by Magenta Griffith
A large symbolically shaped bread is an excellent contribution to any seasonal ritual. My coven has used the bread god to symbolize John Barleycorn, the god of vegetation who rises every spring and is cut down every autumn to feed the people. We have also used Kore bread to celebrate spring for many years. Here’s how to make these special breads.
The Bread God
2 packages of yeast or 2 tbsp. dry yeast
1⁄2 c. warm water (put a drop on your wrist to test; warm, but not too hot)
6 c. white flour or 3 c. white flour and 3 c. whole wheat flour
3 eggs beaten (reserve 1 tbsp. for glazing loaf)
3 to 4 tbsp. honey or sugar
3 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. salt
1 c. milk or water
Extra flour
Hand mixing method: Dissolve yeast in warm water, allow to stand for 5 minutes to proof (test that the yeast works). Put flour in a large bowl, make a well in the center, and pour in the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and reserve one tablespoon for the glaze, if desired. Then add sweetener, oil, salt, and water, and mix, then add wet to dry and mix well. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, flour your hands, and knead for 10 minutes. Add more flour if needed. Dough should not stick to the board, but it also should not dry out or become crumbly.
Electric mixer method: If you have a heavy-duty electric mixer with a dough hook, you can use this method. Dissolve yeast in warm water in mixing bowl and allow to stand for 5 minutes to proof. Mix the eggs together and reserve one tablespoon for the glaze, if desired. Add the eggs and rest of the liquids and sweetener, and mix using the dough hook. Add salt, then flour one cup at a time as quickly as possible to avoid overkneading. Add up to one cup more flour, a tablespoon at a time if needed to keep dough from sticking to the bowl. Knead about ten minutes.
Both methods: Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled in bulk. Punch down and knead for one minute. Now comes the shaping of the bread god, somewhat like working with Play-Doh.
For this, turn out the dough onto the floured surface. To make one very large figure, divide the dough into three parts. To make smaller figures, divide the dough in half, then into thirds, and go through this process twice to form two figures. Roll each piece of dough between your hands into long ropes. Lay these parallel on the surface.
Leave some length at each end and braid the middle into the body. Use the three strands at one end to shape the arms and head, on the other end to the legs and either a phallus or vulva. You can use dried fruit for eyes, nipples, or other details. Be creative.
Baking: Place the bread god on a baking sheet that has been greased and dusted with corn meal and allow the bread to rise uncovered in a warm place. If you are forming it into one large bread god, you may not have a big enough sheet. In this case, you can overlap two baking sheets, being careful to always move them as one.
Allow the bread god to double in size, which will take about one hour. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Before you bake, mix the reserved tablespoon of egg and one tablespoon of water and use this mixture to glaze the loaf. You may also sprinkle poppy seeds or sesame seeds on strategic places if you want the effect of hair on the god’s head, beard, crotch, or chest. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until the bread god is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped. If you have a hot oven, check after 30 minutes.
Carefully transfer the bread god to a wire rack and cool. If you have used two sheets, be especially careful when removing it from the oven.
This is a versatile dough. Feel free to experiment with other shapes, like a sun wheel or a spiral, as well as the traditional braided loaf. In this last case, simply divide into three parts, roll into ropes, and braid as you would hair. Don’t be afraid to be creative.
Low Fat, Low Cholesterol Variation
You can eliminate the eggs in the above recipe. Simply increase the liquid to 11⁄2 cups. I would advise using low fat or skim milk in this case rather than water. The oil can be decreased to 2 tablespoons, but the bread needs oil in it. You can use milk to glaze the unbaked loaf, or you can leave it unglazed.
Kore Bread
This recipe is a variation of a Russian bread made in the spring, usually for Easter. The abundance of eggs is both practical and symbolic. The egg is a symbol of everlasting life, of life renewed, and of new life yet to come.
Also, hens start laying more eggs as the days get longer, so in the spring, farmers have more eggs than they know what to do with.
1 c. water
1⁄2 stick cinnamon
4 whole cloves
4 allspice berries
1 bay leaf
10 to 12 coriander seeds
Mix ingredients in a pan, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Strain, set aside, and allow to cool.
In a sauce pan, scald 1 cup milk, add 1 cup butter, then cool the mixture to room temperature. In a bowl, dissolve 4 tablespoons dry yeast and 1 tablespoon honey in 1 cup warm water, and set aside to proof for five minutes.
10 to 12 c. flour
1 tbsp. salt
11⁄2 c. honey
2 tsp. anise oil
Peel of 1 orange, grated
10 eggs
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl, add dissolved yeast, honey, milk mixture, anise oil, orange peel, and spiced water. Mix in a heavy-duty electric mixer with a dough hook for 15 minutes, adding eggs one at a time. Remove from the mixer and add the rest of the flour with a spoon, turning onto a floured surface and kneading in the last of it until you have a soft dough.
Put the dough into a buttered bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down, let double again, punch down again, and let double in size a third time.
Turn onto a floured surface and knead briefly. Divide the dough in two, then divide each half into thirds. Let the dough rest under a towel for 10 minutes.
Roll three pieces of dough into 24-inch strands. Braid these together, then join the ends to form a kind of wreath. Transfer to a well-greased cookie sheet, and repeat with the rest of the dough. Cover the dough and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Gently push 4 dyed eggs deeply into the quarters of each wreath, and if you’d like, put one in the center of each. I like to use naturally dyed eggs. To do this, place eggs in a pan of water with the skins of several yellow or purple onions. Boil the water to produce a pleasant reddish brown or purplish red color, respectively. You can also use a heaping tablespoon of turmeric to produce yellow eggs (use a metal pot; turmeric is a permanent dye). The eggs must be pushed deeply into the dough so the baking won’t force them out.
Beat together 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon milk and brush the surface of the loaves with this mixture, avoiding the eggs. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 1 hour until done. The crust should be golden and the bread should sound hollow when tapped. Gently remove the bread from the pans and cool on a wire rack.
Makes two large braided loaves. You can make a half-recipe for one loaf, but it’s almost as much work for one as for two.
For Further Study
Beard on Bread. James Beard. Knopf, 1995.
Bread Winners. Mel London. Rodale Press, 1979.