Babee’s Easter Bread

Name: Babee’s Easter Bread | Epicurious
Yield: Makes 1 large loaf
Ingredients: 3/4 tablespoon dry yeast; 1/4 cup whole milk (warmed in microwave for 30 seconds); 4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (European style recommended); 1/4 tablespoon anise; Juice and zest of 1 orange; 1/2 cup water; 2 eggs, at room temperature; 1/4 teaspoon mastic (a Greek spice, available in specialty food stores or the international aisle of supermarkets; you can make this bread without mastic); 1/4 cup sugar; 1 egg lightly beaten with 1/4 cup water (for egg wash); 1/4 cup sesame seeds

By Katherine Kallinis Berman and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne

April 1, 2019

A braided sesamecoated loaf with three slices cut away and leaned against it alongside four brightred Easter eggs.

Photo by Dayna Smith

Easter was a big baking holiday in our family. Our grandmother, Babee, would start baking for Easter three days in advance and would take over both her upstairs and downstairs kitchens baking for the holiday. The most important thing she baked for the Sunday feast was her traditional Greek Easter bread. Our favorite part was helping her brush the egg wash on the loaves.

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