Slavski Kolač — Slava Bread

The ritual bread of the Serbian slava — every Serbian Orthodox family celebrates their patron saint
day with a prescribed meal whose centrepiece is this beautifully decorated round yeasted bread, adorned
with crosses, doves, grape clusters, and the letters ИС ХС НИ КА (Jesus Christ Conquers). The bread
is blessed by the priest, then ceremonially broken and shared among the guests.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (eggs, milk, butter)

SERVINGS: 12 (one large loaf)
TIME: 4 hours

INGREDIENTS:
- 750 g bread flour, plus more for shaping decorations
- 300 ml warm whole milk
- 100 g butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 80 g sugar
- 10 g instant yeast
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon

For finishing:
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon milk (egg wash)
- Sesame seeds
- Nigella seeds (optional)

METHOD:
1. Warm milk. Stir in 1 tablespoon sugar and yeast. Let foam 10 minutes.
2. Combine flour, remaining sugar, salt, lemon zest.
3. Add yeast mixture, eggs, yolk, vanilla, and melted butter. Knead with dough hook 12-15 minutes until silky and elastic.
4. Rise in a warm place 90 minutes until doubled.
5. Punch down. Divide dough: use 80% for the main loaf, 20% for decorations.
6. Shape the main portion into a tight ball, then flatten into a round loaf about 25 cm across. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Divide the decoration dough. Shape decorations:
- A central cross (made of two thin braided strips)
- Small round rosettes for the four corners or four sides
- Doves (form teardrop shape, flatten tail into fan, pinch beak)
- Grape clusters (many tiny balls in triangular groupings)
- Letters ИС, ХС, НИ, КА (Cyrillic for "IC XC NIKA") formed from thin rolled strips
8. Affix decorations to the top of the loaf by brushing the underside with water and pressing gently. Place the cross in the centre, rosettes around it, letters in the four quadrants.
9. Rise 45 minutes.
10. Brush carefully with egg wash, avoiding drips that would fill the decoration details. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (avoid the decorations).
11. Bake at 180C (350F) for 40-50 minutes until deeply golden. Cover with foil halfway if over-browning.
12. Cool on a rack before serving.

NOTES:
- Slavski kolač is Orthodox ritual food. It is blessed by the priest during the slava ceremony, rotated three times, and broken by the priest and the head of the household together. Every guest receives a piece.
- The decorations are not decorative only — each symbol is meaningful. The cross symbolises Christ's sacrifice. The doves symbolise the Holy Spirit. The grapes symbolise the Eucharist. The letters are Christ's triumphant monogram.
- The bread must be the right size and shape — round, about 25 cm. A square or rectangular slavski kolač is not used.
- Beside the slavski kolač at the feast go the koljivo (boiled wheat with honey, for departed family), red wine, and a candle.

NUTRITION (per slice, approximate):
Calories: 280 | Protein: 8 g | Carbohydrates: 46 g | Fat: 7 g | Fibre: 1 g