Folar (Portugiese Easter Bread) - #BreadBakers

Oh don't look at the title like that. Yes, it is an Easter bread. Yes, Easter was over a week ago. What? You don't start planning your Easter bread basket a year in advance? You should. Plus, there's no rule that says you can't eat these loaves all year round. With so many traditional Easter loaves to choose from, it probably would take you a year to try them all anyway. Be sure to check out the list below - you have a lot of baking to do!

Camilla challenged us to make a holiday bread (Easter or Passover) from around the world or one that celebrated spring. I chose folar from Portugal. Folars vary by region. They typically have some combination of lemon, cinnamon and anise. I even came across one that was multiple layers of dough separated by cinnamon and sugar - like a huge cinnamon roll. I really wanted to make that one but I'm trying to tame my sweet tooth (read: I already had lots of cake to eat).

Folar Doves

 I also really loved the shape of this one - the round boule, the cross and the egg in the middle. The egg is traditionally deep brown (dyed with onion skins). However, since I've never dyed an egg before, I thought I'd borrow from other Easter traditions and use a brightly coloured egg. And look at that dove! (Oh, you didn't realise it was a dove? That's OK.) I won't get into how long it took me to get the hang of that simple knot. I won't even tell you that I could only do two of three. I just gave up and did a braided circle like one the Italian Easter breads.

Folar - Portuguese Easter Bread

Recipe by: Kelly   Adapted from: Tertulia de Sabores

Yield: 2 medium loaves

Ingredients 500 grams all purpose flour 100 grams sugar 11 grams (1 tablespoon) yeast 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons anise seeds 1 teaspoon salt  75 grams butter, softened  2 eggs 134 grams milk  1 or 2 dyed eggs Raisins for dove eyes 1 egg plus 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash

Directions Combine flour, sugar, yeast, cinnamon, anise, and salt. Mix in butter, eggs and milk then knead to form a soft dough.  Cover and let rise until doubled or refrigerate overnight.  After dough has doubled, divide into two equal pieces.  Two Boules: Remove 50 grams from each piece and roll the larger pieces into tight balls. Roll the 50 gram pieces into long ropes approximately 24 inches long.You want a rope that when divided in two, stretches across the dough with enough left to tuck under the dough to completely secure the egg.  Make a small depression into the center of each ball and place a dyed egg. Cut each rope into two equal pieces and form a cross over the eggs to secure them. Secure the ends of the rope under the ball of dough. One Boule and Three Doves: Take one half of the dough and divide into three equal pieces. Roll out to a rope of approximately 10 inches. Flatten the rope and follow this video for shaping. Cover the boules and doves and let them rest at room temperature until they have almost doubled and the dough is puffy. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F . When dough is ready, brush with egg wash and bake the boules for 30 minutes or until golden. the doves will be ready within 20 minutes.

Notes I used cranberries for the eyes of my doves and the eyes were barely discernible against the bronzed dough. Definitely use raisins.  I used this bread for one of the grilled cheese sandwiches that I posted ~ two weeks ago.

Here's our International Easter/Passover/Spring Bread Basket

• Bacci Bread by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Casatiello by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Choereg - Armenian Easter Bread by Chef Mireille's East West Realm
• Colomba Pasquale (Easter Dove Bread) by Cook's Hideout
• Cornish Saffron Easter Bread by Pastry Chef Online
• Folar (Portuguese Easter Bread) by Passion Kneaded
• Hot Cross Buns by En la Cocina de Caro
• Hornazo De Salamanca - Spanish Easter Bread by Ruchik Randhap
• Hungarian Egg Twist by Hostess at Heart
• Hungarian White Bread by Magnolia Days
• Individual Braided Easter Bread by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Italian Easter Bread by La Cocina de Aisha
• Lambropsomo - Greek Easter Bread by Spice Roots
• Lithuanian Easter Raisin Bread by My Catholic Kitchen
• Matzo by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Mennonite Paska by Food Lust People Love
• Pääsiäisleipä - Finnish Easter Bread by Bakers and Best
• Pane di Pasqua - Italian Easter Bread Wreath by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Polish Bobka Easter Bread by Seduction in the Kitchen
• Russian Kulich by That's My Home
• Springtime Sweet Bread by Cooking club
• Strawberry Fritters by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread) by Simply Veggies

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the Bread Bakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla has chosen breads from around the world that are traditional for Easter, Passover or Springtime. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.