Name Day Loaf

Krendel’ is a pretzel-shaped loaf of sweet bread. Both the name and the shape of the loaf originated with the German bakers who were numerous in Russia from the late thirteenth century on, especially in the merchant town of Novgorod. Krendel’ is a corruption of the German Kringel, a round cookie. The pretzel shape inspired the guild signs that were symbolic of the baker’s art. Krendel’ dough is similar to the dough used for kulich, and in fact some cooks use the same recipe interchangeably,