Imbolc Kitchen Magic Ideas
Now that January is behind us, it is time to plan for the brighter, longer days ahead, when the weather will be warm enough to stroll outdoors and notice the subtle seasonal changes, like the softening ground and the first stirring of life poking through its barren surface.
One of the four fire festivals on the neo-pagan wheel of the year, Imbolc embodies the latent energy of renewal, an inner flame that heals and purifies, and the life force that grows quietly within. In fact, the word Imbolc means “in the belly” in Gaelic, referring to ewe’s auspicious gestation and the coming of new life in the spring.
Imbolc brings the gift of promise – it teaches that change, for the better, is on its way. Folks in the northern hemisphere celebrate it on February 2nd, while pagans in the southern hemisphere, where the wheel is reversed, on August 2nd.
Bread and cheese are fundamental components of an Imbolc feast, those being the foods that our ancestors would have been able to procure more easily during late winter.
With this in mind, the recipe that I find connects nicely with this sabbat is my veganized Georgian khachapuri, a rich cheese boat with a sprinkle of dried dill weed on top. I became acquainted with this delicious bread while visiting the Caucasus a few years back. Here it is, readapted to suit a plan-based, healthy diet that doesn’t, however, preclude the consumption of indulgent comfort food every once in a while.
Prep Time: 45 min | Proof Time: 2 1/2 hrs | Bake Time: 15-20 min | Makes: 4 medium flatbreads | Difficulty Level:♦♦♦ – Intermediate
the Dough
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour + ½ cup for kneading
- 1 cup lukewarm water + ¼ room temperature water for kneading
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
The cheese mix
- 1 ⅕ cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds
- 1 ½ cup vegan cheddar cheese shreds
- ½ cup vegan feta crumbles
- olive oil drizzle
- 2 tsp dried dill weed (optional)
The dough making
Place 1 cup lukewarm water in a small bowl. Dissolve the sugar in it and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let sit for 5 minutes to bloom.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour (2 ½ cups to start), salt, and a drizzle of oil, 1 tbsp approximately. Form a well in the center of the flour, stir the yeast mixture and pour it in the center of the well. Mix well with a wooden spoon until a dough starts to form. Add ¼ cup of room temperature water and the remaining ½ cup of flour while mixing with your hands. Tip the dough onto a floured workbench and knead for 10 minutes, or until an elastic, smooth dough is obtained. Return to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a dry tea towel, and proof for 2 hrs in a warm place.
the cheese mix
Combine the cheeses in a mixing bowl and set aside.
shaping the flatbread
Preheat oven to 450° F.
Tip the dough back on the floured workbench, punch down to make the air escape, and knead for 1 minute. Divide dough into 4 equal portions and form oblong boats about 10″ (25 cm) long and 5″ (12 cm) wide at the middle. To obtain the desired boat shape, you can use a rolling pin or your hands and knuckles. Roll the dough into a 10″ oval in length, pinch the shorter ends, and pull away from the center. Stretch out the center of the oval to reach a 7″ width and scatter the cheese over the entire length of the boat keeping away from the edges – a 1″ (2.5 cm) clear edge will suffice. Fold and stretch the edges at the two extremities of the boat to encase the cheese filling. Pinch the edges together to make a seam. Fold the clear edges at the center of the boat over the cheese filling to create a barrier, which will prevent the melting filling from overflowing.
Transfer the flatbreads to a preheated pizza stone, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes. In absence of a pizza stone, a baking sheet will be fine, too.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle dried dill weed over the cheese filling. Enjoy, cautiously, warm right out of the oven.
Extras and tips
If the vegan cheese you are using is low in saturated fat, it may not melt as desired in the oven, no matter how high the temperature of the oven is. If the oven is too hot, the cheese will burn and the dough not bake properly. The plant-based cheese I use is fairly lean – to help the melting, I add 1 tbsp of boiling water to the cheese mix while combining in the bowl. This is start breaking down the fats before the bread is in the oven.
