Mediterranean Easter Breads

"Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi!" is an old Italian proverb which means

 "Spend Christmas with your relatives and Easter with whoever you want!"

Mention Easter and I think of bread. Most holidays, in fact, remind me of one kind of baked good or another. This association is due to the fact that my maternal grandmother always made cozzuppe - a traditional Southern Italian Easter bread which you may remember from a previous blog entry. It's so light and filled with citrus fragance that it formed my standard against which all other bread is always compared.  When my Nonna and I can't be together, she ships us the bread.

This year, I decided to make the Colomba, or the Italian Peace Dove, a Northern Italian panettone-like Easter bread which I learned to love while living in Rome. Prior to Easter all the bakeries in the city would adorn their shop windows with the most beautiful, historically accurate, or outrageous versions they could think of.

Easter also calls to mind images of my Greek paternal step-grandmother who always made sure that there were loaves of fresh Tsourekia at her table. Since the Greek Orthodox Easter often falls on a different date than the Roman Catholic Easter does, I grew up being able to partake fully in both culture's customs.

What I love most about holiday breads is that

they're really not breads at all. Enriched with eggs, butter, sugar, honey, and other additions -they actually are closer to cake than bread and are classified in the "brioche"category.  Even though dairy and sugar are no longer as expensive as they were in antiquity, if these bread recipes are only made once a year, they're still a treat. Since they look as beautiful as they taste, they also double as gorgeous centerpieces at the Easter table.

Here's my step to step guide on making each one along with the fun lore and legends which surround them. If you don't have time to bake this year, you can order Italian Colomba here. If you're in the DC Area and would like to experience a last minute hands on Celebrating Spring Breads Class, come to my class at CulinAerie tomorrow morning.

Greek Easter Bread/Tsourekia

This spicy, golden bread is studded with dark red colored eggs which symbolize the blood of Christ. At Easter time, it is traditional for people to play a game by 2 players holding an egg and hitting the egg of their opponent. The one who hits says “Christ has risen” and the other person responds “Truly he has risen”. The cracking of the shell symbolizes Jesus coming out of his grave. This recipe contains all-spice and cinnamon, but mahleb (crushed cherry kernals), ground mastic (gum resin from the island of Chios), and caraway seeds are also traditional.

Toppings range from a plain glaze to anise and sesame seeds to gold leaf foil and almonds depending upon what part of Greece you are in.

If you want the traditional deep red color, it is advisable to use food coloring paste from a Greek store which is made specifically for this use.



Makes 1 long braid

Serves 10



Ingredients:



For the Dough:

2 ¼ teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast

¾ cup lukewarm milk

¼ cup butter (1/2 stick), at room temperature

3 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

4 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon



For the Eggs:

3 white eggs

¼ teaspoon bright red food coloring paste or 1 small bottle red food dye

1 teaspoon distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon olive oil



For the Glaze:

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon clear honey

1 teaspoon water



Preparation:



In a small bowl, mix the yeast with the milk and set aside.



In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs with mixer running on low. Add in the yeast mixture.

Switch to dough hook and add in the flour, salt, allspice and cinnamon.

Continue mixing until a dough forms.

Knead dough with mixer running on low speed for 3 minutes.

Cover bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.



While dough is rising prepare the Easter eggs (paskalina avga):



Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add dye and vinegar. Add eggs to cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until eggs are colored.

Alternately, if using American food dye (not paste), hard boil eggs, and place food coloring and vinegar in a bowl large enough to submerge eggs. Add eggs and allow to soak until desired cover is reached. Remove eggs and allow to dry on a cooling rack over an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Some people have even been known to use fabric dye in lieu of Greek dye in order to achieve the traditional deep red color!

Knock back the dough once it has risen, cover, and allow to rise for another hour.

Once it has risen, transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 parts.

Roll each one into a 12 inch log of equal thickness.

Plait one end together and braid log.

Place 1 egg in each of the holes. (Note: I used American dye which is why the color is not as deep)

Transfer bread onto a baking sheet, cover with a kitchen towel, and allow to rise another hour, or until doubled.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Whisk egg yolk with honey and water.

Once bread has risen, brush glaze over the entire surface except for eggs.

Blot olive oil onto a paper towel and use it to shine eggs.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden.

Italian Dove Easter Bread/ La Colomba

This delicious bread, which resembles brioche can be made in cake pans and enjoyed at breakfast throughout the year. The dove shape makes a fantastic centerpiece. Individual baby doves with the guests’ names tied around their neck make great place markers. Traditionally, almonds and large sugar granules are used to decorate the top.


Numerous legends surround this cake. According to one, the Milanese, locked in battle with the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa just after Easter in 1176, saw the struggle turn in their favor when three doves flew from the nearby church. The legend says that ever since, Milanese have celebrated their victory by eating cakes in the shape of a dove.

Makes 1 loaf

Serves 20



Ingredients:



For the dough:

½ cup milk, warmed to not more than 120F degrees

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup honey

3 eggs

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 2 oranges

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra, if necessary

1 teaspoon salt

2 ½ teaspoons instant or fast acting yeast

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup chocolate chips, raisins, dried chopped fruit, or candied citron

For the glaze:

1 egg white

1 teaspoon almond extract

Handful of whole almonds



Parchment paper or cooking spray



Preparation:



In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the milk, sugar, honey, eggs and both zests.

Turn the mixer on low, and add in flour, salt, and yeast.

Mix until the dough comes together to form a wet ball.

If dough does not come together, add an additional ½ cup flour, until you get a dough consistency.

Allow the mixer to run on low for 4 minutes, or until the dough is smooth.

With the mixer running on low, add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is all incorporated.

Mix in the chocolate chips, raisins, dried fruit, or candied citron, if using.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and all ow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.

Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half.

Roll one of the halves into a 12-inch log and place it in the middle of the cookie sheet.

Form the other half into a 15-inch long triangle with a 6-inch wide base.

Place the triangle over the log so that the wide end extends 4-inches below the log and the pointed end extends above it.

Form the pointed end into the dove’s head and arrange chocolate chips or fruit to be the eye.

Cut 5-incisions in the bottom of the triangle and fan it out to resemble the tail.

Cut the sides of the log into wings.

Cover the dove and allow to rise for another hour.

When the dove has risen, preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

Mix the almond extract with the egg white and brush it over the entire top and sides of the dove.

Press the almonds along the base of the tail feather and wings in order to outline the design.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden and fluffy.

Cool and enjoy. Can be made ahead of time, wrapped in plastic, and frozen until serving.


It's important to note that many of our Easter and baking traditions hail from Ancient Egypt. Easter Monday picnics, popular throughout Europe, actually date back to an Ancient Egyptian spring festival called Sham en Nassim.  Here's to a Happy Easter and a Happy Spring!!!