Putting Ham in bread is a no-brainer for those of us who eat meat. Ham IN bread may be a new concept for you. This Ham Bread recipe is here to change that.
In my family, we eat ham on special occasions, especially Easter. During research, I found that this tradition has roots in European history. If you’re curious, keep an eye out for the sidequest later in the recipe.
Last year, we didn’t plan a big family dinner, so I looked for a smaller ham recipe. Though I grew up in Northwestern Germany, not in the south, I still thought of “Osterschinken,” or Easter ham, as a way to continue this tradition in a new way.
When I searched for a sourdough recipe, I found very few, and most were in German. If you’re ready to get started, I’ll guide you through an easy sourdough recipe in English.
This ham-bread recipe is based on my rye bread recipe because rye makes the dough more elastic, which helps it stretch over the ham in the middle. If you add caraway and fennel seeds, as I suggest, the bread becomes a perfect side for your Easter meal.
The tradition of baking ham in bread dough, known as “Osterschinken im Brotteig”, has a long history. It stems from a mix of farming needs, religious significance, and traditional food-storage methods.
If you’re curious about these roots, check out the sidequest below. Or you can come back to it while your sourdough Easter ham bread is rising, tying the history to your own kitchen experience.
Sidequest
AI helped me with the research for this article
Based on the provided material, here are the links and bibliographic references for the sources used in this conversation:
- All About Jesus Christ: Origin of Easter Ham https://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/origin-of-easter-ham-faq.htm
- Beans & Sardines: kuhana sunka v testu (Cooked ham in bread dough Recipe) https://www.beansandsardines.com/new-blog/tag/kuhana+sunka+v+testu
- Die moderne Hausfrau: Osterschinken im Brotteig (Oster-Tradition aus dem Ofen) https://www.moderne-hausfrau.de/app/magazin/osterschinken-im-brotteig/
- extra.ORF.at: Osterschinken im Brotteig (Studio 2) https://extra.orf.at/rezepte/studio-2/29032022-osterschinken-brotteig100.html
- Farmers’ Almanac: Why Do We Eat Certain Foods at Easter & Passover? https://www.farmersalmanac.com/why-easter-ham-eggs
- Foodal: The Traditional Foods of Easter https://foodal.com/holidays/easter/the-traditional-foods/
- Frierss.at: Nature Beinschinken https://www.frierss.at/en/assortment/product-overview/product/naturbeinschinken/
- Genusspunkt: Heritage cuisine reimagined https://en.genusspunkt.at/magazine/heritage-cuisine-reimagined-why-modern-interpretations-of-traditional-austrian-dishes-are-so-successful/
- Hungary Today: Easter Recipe: Ham Wrapped in Bread Dough https://hungarytoday.hu/ham-wrapped-in-bread-dough-recipe/
- Kitchen Stories: Schinken im Brotteig (Swiss-style ham in bread) https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/schinken-im-brotteig-swiss-style-ham-in-bread
- LjubljanaYum (Ljubljananjam): Feast on Easter in Slovenia https://ljubljananjam.si/slovenian-food-blog/easter-traditional-slovenian-symbols/
- Local Food Advice: Polish Easter Food – Best 20 Polish Easter Dishes https://local-food-advice.com/polish-easter-food/
- Pane-Bistecca: Schinken im Brotteig https://pane-bistecca.com/en/2024/12/15/schinken-im-brotteig/
- quitrieste: Il cotto in crosta di pane https://quitrieste.it/2017/08/il-cotto-in-crosta-di-pane/
- Reddit (r/AskAChristian): Why do Christians eat ham on Easter? https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAChristian/comments/1bpz118/why_do_christians_eat_ham_on_easter/
- Slovenian Girl Abroad: Easter in Slovenia https://sloveniangirlabroad.wordpress.com/2015/04/08/easter-in-slovenia/
- The Food Timeline: Easter foods: history & symbolism http://www.foodtimeline.org/easter.html
- The Hamlet Hams: The Origin of the Easter Ham Tradition https://www.hamlethams.com/blog/The-Origin-of-the-Easter-Ham-Tradition_167031.aspx
- The Taste of Germany: Adler Original Black Forest Ham https://www.thetasteofgermany.com/adler-original-black-forest-ham-schinken-9-lbs/
The “How Pork Hijacked the Easter Menu” deep dive and the analysis titled “The Cultural and Culinary Evolution of Easter Ham” are derived from the source material provided in this session and do not have standalone external URLs.
Ancient and Medieval Origins
Wrapping meat in a crust dates back to the Roman Empire. The famous Roman food writer “Marcus Gavius Apicius” wrote in the 1st century AD about boiling a pig’s leg and wrapping it in a crust made from “flour and oil”. By the “Middle Ages”, people started using “bread dough” instead of just flour and oil, and they began smoking the meat for a milder flavour.
Agrarian and Seasonal Roots
This tradition is closely tied to the European farming calendar. In the past, pigs were typically slaughtered in late autumn or winter, when cooler temperatures helped keep the meat fresh. The meat was then cured and smoked over winter. Since the curing process took several months, the first hams would be ready in early spring, just in time for Easter.
Religious and Cultural Symbolic Meaning
This dish became the main dish for breaking the 40-day Lenten fast, when Christians abstained from meat. It also carries strong Christological symbolism: the ham represents the body of Christ, while the bread crust symbolizes either the burial shroud or the Holy Sepulchre (tomb).
