Gathering for the traditional Warrah Easter Festival always provides the opportunity for our clients living with disability to reflect on the significance of Easter, to socialise and to express their creativity. This year the event started with a procession around the campus, and the planting of bulbs at Banksia Community Centre and at the School. Afterwards there was a short service in the Nordoff Hall, followed by lunch. The bread that we baked on the day is called ”zopf”.

We thought you might like to try the recipe for this traditional Swiss bread.

 

Easter Festival Bread Recipe

This version of the recipes bakes a large size loaf (plenty for 8 – 9 people).

1kg plain white flour

3 teaspoons salt

6 level teaspoons dried yeast

1 teaspoon white sugar

200ml milk

2 eggs, beaten

80-100g butter

 

Place butter and milk in a pan and heat until lukewarm.

Put yeast and sugar in a bowl, add a little of the lukewarm milk and leave until frothy.

Put flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre.

Pour in the yeast mixture and the rest of the milk and nearly all the eggs.  Keep a bit of the egg for painting bread just before baking.

Mix to a soft dough and knead well.

Let it rise until it is about double in size.

Knead again and shape as you like. The beautiful traditional way is to plait it with four strands.

Paint with egg and bake in a preheated oven at 190º C for about 45 minutes.

……

Another autumn tradition at Warrah is the annual harvest festival up at the Farm. As always, it proved to be great occasion with so many of our clients and colleagues enjoying the celebration and sharing a lovingly prepared meal together and some traditional accordion music. A wide range of offerings made throughout the year by our school, clients and the Farm were gathered and distributed through St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Although there are some lovely autumn leaves about, it has been unseasonably warm. We have even been able to sell a late flush of our own Warrah Farm strawberries in the last week, much to the delight of customers. More typically, this is the season of navel oranges, grapefruit, mandarins and the brassica family – broccoli, Romanesco, cauliflower, cabbage, pak choi and kale. Moving into winter is always a welcome time for us on the farm – getting everything back into order after the intensity of the year and preparing for the spring ahead.