Easter is right around the corner and there is a Tradition in Greece to bake a special bread for the Sunday before “Palm Sunday”, which is the “Saturday of Lazaruses” (so two weeks before Easter). This special bread is called “Lazarakia” (little Lazarues) and is made to celebrate the mircal of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
They are shaped like a man and traditionally have cloves for eyes. Because Saturday of Lazaruses is still part of the Lenten period the bread doesn`t contain any dairy products or eggs. So if you now want to make this bread on your own here is a recipe for you:
What you need (6 serves):
1kg of flour
1 glass of lukewarm water
¼ teacup of sugar
¼ cup of olive oil
¼ cup of raisins
1 teacup of chopped walnuts
2 packages of dried yeast
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoon of ground cloves
whole cloves to decorate
How ro make it:
preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
put baking paper on oven trays.
Dissolve the yeast in a glass with the lukewarm water.
Put the flour in a big bowl and make a well in the middle. Fill it with the sugar, the olive oil and the dissolved yeast.
Start kneading the dough with your hands. Add a bit more lukewarm water if the dough is too dry.
Add the spices and the raisins. Knead the dough until it doesn`t sick to your hands anymore.
Take quantities out of the dough and shape the men. Use the whole cloves as eyes, noseand forehead.
Let them rise on the baking tray for 1 hour.
Brush them with some oil for the glowing look and put them in the oven until they have a golden brown colour.
Easter is right around the corner and there is a Tradition in Greece to bake a special bread for the Sunday before “Palm Sunday”, which is the “Saturday of Lazaruses” (so two weeks before Easter). This special bread is called “Lazarakia” (little Lazarues) and is made to celebrate the mircal of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
