Trança
By Julia Sampaio
In Brazil, the big Christmas celebration is the dinner on Christmas Eve. When I was younger, we would go back to Brazil and visit my family for Christmas almost every year. And every year, once everyone was done eating dinner and all the dishes were put away, we would all wait anxiously for Vovó (Grandma) to bring out the Trança. As soon as my aunt took a picture of the packed dessert table and the food was declared ready to be eaten, everyone–children, teenagers, and adults alike–would rush to the table like hungry animals to try to get a good piece of the Trança, the centerpiece.
My grandfather’s grandmother, Evangelina, moved from Germany to Brazil at some point during the 19th century. With her family, she brought a recipe for a braided German sweet bread that was later entitled Trança (‘braid’ in Portuguese) by my family. When she married, she made it every Christmas Eve for her new family. At some point or another, her sister, Virginia, translated the German recipe to Portuguese. My mother’s cousin later typed up the manuscript and shared it with the rest of the family. And so this recipe, although slightly modified by every person who makes it, has been made every Christmas since.
When Evangelina became too old, her son, my great grandfather Francisco took on the duty of making the trança. According to Vovô (Grandpa), his son, he would get so frustrated trying to make the complicated recipe that he would throw the dough at the wall! But then, one fateful Christmas, his wife, Lourdes, walked in while he was struggling with the bread and took over. She had never made the Trança before, but legend has it that she messed around with it a bit and it came out perfectly. She taught Vovó how to make it and eventually Vovó taught my mom. Now, even if we don’t get to visit our family for the holidays, we still get a little taste of home and memories in the form of the Trança.
My grandfather’s grandmother, Evangelina, moved from Germany to Brazil at some point during the 19th century. With her family, she brought a recipe for a braided German sweet bread that was later entitled Trança (‘braid’ in Portuguese) by my family. When she married, she made it every Christmas Eve for her new family. At some point or another, her sister, Virginia, translated the German recipe to Portuguese. My mother’s cousin later typed up the manuscript and shared it with the rest of the family. And so this recipe, although slightly modified by every person who makes it, has been made every Christmas since.
When Evangelina became too old, her son, my great grandfather Francisco took on the duty of making the trança. According to Vovô (Grandpa), his son, he would get so frustrated trying to make the complicated recipe that he would throw the dough at the wall! But then, one fateful Christmas, his wife, Lourdes, walked in while he was struggling with the bread and took over. She had never made the Trança before, but legend has it that she messed around with it a bit and it came out perfectly. She taught Vovó how to make it and eventually Vovó taught my mom. Now, even if we don’t get to visit our family for the holidays, we still get a little taste of home and memories in the form of the Trança.
Ingredients
|
Dough
|
Instructions
I
- Put the flour in a warm bowl, forming a well in the middle.
- In a separate bowl, dissolve the yeast with half of the milk (warmed) and a bit of sugar.
- Pour the mixture into the well of the flour and cover it with some of the flour. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave it in a warm place with still air for 25-30 minutes for the yeast to activate.
- Later, warm the butter/margarine and mix it with the sugar, the eggs, the salt and the lime zest. Combine the mixture with the flour and the yeast and add the rest of the milk. Work the dough with your hands until it becomes smooth, shiny, and no longer sticks to your hands and the bowl. Flour the dough then cover it with the tea towel again. Let it proof until it rises 2-3 centimeters.
II
|
|
III
|