History
“Busieł” is the local word for a stork. According to old beliefs the stork protected the home from fire and brought plenty and many children. The feet were baked for the Annunciation, when the storks came back from warmer lands. Children were given them to eat, sometimes with a coin inside for wealth, and some were also placed in storks' nests. They used to be made from rye flour and water, today from yeast dough. They have been on the list since 2021.
Recipe
Busłowe łapy from yeast dough
Ingredients
- 500 g plain flour
- 25 g fresh yeast
- 250 ml warm milk
- 60 g sugar
- 60 g butter, melted
- 1 egg
- a pinch of salt
- 1 egg yolk and a tablespoon of milk for brushing
- poppy seeds or streusel (optional)
Method
- Dissolve the yeast in half the milk with a teaspoon of sugar. Leave for 10 minutes.
- Mix the flour, the rest of the sugar, the salt, the egg, the rest of the milk and the starter. Knead for 10 minutes, add the butter and keep kneading until the dough is smooth.
- Leave to double in size, about 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each into an oblong, cut three toes into one end and bend the whole thing slightly like a bird's foot.
- Place on a baking tray and leave for 20 minutes. Brush with the yolk and milk and, if you like, sprinkle with poppy seeds.
- Bake at 190°C for 15–18 minutes, until golden.
Where to taste and buy
Busłowe łapy are baked at spring workshops in museums, including the Podlasie Museum of Folk Culture in Wasilków, and in some eateries in the region. Look for them in spring, around the Annunciation: 25 March for Catholics, 7 April for the Orthodox.
Description based on the entry in the Ministry of Agriculture's List of Traditional Products. The quantities in the recipe are our own suggestion for the home kitchen. Product sheet on gov.pl →
Stay in Klejniki
Most of these flavours are within an hour's drive of our house. A kitchen with a wood-fired range is waiting, in case you feel like baking something.
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