Baking Priest Says Bread Brings Meaning And Tradition To Easter

Baking Priest Says Bread Brings Meaning And Tradition To Easter

When immigrants from the four corners of Europe came to America, they brought a assortment of conventional Easter bread recipes. Now cocoa Easter bunnies, yellowish marshmallow chicks & jelly beans signify the holiday but at one time families dished Easter breads, which are affluent in symbolism & history.

Father Dominic Garramone, a Catholic priest, cookbook writer & host of the television exhibit “Breaking Bread with Father Dominic,” would like to ensure that Easter bread customs are not forgotten. “Bread for Easter is one path of bringing many tradition & meaning back to the holiday,” he says. Here are 2 of his tried-and-true brunch recipes:

French Toast

Custard Casseroles

For every casserole, you will need:

1 egg

2 Tbs. whole or reduced-fat milk

2 clotted or 3 medium slices of day-old bread (store- bought bread works well)

2 Tbs. chopped pecans

1/3 cupful maple-flavored syrup

1 Tbs. butter

1 little ovenproof bowl, about 5″ crosswise & 2″ intense (a little soup bowl with a handle works well.)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coating the interior of the ovenproof bowl with preparing spray or butter. Trim bread slices to a anatomy & sized that will fit the bowl. In different more massive bowl, whisk egg & milk, then spot bread slices in egg mix till liquid is absorbed. Combine nuts & syrup in the bottom of the ovenproof bowl, & dot the surface with the butter.

Place the soaked bread slices on top-they ought not achieve recent the lip of the bowl. Place bowl on a baking sheet to prevent drips, & spot in the preheated oven. Bake for thirty to 35 minutes, till top is softly browned & middle is firm. Remove from oven & allow to set for about ten minutes. Invert bowl onto a plate, omit bowl & serve.

Ham & Cheese Braid

1 pkg. dynamic dry yeast

11/4 cups warm milk (100 to 110 F)

1 Tbs. sugar

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

11/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

3 to 31/2 cups all-purpose flour

11/2 cups ham, coarsely chopped

11/2 cups shredded knifelike cheddar cheese

1/2 cupful walnuts, chopped (optional)

1 egg white, amazed with 1 Tbs. water

Put warm milk into a medium-size bowl. Add yeast, stir to dissolve. Add sugar, egg, salt & oil. Add 3 cups of flour & bunk well. Work in plenty of remaining flour to shape a cushy dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes. Rinse & dry the bowl, then oil the surface of the dough & spot in the bowl. Cover with a clean, dry dish towel, & let rise in a warm spot free from drafts for about one hour, or till doubled in volume.

Mix ham, cheese, & nuts (if desired) in medium-size bowl. Roll out dough 10″ x 18″. Spread filling lengthwise in the middle 3rd of the dough; press filling conjointly slightly. Using a knifelike knife, split every outer 3rd of the dough (the section not covered by filling) into 5 to 7 oblique strips, slicing from the boundary of the dough to about 1″ from the boundary of the filling. Brush the strips softly with water. Fold the dough strips over the filling, alternating went away & right, being calculating not to stretch the dough. Tuck in the ends of the last strips to seal. Carefully convey loaf to a softly greased nonstick 9″ x 13″ cake pan. Cover & let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for thirty minutes, or till doubled in size. Brush the surface of the dough with the egg lily-white wash. Bake at 400 in a preheated oven for thirty minutes, or till the top is golden brownish & the temperature of the filling is about 160.