Easter Bread

Easter Bread

Here’s one from left field!

WARNING: This recipe contains traces of wheat, gluten, yeast and sugar and has been manufactured in a facility that processes nuts!!!

The best Easter present I could give my husband this year was a freshly baked batch of “real” hot cross buns! It has been so long since I  have used wheat flour that I had to go out and buy some. Our household is generally paleo and always gluten free these days, much to the chagrin of said husband!

I had forgotten what a joy it is to work with yeast and gluten! Silky soft dough, pliable and forgiving, yeast bakery really is an art-form.

I’m sure that by now you have all had your fill of hot cross buns! There were certainly hundreds of proud pictures posted on facebook to show for it. Just in case you were after a new treat, try this yummy recipe for a refreshing change!

Easter bread is made all over the world with slightly different interpretations.  A Cozonac is traditional Easter Bread in Bulgaria, Kulich is a traditional Russian Easter Bread. Kolach is a traditional Czech bread made at Christmas in the shape of a ring. The breads are synonymously made at Easter and Christmas. Ukrainian Easter Bread is called Paska, which is a rich, white bread decorated on the top with symbols, including crosses, flowers, braids, wheat, or other designs representing aspects of Orthodox and Eastern Catholic faith. Babka is also a Ukrainian, Polish and Belarusian bread also made at Easter. Rather than being broad and round, like Paska, Babka typically is tall and cylindrical. It frequently contains raisins, may be iced on top, and is much sweeter than Paska. Babka usually is only made, like Paska, to celebrate Easter Sunday and the rising of Christ. My version is based on a panettone recipe and uses cranberries instead of raisins.

30g sugar

Rind of 1 orange

50g butter

400g bakers flour

200g warm water

1 sachet yeast (1 tablespoon)

1 egg (2 if small)

Handful cranberries

Mill the sugar & rind for 10 seconds on SP 10.

Add all other ingredients and knead for 3 minutes. Put in a cake tin and let rise for 1 hour. Bake in mod oven for 35 – 40 minutes.

Glaze with warmed honey if desired and serve with plenty of butter!