The Șerbești community prepares doldora cozonac

When the evening falls, not too far away but still close to Iași – 10 skillful hands come together to pamper flour, spices, yeast, sweet noble fillings, and other delicate essences. There are five souls responsible for baking bread and other bakery products in the village of Șerbești, Ciortești commune. Like an almost magical ritual, no earlier than 8:00 PM, the controlled dance of hands begins to knead, shape the dough, tame it, and stuff it well into the most delicious ovens for the entire community in the heart of the village. Four strong women and a sturdy young man stand guard over the dough, from which delicious treats worthy of the red-hot ovens emerge. Somewhere in this symbiosis between human souls and the warmth of the ovens, an almost sacred alignment is felt. Whether it’s warm bread, pastries with delicious fillings, pretzels, pies, or sweet breads, these baked goods only see the sunlight in the morning and quietly settle on the tables of the hungry.

We watched in awe and longing as the Șerbești sweet bread (Cozonac de Șerbești) was made. Everything starts with fine flour, sourdough, well-kneaded dough, and patience, because there’s no room for haste in the kitchen when it comes to making a good sweet bread. Left to rise, the dough rests to become more elastic and make room for the filling that’s usually served at festive meals. The filling consists of roasted and chopped walnuts, cocoa, Turkish delight, golden raisins, and drops of essences that can only be vaguely remembered, so as not to reveal the secret recipe still kept hidden. The ladies all gather for the making of the sweet bread because it requires both meticulousness and teamwork. The young man prepares the oven, which will eagerly receive the trays with the wonderful composition. The sweet breads are filled generously with cream and left to rise once again. The ritual itself takes many hours, and we, the guests, try to keep each other awake to catch all the secrets of the Șerbești sweet bread. Only after many hours have passed past midnight is the sweet bread carefully placed in the oven. 55 minutes on the clock, at a constantly controlled temperature, and the sweet bread is ready. The protocol dictates that this delicious baked good be left to cool and rest, and only then, as the day breaks, is it cut. Did it stir up memories of your grandparents’ time for you, too, the Șerbești sweet bread? Know that the taste is just like back then, preserved with sanctity, in the soul, and alongside a glass of warm milk.