#lithacelebration

1  cup buttermilk (if you dont have it, mix one cup of milk and a tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar)

1/2 cup of warm water (i mixed some moon water with normal to add in a bit of magic)

2 TBSP melted butter (when the dough was sticking I added oil instead)

2 TBSP sugar

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour

1 TBSP yeast

1/2 tbsp baking soda (it neutralizes the sourness of the dough. It will be sour from the buttermilk so add it in)

1tbs honey

optional: I added thyme, lavender and a bit of cinnamon since it is Litha bread.

Combine buttermilk, butter, honey and sugar in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, including yeast. Whisk dry ingredients together to combine, then add to buttermilk mixture in the mixing bowl. Mix ingredients until well combined. If your dough looks a bit dry, add in another splash of buttermilk. Once you’ve achieved a good consistency,  Knead by hand for about 10 minutes (it was a suffering for me cuz it was sticking all over my hands lol. I added in a splash of oil). Proper kneading is critical to great textured homemade bread!

Once dough is done kneading, cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour; until dough has doubled in size.

Punch dough down and knead several times. Shape dough and place in a greased bread loaf pan. Place dough back in the warm spot and let it rise for another 30-45 minutes. 

optional:sprinkle it with poppy or sunflower seeds.

Preheat the oven to 350 (175 °C) degrees F. Bake dough for about 30-35 minutes- until top is golden brown. Let cool and slice.

After it is done, recite: “From the fields and through the stones, into fire, Midsummer Bread, as the Wheel turns may all be fed. Goddess Bless."

Remember to fully knead. The recipe below kneads for 10 minutes and it’s worth it! Kneading dough helps to develop the flavor and texture of the bread, so don’t skimp on kneading time.

my outcome:

Litha is the celebration of sun, it is the longest day in the year afterall. Some traditional drinks to make and enjoy during the summer solstice are lemonades, herbal teas, sun teas and wine. Since I am not 18 yet, here are some refreshing non-alcohol drinks!

Dried herbal sun tea

since sun teas are not very healthy, (bacteria creates in them) this will be a slighter one. It contains herbs associated with the sun and summer. 

red clover blossoms

orange peel

raspberry leaf

chamomile

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

rosehip / hibiscus

honey or lemon to taste

Boil the water and pour it over the herbs. You can make the tea in a glass jar for a better sunlight access to it. I put it on a windowsill, covered it with something to protect the tea from dust or anything that could fly into it. Let the sun charge it for 15 minutes, place some citrine, clearquartz, tiger’s eye, jade, amber or any sun associated gemstones around the jar/mug. Steep and enjoy! 

alternative way: Let the tea sit inside, steep it and THEN set it to charge in the sun.

Solstice Fruit Fizz

400g cherries

4 nectarines

250g strawberries

300ml lemonade/sparkling water

6 lemon balm leaves/mint leaves

A few cherries and strawberries, to serve

Ice cubes

Cut the nectarines and cherries in half and remove the pits. Cut any leaves and stalks off the strawberries, and wash all fruit thoroughly. Push through a juicer, then top with sparkling water or lemonade, and pour into a jug. Add a few ice cubes, the lemon balm leaves, and extra fresh fruits.

Citrus and cinnamon iced tea

3 cups | 750 ml.  water

1 tbsp organic black tea (or a teabag)

juice of 1 lemon

half an orange, sliced

3 tbsp maple syrup (I added elderflower syrup since I have it)

1 cinnamon stick (or ground cinnamon)

lots of ice

Boil the water and pour it into a bigger mug or a pot over the black tea. Steep it for 5-6 minutes. Pour it into a glass jar, let it cool down for 20 minutes. After it has cooled, add in lemon juice, sliced oranges and cinnamon. Place the jar into the fridge for 30 minutes to cool down, add ice and serve!

Elderflower syrup and lemonade

Now is the perfect time to go out and collect elderflower if you haven’t done it yet. My mom already made some syrup, and it is great! 

Syrup:

40 pieces of elderflower

3 lemons

1 kg of sugar (2 ib)

2,5 liters of water

Squeeze one lemon and cut the rest into circles, get rid of the peel. Boil the water and let it cool. Into a bigger pot we add the water, elderflower, lemon juice and the lemon circles. Let it sit covered in shadow or fridge for 24 hours. Steep the liquid into a pot, bring it to simmer and add sugar and lemon juice.  Stir it until the sugar dissolves and it gets a syrup like consistency. Store the hot syrup in cleaned jars in places without direct sun. 

Lemonade:

if you have the syrup already, just add some water (or sparkling water) honey and lemon juice to taste :)

If you don’t have the elderflower syrup, here is another recipe for a great lemonade:

8 bigger elderflower flowers

fresh lemon balm or mint (optional)

lemon and orange

2 tbs of honey

filtered or pre-boiled cooled water

Add unwashed elderflower into a bigger jar, add mint or lemon balm leaves. Wash the lemon and orange and cut them into circles, add them in. Add 2 tbs of honey. Fill it with pre-boiled cooled water or filtered one. Cover it with a cloth, set in the sun for 8 hours and steep. Enjoy!

Thyme tea