Connie's Coda*
Monthly Column by Constance Gilbert

I don't really consider myself a baker. My pie crusts are soggy--rarely nice and flaky; and I don't have the patience for making fancy cakes. But I love the yeasty smell of bread baking!

So I try to bake breads and coffeecakes--especially at holiday time. That's how I happened to make Greek Easter Egg Bread one year. It is quite attractive with brightly dyed eggs nestled in the golden, braided dough. I served it with glazed ham slices and sparkling apple juice.

It is a bit tricky preparing the colored eggs without breaking them as they're dyed raw--not hard-boiled. They will cook while the bread is baking. The directions call for 3 to 3-1/2 cups of flour. That's the difficult part for me--knowing how much flour to use... knowing when the dough feels right.

As I knead the dough, a rhythm develops that is soothing. I actually look forward to punching it down and shaping it into long ropes for braiding. It also requires patience as it has to sit, covered, for about 1-1/2 hours to rise--two times. I can hardly wait until it comes out of the oven for it to cool enough to handle. The aroma of that golden brown bread just begs for real butter.

Now here's the hardest part! Not eating it.

As I was remembering this, I realized that my feelings, my emotions play a role in my desire to eat it all. Gauging readiness by how it feels may work for bread dough, but it is not an accurate barometer of what is best for me.

Only God knows the full plan for my life and that plan began thousands of years ago when Christ took my place on a rough, wooden cross. When He took your place also. The tapestry of our lives--including all the knots and tangles of life--will be a masterpiece! Its designer is the Great Creator of all life. We must not respond to feelings that are unreliable. Instead we must allow Him to take us along the correct paths to fulfill His plan for each of us. Christ's road led from a manger to a cross. Your road and mine will be unique to each of us so we can be the conduits or channels of God's love and joy to others.

When I dye the Easter eggs, I will choose bright colors: red, orange, yellow, blue, green, purple and pink. All the colors of the sunrise when the stone was rolled away...so Jesus Christ could fulfill His mission to rise again! As I eat the bread warm from the oven, I will remember that He also is called the Bread of Life.

"Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty'" (John 6:35 NIV).

No, we don't have to eat the whole loaf to be satisfied, we just need to come to Him and believe.

Praise God, I can do that calorie-free! Knowing it's the best for me. How about you?

© 2008 Constance Gilbert

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Braided Greek Easter Egg Bread (Yields 1 loaf)

3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
5 whole eggs, dyed as desired *
2/3 cup milk
1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast; stir well. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan; heat until milk is warm and butter is softened but not melted.

Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture; stirring constantly. Add two eggs and ½ cup flour; beat well. Stir in lemon peel. Add the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-8 minutes.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1-1½ hour.

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal size rounds; cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll each round into a long roll about 36 inches long and 1-½ inches thick. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loosely braided ring, leaving spaces for the colored eggs. Seal the ends of the ring together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of dough.

Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). Place loaf on a buttered baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place loaf in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1-½ hours. Brush risen loaf with egg yolk and water mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden. Bread should sound hollow when lightly tapped with your fingers. Cool on rack.

* Carefully wash the RAW eggs in soapy water, rinse them, dry, and put them into a bowl of warm water with food color or Easter egg dye and about 1 teaspoon of white vinegar added. When the eggs have tinted to the depth of color, take them out of the liquid, place them on paper towels, and let them air dry.

Tradition is that this is only baked on Good Friday and the eggs are all dyed red to symbolize Christ's shed blood.

(Recipe from Good Housekeeping Magazine, April 1973.)

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About the Author: Connie is currently writing a book on Breaking the Chains of emotional abuse. She is the coauthor of "Christ's Light: In and Beyond Us" (an e-book), and she writes for several Christian publications. Connie would love for you to visit her blog site found at www.consheartstrings.blogspot.com. She can be contacted by e-mail to: cgeewriter@yahoo.com.