Today is the feast day of Saint Anthony of Padua. Saint Anthony was a great lover of the poor and a mighty preacher.
Saint Anthony is best known as the Patron Saint of lost things. He is also known for other things but that is what most know him for.
He was born in Portugal and entered the Monastery when he was fifteen. He then joined to the mission of Franciscans at Coimbra. He was sent to Morocco and there he got sick so on his journey back home, the boat he was on drifted off course and he ended up in Sicily.
In Italy, he became a preacher by accident. When a preacher did not show up for an ordination, he was requested to do it. He spoke so eloquently , it stirred everyone and from then on he was asked to preach. He took part in St. Francis’ famous Chapter of Mats in 1221 and was assigned to the Franciscan province of Romagna.
He preached throughout Northern Italy until he died at age 36.
The story of Saint Anthony’s bread refers to an episode that happened in Regaldina near the Basilica in Padua. A woman making bread nearby left her son Thomas in the kitchen alone. When she returned he was found face first in a bucket of water. She screamed and desperately prayed to Saint Anthony where she made a vow that if she obtained a blessing of her child back to life she would donate to the poor bread equal the weight of her son. Her prayers were answered.
Today I made some bread in honor of Saint Anthony.
Saint Anthony's Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup honey
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 packet)
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5-6 cups flour
Directions:
Combine the warm water, milk, honey and yeast in a medium bowl. Allow the yeast to prove for 5 minutes. It should look bubbly. To your mixer add the yeast mixture, butter, flour and salt. Using your dough hook, kneed the dough until combined about 3-5 minutes.
Transfer dough to a work surface and shape into a rectangle about 1 inch thick cut into uniformly sized pieces. Form each piece into a ball pinching the seams on the underside making a smooth top. Transfer dough to a greased pan, I use my Cast Iron Pan. Give the rolls a bit of room to rise. Allow to rise about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375. Bake for about 20 minutes.
Serve warm.
Peace be with you,
Veronica
