Easter bread is traditional bread that is served at Easter Sunday in several countries. The exact variety and appearance of the dish varies according to the state and culture of the country but this bread is usually served on Easter Sunday.

Symbolic Significance of Easter Bread

The Bread is supposed to symbolize life and according to the Catholic religion, Christ rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. The time preceding Easter is a time of strict fasting where rich foods, meats and sweets are not prepared or served. When Easter arrives after 40 days of fasting, it is a time of feasting and enjoyment. As a result, cultures that believe in the Catholic religion, prepare sweet versions of bread for their Easter Sunday breakfast or lunch. This culture of baking special bread is more prevalent in European and Russian culture. The actual shape of the bread varies. Some cultures will have round buns that are marked with a cross while others will have actual cross-shaped breads and two points to the bread with an egg covered with a cross. Eggs are an integral part of the recipe as they signify richness, rebirth, fertility, and the Resurrection.

Ingredients Used and Easter Bread Recipe Overview

Easter bread recipe suggests baking in the traditional way with refined flour, eggs, butter, yeast and water. Additional ingredients may be added to enhance the taste of the dish. For example, milk may be added to the dish to make the bread richer in taste. Usually, whole raw colored eggs are embedded in the dough to signify Easter. Spices, dry fruits, nuts and other ingredients are also commonly used to enrich the taste of the bread.

Serving Suggestions

Usually Easter Bread is served at breakfast on Easter Day. The previous night, family members carry the baked bread to church to bless during midnight mass and the baked bread forms the center piece on the Easter table for lunch or dinner too. A few cultures also serve butter modeled in the form of a lamb for spreading on top of the bread.

Popular Easter Bread Recipe Variations

Different cultures have different variations of this bread like

• Chalka or Challah or Hoska is a Czech, Bohemian and Polish version of this bread in the form of a sweet eggy plait.
• Kozunak is the Bulgarian version of this bread and it has rum soaked raisins in it.
• Primorski Uskrsne Bebe has a colored egg in the head of the bread.
• Velikonocní Bochanek or Easter buns are a Czech version.
• Fonott Kalacs is a Hungarian version of Easter Plaits with sugar and eggs.
• Velykos Pyragas is a Lithuanian version that is eaten with butter and hard boiled colored eggs.
• Polish babkas or babas look like a large inverted basket but they are very common in the Jewish culture too.
• Kulich or Russian version is a tall cylindrical bread covered with sweet cream.

Nutritional Value

A single serving of Easter bread has 361.3 calories