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My Mother’s Easter Bread

Date: Apr. 16th 2006
Category: Treasured Family Recipes, Bread
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It’s almost 2:30 a.m., early (very early!) on Easter Sunday morning, and here I am in front of the computer. What in the world am I doing up, you ask? Well for one thing I’m waiting for the crust that I prepared for my lemon meringue tart to chill. Another 10 minutes or so and I can pop it in the oven. Once that’s done, I’m off to bed. The lemon filling is safe in the refrigerator and I will prepare the meringue topping tomorrow morning.

But the tart is not the only reason that I’m still awake. In fact, even if the the tart were done, I’d still be sitting here, staring at the screen. To be honest, I can’t bring myself to go to sleep until I find a way to put into words my feelings on Easter and my mother’s Easter bread.

I am so blessed. As I delve deeper into the life of my blog, I am coming to understand how blessed I am to have so many rich food traditions in my life. And not just because it means I get to eat a lot of great food. It’s also because so many of my best memories, the ones that I cherish most, involve those very traditions.

And perhaps nothing represents this more than my mother’s Easter bread.

The recipe for this Easter sweet, along with my mother and my grandmother, came to Canada in 1957 on a boat called the Cristofero Colombo. The recipe arrived in Halifax and then made it’s way to Toronto, where for more than 40 years it was the centrepiece of Easter at my grandmother’s house in Little Italy. And then two years ago, when my grandmother passed away, it became the defining symbol of Easter in the home in which I live.

Like so many of the dishes that come from other places, far away, from a world far removed from the one we live in now, this recipe was altered to suit the new land in which my mother’s family found themselves. Whatever fat my grandmother used in Italy was substituted with vegetable oil. The eggs, which would have come from my grandmother’s own chickens in Italy, came from the grocery store. The yeast, which would most certainly have been fresh yeast in Italy, was now dried yeast that came in a packet.

And just as my grandmother and mother adapted to their new home, along with my grandfather who had already lived in Canada for a few years, so too did this recipe. It shaped itself to suit the new life that my mother’s family was forging for themselves.

This yeasty, eggy bread is THE symbol of Easter for me. The merest whiff of the elusive scent of anise, used to flavour the bread, fills me with the joyousness that the Easter season brings with it. I am joyous because the warm weather has returned. The birds have come back to visit us. The sun is bright and welcoming.

And today, almost 40 years after this recipe came to Canada, it continues to be the link between a world that was left behind and a world where a new life was born.

Buona Pasqua!

My Mother’s Easter Bread

Treasured family recipe.

Note: Like so many recipes that come from other countries, the measurements here have been interpreted over the years to suit the needs of a very large family! I have cut the original recipe by one-third, as the original (just to give you an idea) calls for 16 cups of flour! If you have any problems with the recipe, or would like to ask questions about the measurements before you begin, just drop me a note.

1 packet active dry yeast
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup whole milk (do not use low fat or non fat milk)
2 teaspoons spirit of anise (if you cannot find spirit of anise try anise extract)
4 cups all-purpose flour (you may need more to form a dough)
1 teaspoon salt

Follow the directions on the packet of yeast and dissolve in warm water. Wait 10 minutes for the yeast to foam.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until smooth.
Add the vegetable oil, milk and anise and mix well.
Add the yeast mixture and mix well.
Add the four cups of flour and the salt and stir with a fork or a wooden spoon. (My mother always does this with a fork.) Eventually a soft dough will form. Continue adding flour until you can gather the dough into a ball.
Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead for 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and not sticky. If the dough is sticky, continue to work in a few tablespoonfuls of flour at a time until you have a smooth dough.
Let the dough rest for 5 minutes and then begin forming the bread.
Cut off a piece of dough that’s about 3 inches in size. Roll the dough into a ball and then place on a work surface and roll the dough into a strip that’s about 1/2 an inch to an inch in diameter and about 6 inches long. Form a circle with the strip of dough, pressing the ends together.
Place the dough circle on a cloth in a warm area. Continue forming the dough circles. Once the dough has been completely used, cover the rings with a cloth and let rise for 2 to 3 hours.
To bake the rings, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Brush the tops of the rings with an egg wash (one egg beaten with a tablespoon of water) and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the rings.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can make more decorative bread by creating braids. It’s up to you. You can also garnish each ring or braid with a boiled egg. To do so, hard boil some eggs prior to baking the bread. Let the eggs cool down. When you’ve formed your ring or braid, place the egg on the bread and let the bread rise with the egg on it. The eggs will be fine in the oven and you can even eat them if you wish once the bread has been baked.
Enjoy!

