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Siete cielos (seven heavens bread)
Sephardic Shavuot loaf crowned with dough symbols
IsraeliPan de siete cielos, 'seven heavens bread', is a Sephardic Shavuot tradition from Thessaloniki and Turkey, kept alive by Ladino-speaking families in Israel. A large round loaf of soft, slightly sweet bread is topped with a spiral and small dough shapes, often a ladder, tablets, birds and a hand, each a symbol from the festival story, then glazed and baked. It is the centrepiece of the dairy holiday meal and is broken and shared at the table. The common mistake is attaching the shapes with no water, so they lift off in the oven; brush underneath each one. Chef's tip: keep a fifth of the dough back for the decorations and keep it covered so it doesn't dry out while you shape.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 1 ⅜ lb strong white bread flour
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup olive oil
To finish
- 1 egg yolkbeaten with 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix the 1 ⅜ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 2 ⅛ oz sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt. Add the 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water, 2 eggs and ¼ cup olive oil and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
15 minStep 2: Cover and leave in a warm place for about 1½ hours until doubled.
90 minStep 3: Knock back and cut off a fifth of the dough for decorations; keep it covered. Shape the rest into a smooth round and set on a lined tray.
10 minStep 4: Roll a long rope from part of the reserved dough and coil it in a spiral on top of the loaf. Shape the rest into small symbols: a ladder, two tablets, birds and a hand. Brush the loaf with water where each piece goes and press it on gently.
20 minStep 5: Cover loosely and leave to rise for 40 minutes until puffy. Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan).
40 minStep 6: Brush the whole loaf with 1 egg yolk, scatter with 1 tbsp sesame seeds and bake for 40–45 minutes. If the decorations darken too fast, cover loosely with foil. It is done when deep golden and hollow-sounding underneath.
45 minStep 7: Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does siete cielos (seven heavens bread) take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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