People
Rózsika · Kneading Bread
In the small town of Cecheşti, belonging to the region known as Szeklerland, we find Rózsika. She and her family open the doors of their house to tell us how the traditional bread of the region is made.
The day before the preparation and baking of the bread we meet her to prepare the previous dough, which rests during the night.
This tipe of bread contains an unusual ingredient, boiled potato. With the boiled potatos grated, wheat flour sifted, sourdough (from another previus baking) and salted watter, Rózsika prepares the first dough, we continue working on it the next day.
As bakery tradition marks, at 6 am we continue adding ingredients and making the dough grows.
Once the preparation of the dough is finished, they let it rest and grow while they prepare the oven.
Attila, Rózsika’s husband, cuts the thin strips of wood with which they feed the oven.
First they prepare a small fire to gradually temper the oven, and then a second fire more alive that lasts until the bricks change from black of the flames to white ash and so Rózsika explains that it is time to start baking.
After prepare the oven, she cuts the dough with her hands and introduce one by one the loave which is being cooked in the oven for one hour and a half.
While the bread is cooking we talk calmly with Rózsika, knowing a little more about how she and her family live. She also shows us the other parts of the house, typical space distribution in the houses of this region, the garden where they grow vegetables and the barn where they reare the animals and store the corn crop, very common in the area.
The smell of bread around the house takes us back to the task. After taking the bread out of the oven Rozsika hits it with a wooden board and scrapes the outer bark.
Then, after the bread cools down we are ready to enjoy it!
Thanks for keeping alive the tradition, for opening the doors of your house and teaching us how tasty are things done with time, dedication and passion.