Technorati tags: Easter, bread, anise

42 Comments

shuna fish lydon

04/16/06 at 2:43 am

Wait a second— are all those breads resting on your bed?!!

Looks like there’s enough there to send me one, eh?

Beautiful!

Cindy

04/16/06 at 5:34 am

Great looking. I’d love to see the inside. Is it like a bagel’s inside coz the outside does look a bit like it.

Bea at La Tartine Gourmande

04/16/06 at 7:09 am

Beautiful Ivonne! Very blessed indeed to have those food traditions, I love them as well!

verniciousknids

04/16/06 at 8:38 am

Ooh that’s lovely Ivonne, I love hearing the stories behind your dishes - A very Happy Easter to you and yours

Sally

04/16/06 at 8:51 am

Everything you bake is like a work of art. Edible Art! Hey - that’d be a great name for a bakery! LOL Happy Easter, Ivonne.

Danielle

04/16/06 at 10:41 am

Those are beautiful! I remember the year my brother was dating a Christian girl, who gave us a cake with a whole egg in it like the eggs in your bread. We were so confused, and never really figured out why one would want eggshell in their baked goods. But I definitely do appreciate the aesthetics of yours.

sam

04/16/06 at 12:49 pm

Those breads do look like they are taking a nap on your bed Ivonne!

A lovely post and another lovely family recipe. I think many of us foodies are blessed to have rich food traditions and a passion to continue to make, adapt and create new foods. Keep up the great work Ivonne.

TNP

04/16/06 at 1:44 pm

Easter bread is a tradition in our family as well. We use anise seeds, though, instead of the spirit of anise. This year I got seven loaves out of one batch. I put a colored egg in only three of them.

Paz

04/16/06 at 2:00 pm

Beautiful! Thank you!

Happy Easter!

Paz

Cathy

04/16/06 at 2:23 pm

Beautiful Ivonne, and they sound delicious too. Happy Easter!

Jenny

04/16/06 at 2:57 pm

What a lovely story to tell of your Easter bread. Buona Pasqua, Ivonne!

Sonali

04/16/06 at 3:09 pm

Looks lovely cute artistic :).

Happy Easter to you.

Mona

04/16/06 at 3:30 pm

Hi Ivonne, Happy Easter, although your day is probably almost over already. I can’t believe you have a recipe up for this bread. My mom and dad just bought some of this bread in Little Italy in the Bronx. I haven’t tried it yet but will be very soon.

Janice

04/16/06 at 4:07 pm

Beautiful post, Ivonne. Food does kind of bind life together, doesn’t it?

barbara

04/16/06 at 5:20 pm

A lovely story Ivonne. Happy Easter.

Ceendy

04/16/06 at 5:34 pm

Happy Easter, Ivonne!

Those bread looks so lovely!

Ciao!

Rosa

04/16/06 at 6:19 pm

I read your beautiful story with much interest and I must say that those breads look fabulous!…

Happy Easter!

Jeanne

04/16/06 at 7:51 pm

Buona Pasqua! Those breads look like perfection!

Jennifer

04/16/06 at 8:16 pm

What a lovely story, Ivonne. Thanks for sharing such a treasured family recipe…and the meaning behind it.

Anita

04/16/06 at 8:32 pm

Ivonne,
How lucky you are to have such wonderful family traditions - thank you for sharing! The breads look too cute and yummy!

Michelle

04/16/06 at 11:14 pm

Those look beautiful!I hope you had a wonderful Easter!

rowena

04/17/06 at 12:11 am

Oh!! Give me a slice of that please—that sheen is so gorgeous I can just taste that eggy goodness on my tongue.

Happy Easter to you too!

Fabienne

04/17/06 at 8:30 am

It’s gorgeous Ivonne, and your family’s history is interesting. Your grand-mother had her own chikens like my grand-mother in the south of France… Happy Easter …

Ivonne

04/17/06 at 9:29 am

Hi everyone!

Thank you so much for your lovely comments and Easter wishes. Sunday was a gorgeous day here in Toronto and I enjoyed an incredible meal with my famfily.

But I did check in once and awhile to read your comments. In a way, you’ve all become a part of my family. In fact at a certain point in the day I found myself telling my family all about you and your blogs and how inspiring all of you are!

Enjoy a beautiful day!

