Instructions: Easter, the most festive holiday in Greece, is calculated by the Julian calendar, and so its celebration does not necessarily coincide with the Roman Catholic and Protestant Easter celebration. This year, Eastern Orthodox Easter Like Easter breads from other cultures, the Greek tsoureki looks very much as if it belongs on a long banquet table in a fairy-tale citadel. These festive loaves are oversize, beautifully shaped and topped with one or more brilliantly dyed red eggs. One reason for their beauty is that they also contain lots of eggs, an ingredient that imparts a rich flavor, a subtle sunny color and a delicate cake-like texture. And not only are they delicious, they are also rich with tradition.

Gently scented with Mediterranean sweet spices, tsoureki is cousin to the Polish babka, French brioche, Russian kulich and even the Greek lambropsomo, all rich and sweet yeast breads made with lots of eggs. Even bakers who find yeast breads frustrating are often delighted with these loaves because of the boost that the eggs give the yeast. Uneven shaping disappears in the heat of the oven when the bread rises dramatically, at least double its volume.

Tsoureki - the word comes from neighboring Turkey and means that which is kneaded - is served at the midday Easter meal of roast lamb, olives, salad, yogurt and cheese.

The egg, often referred to as the Cosmic Egg in ancient writings from the Mediterranean basin to India, has reigned over the centuries and across religions as the definitive symbol of spring, the season of rebirth and renewal.

Since eggs are not eaten during the long 48 days of Lent in the Eastern Orthodox church, communities ended up with piles of eggs to be eaten after the fast. Eggs are the last food on the table on Cheese Fare Sunday, the day before the beginning of the Lenten fast. Traditionally at this meal, eggs are baked until firm in the ashes of an outdoor wood fire oven, each egg inscribed with a persons name.

Since it is made in so many regions, tsoureki can be flavored a number of ways - with lemon, orange, vanilla, bay leaf, allspice, aniseed or even petimezi (a grape must syrup). The lesser-known exotic spices that are often used in this and other Greek sweet baking are masticha (mastic), a resiny spice, and mahlepi seeds from the crushed pits of St. Lucys cherries. Both are readily available at Middle Eastern or Greek markets.

Loaves of tsoureki are often fashioned into oversize three-strand long or serpentine braids representing the Holy Trinity. The simplest shape, however, is the round kouloura ring, symbolizing the sun and the universe. A crimson-red egg is baked right into the loaf. It is discarded before slicing.

I have given instructions for making the dough by hand, since it is an extra large batch. You can use a heavy-duty electric mixer if you have one that will accommodate a dough with 9 cups of flour. Or cut the recipe in half.

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