Easter, it happens once a year. Once a year I take a day to do nothing but bake Easter bread. This tradition of mine has only occurred for about the past 5 years since that’s when I took over the tradition from my grandmother, the beautiful woman who taught me how to make Easter bread.
We’ve had Easter bread at our holiday table for as long as I can remember. It was a tradition that my Grandma Grace baked the bread every year and every year we looked forward to it. One of the years I was in high school I took a trip down to my grandparent’s house for the weekend before Easter. It was a common occurrence that when I spent time at my grandparents my Grandma and I would take on a project either in the sewing room or the kitchen. This weekend in particular my Grandma taught me how to make Easter bread.
I remember that weekend being excited to learn how to make something that was so important to our Easter table. I went in prepared to look at a recipe and follow directions but that’s not exactly what happened. No, Grandma didn’t have a recipe. There was a scratch piece of paper with a few notes and then the rest was in her head. I couldn’t believe it, this recipe came out perfect every time straight from her memory. After baking a beautiful loaf and filling the house with the wonderful scent I asked my grandma if we could go sit at the computer. I asked her to recall the ingredients and the steps we had just followed so I could type them up, allowing me to have a her perfect recipe.
The next year it was my turn to bake the bread. I can remember my grandparents stayed in Florida that year for Easter and between every step I called Grandma to ensure I was doing it right. At the end I took a picture of the loaf and emailed it to her. She was so proud.
I know I often post my recipes or sources for my recipes here but this is not one I can share. Not only is it a recipe I’m going to keep in the family but one that would still be incomplete typed up. The recipe reads “1 cup flour” but next to that in my own markings that I’ve written over the past few years reads “6 cups flour, adding when needed”.
I might not have the recipe set to memory just yet but I’m sure that by the time I pass this recipe down in the family I too won’t need it written. Until then I’m so happy I can make Easter bread for my family’s Easter table knowing Grandma is with me every time I bake it.
Three small loaves ready to be baked! Don’t be fooled by the colored eggs thinking they’re hard boiled! They are raw and cook in the oven with the bread.
Three large and three small loaves all baked. But what’s Easter bread without some icing? Incomplete!
All done! Bread for our Easter table and for sharing!
