From mid-December and up until after the New Year we usually keep on the festive table nuts and dried fruit, plus melomakarona and kourabiedes.  

Wikipedia refers also to the Sephardic Jewish tradition to serve various nuts, candied and dried fruits during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.  Catalans and Armenians share similar traditions.

When I first read a description of this traditional festive bread I was surprised by the amount of olive oil it contains. I looked up many French recipes and they all agreed that for each pound of flour there should be one full cup of olive oil added. There were few minor differences in the aromatics among the recipes, with some suggesting just a few aniseeds, and others a lot more –I chose to follow the latter.Some also had orange blossom water along with orange or lemon zest, which I preferred to leave out. Some recent version substituted butter for the olive oil (!) and also had egg in the dough. The recipe Saveur published in 2007 has no aromatics at all, and significantly more sugar; the headnote describes it as ‘a cross between a brioche and a focaccia.’ There is also a crunchy version of the Pompe a l’ Huile, which is baked in a low oven until completely dry.

Part of the traditional Christmas table in Provence this delicious olive oil bread is supposed to be torn into pieces with the hands and never cut with a knife. Pompe a l’ Huile is served along with twelve more desserts on Christmas Eve on the festive tables all around the Mediterranean coast of France. The thirteen sweetmeats include various dried fruits –figs, different kinds of grapes, plums etc.—candied pears and apples, as well as oranges and other citrus fruits, cookies, and nougat.

It is an old Mediterranean tradition to have different kinds of sweets on display during the end of the year holidays, supposedly to placate kalikantzaroi, the  malevolent goblins. In Greece we also keep on the table nuts and dried fruit, plus melomakarona and kourabiedes from mid-December and up until after the New Year. 

RECIPE: Pompe a l ‘Huile: Festive Bread from Provence

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Pompe a l’ Huile is served along with twelve more desserts on Christmas Eve on the festive tables all around the Mediterranean coast of France. The thirteen sweetmeats include various dried fruits –figs, different kinds of grapes, plums etc.—candied pears and apples, as well as oranges and other citrus fruits, cookies and nougat.

Makes THREE 12-inch flat breads, or ONE large and 4 small breads

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cubes yeast (40 grams)

3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

1 ½ cups slightly warm water, as needed

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup aniseeds, coarsely ground

Zest from 1 large or 2 small, fresh, and preferably organic lemons or oranges

1 cup mild olive oil  (see NOTE 2)

1 tablespoon honey, diluted with 1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur (optional) 

Confectioner’s sugar and anise-flavored liqueur (optional) 

In a medium bowl add 1 cup of the flour, crumble the yeast and stir in the sugar and 1 cup of the war. Whisk well to mix, and let stand for 5-10 minutes until frothy.

In the bowl of a standing mixer add the rest of the flour, the salt, the aniseeds and the orange zest. Stir well with a spatula to sift the flour, then pour in the olive oil and the frothy yeast mixture. Stir briefly with the spatula.

Attach the bowl to the mixer and fit it with the dough hook. With the motor running in slow speed, pour in the rest of the water slowly, in the side of the bowl, and increase slightly the motor speed. Work the dough for 5-6 minutes, adding a tablespoon or more water if needed, to get a soft, smooth dough.

With the spatula transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with film (no need to oil it, the dough is quite oily) and either let rise for about 1 ½ hours or transfer to the refrigerator and let the dough rise slowly overnight. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let stand for 1 hour before you proceed further.

Divide the dough into three pieces.

Flatten one piece and transfer to a baking dish lined with parchment paper. Press and flatten the dough further, to get roughly a 12-inch (31cm.) disk, or an oblong bread. With a spatula or dull knife make cuts any way you like. If you like, divide the other pieces and make 3-4 round breads cutting a cross at the top. Cover loosely with plastic film and let the breads rise for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).

Bake for about 20 minutes or more, until golden brown. Take out of the oven and, if you like, brush the surface with the honey, then bake another 5 minutes.

Let cool on a rack , and if you like, sprinkle with orange blosson water or anise-flavored liqueur and prinkle with confectioner’s sugar before tearing pieces to eat!

NOTE 1: The Pompe a l’ Huile can be baked further in a low oven (170 F or 80 C) for 40 minutes or more, until completely dry and crunchy.

NOTE 2: I started by making the dough with 1 1/2 cups olive oil, but I think, that 1 cup is plenty. Though feel free to try it both ways. 

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Serve on its own for breakfast or as a snack with coffee, tea or orange juice. Great with a glass of fruity, sparkling wine!

Makes one 10-inch round cake   

4 large eggs, separated

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, or a combination of butter and olive oil

1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup brandy

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Grated zest of 1 orange

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Whole blanched almonds

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Grease a 10-inch round cake pan. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light yellow and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the butter or butter and olive oil and beat for 1 minute more. Beat in the orange juice and brandy.

Whisk together the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and the zests in another large bowl. Add to the yolk mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until incorporated.

In a large clean bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold them into the batter. Pour the batter into the pan and shake gently to even the top. Decorate the top with the almonds.

Bake the cake for about 1 hour, or until it is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack before removing from the pan and serving.

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