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Colomba di Pasqua
Easter Dove Bread
Easter is almost here, and in my house that means it is time to bake Easter Dove Bread – Colomba di Pasqua. As Panettone is to Christmas, so this rich egg bread is to Easter. A traditional yeasted sweet bread, formed (more or less) in the shape of a dove, it is available in the days leading up to Holy Week.
History tells us this bread hails from Milan where, during the battle of Legnano in 1176, two doves alighted on the sacred Milanese carrocio (war chariot). The war chariot carried a massive crucifix dedicated to Saint George, patron saint of Milan, and the doves remained on the chariot until the armies of the Lombard League repulsed Federico Barbarossa, his knights and infantrymen. To honor the end of hostilities and the Treaty of Venice, the women of Milan baked this bread, and the tradition continues to this day. Read the remainder of this entry »