in the palm of your hand and place 1- 1 1/2 tbsp of your crumbled cheese in the center then seal the surrounding dough around it to create a stuffed roll.
- Gently shape the ball back into a sphere and place into your prepared pans. Repeat until all of the rolls have been shaped. Reserve any left over cheese for sprinkling on top of the rolls later.
- Loosely cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and allow to proof in a warm place for another 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size again.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
- After your rolls have finished proofing for the second time, gently brush each roll with your egg wash and sprinkle them evenly with the remaining cheese and black pepper.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the rolls are deep golden brown and the cheese on top is crispy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
- These are best served warm from the oven with fresh butter, as an accompaniment to your favorite soup, stew, or pasta dish. They also make a wonderful addition to your breakfast or brunch table. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can adjust this recipe to include any herbs or spices you prefer taste or intention wise.