Slicing the bread on Easter morning is meant to mirror the opening of the tomb and reveal the Resurrection.
Jesus was Jewish and did not eat pork. Early Christians chose ham for Easter to set their tradition apart from Passover, which used lamb. They also celebrated that all foods were now allowed. Some people connect this custom to older beliefs in which pigs symbolized luck and spring renewal.
Regional Customs
Baking ham in bread is still common in the former Austro-Hungarian territories.
Austria (Carinthia): Families take baskets of ham in bread to be blessed at church on Holy Saturday during Fleischweihe, using rye or sourdough.
Slovenia: Šunka v testu is the queen of the Easter table. It features a sweeter, enriched dough.
Italy (Trieste): Prosciutto cotto in crosta di pane is a symbol of Triestine identity. The Masé brothers pioneered artisanal production in 1870.
Poland (Wielkopolska): Wielkanocna szynka w cieście sometimes uses shortcrust pastry instead of yeast-leavened dough.
Culinary Function
The bread dough acts as an insulator. It wraps the ham, traps the juices, and lets the ham steam inside, keeping it moist as it bakes.
How Easter Ham Mimics the Empty Tomb
Let’s Bake
Most of the year, you can find 600 grams of cured ham in small packs at the grocery store. The big bone-in hams are usually just for the holidays, but for this recipe, the smaller, already cooked and cured ham works best. Make sure to use cured ham, since we don’t want it to cook more inside the bread.
Optional Ingredients for Extra Flavor
You can also add Dijon mustard for extra flavour. If you like mustard, spread some over the ham before you wrap it in the dough.
Collecting Your Ingredients
This recipe is a lot like my other bread recipes. You’ll need about 80 grams of an active, bubbly starter. Use a bit less in summer and a bit more in winter, depending on how warm your kitchen is. I usually feed my starter four to six hours before I use it with a 1:1:1 ratio.
Next, measure 360 grams of water. Use warm water in winter if your kitchen is cold, or cold water in summer to slow fermentation. Add 150 grams of rye flour and 100 grams of whole wheat flour. This bread uses half whole grains, which gives it a stronger flavour that goes well with ham.
Mixing and Fermenting
Like in my other recipes, I don’t use a levain or autolyze. After you add starter and water, mix all the flours together and leave out the salt. This step is called “fermentolyse”.
If you haven’t done it yet, feed your starter and store it how you like.
After about half an hour, add the salt, caraway, and fennel seeds. If the dough feels too dry, add a splash of water. You can also add more water during the stretch and folds if needed.
Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and put it somewhere warm. After about an hour, do your first stretch and pull. Repeat this two more times, waiting 45 minutes to an hour between each.
If you need to run errands, it’s okay to wait longer between stretch-and-folds. These steps help build strong gluten so your bread holds together.
Bulk Fermentation and Shaping
Bulk fermentation usually takes six to seven hours, depending on how active your starter is and how warm your kitchen is. Watch your loaf, as it might ferment faster.
When it’s time to shape the loaf, you can spread mustard on all sides if you want. Gently stretch the dough into a rectangle with your hands. Put the bread in a banneton and cover it. Refrigerate it for at least six hours; I usually leave it overnight.
Baking Your Bread
The next morning, or about two hours before you want to serve the bread, preheat your oven to 450°F (200°C). Make a few small cuts on top of the loaf. Bake it with the lid on for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes.
If you don’t have a convection oven, take the bread out of the Dutch oven and put it on the rack to get a crisp crust.
Let your bread cool for at least an hour before you cut it. This helps the ham stay a little warm and makes sure the bread is fully baked.
Enjoy your Easter ham bread! I’d love to hear how it turned out.
Ingredients
- 80 grams starter fed / bubbly / active
- 360 grams water about 30°C / 100°F or cold if it is warm in your kitchen
- 150 grams rye flour
- 100 grams whole wheat four
- 250 grams bread flour
After Fermentolyse
- 9 grams salt
- 3 grams caraway seeds crushed (optional)
- 3 grams fennel seed (optional)
Inclusions
- 600 grams cured ham (see post for details)
- 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the sourdough starter and water in a large bowl.80 grams starter, 360 grams water
- Add flour150 grams rye flour, 250 grams bread flour, 100 grams whole wheat four
- Roughly mix the liquid and the flour. Do not add the salt yet.Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
- If you haven't already, now is a good time to feed your starter and store it according to your preference.
- Add the salt, caraway and fennel seeds (if using) and mix well. This stage is as close to kneading as it gets. If you think the dough is too dry, you can add some water now or wait a little.9 grams salt, 3 grams fennel seed, 3 grams caraway seeds crushed
- Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and place it in a warm location. After about one hour, stretch and pull the dough. Repeat twice more.
- It mainly depends on room temperature and how active your starter as to how long it will take to get to this stage. The rule of thumb is about seven hours.
- When you are ready to shape your loaf, spread a layer of mustard on all sides of your ham600 grams cured ham, 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- When the dough has about doubled in size, gently stretch it with your hands into a rectangle (see video).
- Place your bread into a banneton and cover it with a shower cap. Place it in the fridge for at least six hours. I usually leave it over night.
- Heat your oven to 450° degrees Farenheit (200°C). Score the loaf with at least one slash so it rises in a controlled manner.
- Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the lid.
- Take the lid off and bake for another 20 minutes
- Let your bread cool for at least two hours before cutting! The baking process continues.