P.S. I had a real good laugh at Shuna’s comment about the bread resting on my bed … actually it rested on the kitchen table. The tablecloths we use to cover the bread while it rests looks a lot like bedding, but I assure you they were on the table.

Ciao!

Luisa

04/17/06 at 12:33 pm

A woman after my own heart - baking tart crusts at 2:30 in the morning! Happy Easter.

Dianka

04/17/06 at 12:35 pm

Looks so good! I know how you feel about being blessed with solid family traditions, it’s the greatest feeling. Hope you enjoyed your Easter!

~Dianka
http://na-zdravi.blogspot.com/

Tania

04/17/06 at 12:58 pm

These are indeed the most wonderful kinds of recipes … Thanks for sharing your recipe, and memories, with us!

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Easter, Ivonne!

fromthebranchesofanolivetree

04/17/06 at 2:05 pm

Hey, those breads look familiar to me! I’ve never seen a recipe for them though–will have to try them next easter…
Enjoy another sunny day!
~Kristina

Silvia

04/17/06 at 4:32 pm

Leggere i tuoi post è sempre
emozionante e commovente.
Ciao, Buona Pasqua un pò in ritardo.
Silvia, Milan-Italy

Greg

04/17/06 at 8:14 pm

Skill,passion,hard work.They say do what you love the money will follow. I see bakery owner of the future.

Tanna

04/17/06 at 8:19 pm

The story & bread are both beautiful but perhaps the best part is your recognition that you are blessed! It is a wonderful feeling. Peace and Blessings to you. Thanks Ivonne. Tanna

Ivonne

04/18/06 at 10:03 am

Ciao Luisa,

I’m glad I’m not the only one!

Hi Dianka,

I couldn’t agree with you more. The family traditions are what make every moment so worthwhile!

Hi Tania,

We certainly did. I hope you had a nice celebration with your family as well.

Ciao Kristina,

I’ve been enjoying this great weather so much. My little holiday is over tomorrow as I’m back to work but the great weather helps. I hope you had a lovely Easter with your family.

Ciao Silvia,

Mille grazie! Buona Pasqua fatta a te e alla tua famiglia!

Hi Greg,

What sweet words. Thank you so much!

Hi Tanna,

Thank you so much! How sweet … I’m sending much peace and blessings your way as well!

gemma

04/18/06 at 3:25 pm

So pretty, thanks for sharing! I have tried a few different Easter breads over the years, I will have to try this one next. It looks great.

vanessa

04/18/06 at 5:37 pm

Ivonne, for the lemon bread pudding and the easter bread, i love you!

i had the chance to make tsoureki with a friend. her mother’s recipe featured ground mastic and the flavor was haunting. it tasted as if it were part of my memories even thought it was my first bite.

thanks for posting about your memory.

Ivonne

04/18/06 at 7:21 pm

Ciao Gemma,

I’m glad you liked the bread. I hope you do try it!

Hi Vanessa,

Thanks so much for visiting … what kind words! I’m glad the food you found here could brighten your day!

Sandra

04/19/06 at 2:19 am

I love this Ivonne!!!
I’m tryng to make this next week.. And beautiful pic,Ivonne!!

Ivonne

04/19/06 at 12:20 pm

Ciao Sandra!

Sono contenta che ti e’ piaciuta la ricetta … baci!

daisi

04/23/06 at 5:57 am

what a sweet story. my sister sent me the link and I’m glad she did!
Currently I live in Italy but was born in Brooklyn while my family is still back in the states

daisi

Ivonne

04/23/06 at 4:19 pm

Hi Daisi,

How lovely! Thank you for stopping by and visiting my blog. I’m so glad you liked the post … and I’m completely jealous that you live in Italy!

Mar-Argentina

02/3/07 at 9:49 am

Ivonne me he emocionado viendo esta receta que hacía mi madre en bísperas de Pascuas, gracias por recordármela, añoranzas de épocas felices!!
Me encanta tu blog, ya te lo he dicho y reitero una vez más.

Susan @ SGCC

03/22/10 at 8:10 am

Wow, Ivonne! I was browsing around for Easter Bread recipes and I found this post. My father came to the U.S. in 1956 on the Cristofero Colombo. What a small world! In fact, when I interviewed Marcella Hazan a few months ago, she told me that she also came to the U.S. on the Cristofero Colombo. That must have been one busy ship! Ciao!

Maria

04/16/11 at 7:57 am

Can I half the easter bread recipe

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