Newspaper Page Text
thesylvaniatimes .com
Merry Christmas
Wednesday, December 20, 2023 - Page 3
.y
1st Place Tree: Christmas Extravaganza 2023
Lil Scholars Learning Center
2nd Place Tree: Christmas Extravaganza 2023
Grace Unbound Care Closet Ministry
3rd Place Tree: Christmas Extravaganza 2023
Donkey Discount & More
oit» our l : amily
1o Yours!
3YLVANIA1 IN
Sylvania, Georgi;
you.
r
Christmas
and a Happy 2024!
Possum Eddy
The helpful place.
136 Industrial Rd, Sylvania, GA 30467
^SJUIIKIIIb UUUIliy Mil
Millen, Georgia
gla
*
912.451.6397
or (478)401-5007
2 'G
£2
to <*
1 =
o
U
'O
a
<D
Evelyn Hubbard’s Sixty-Year Christmas Tradition:
Brioche Braids and Generosity
Bavarian Braid
2 c Milk whole
2 packets Yeast, active dry
1/2 cup Water
Vi cup butter
2 tsp Salt
6 c All purpose flour
2 large Egg
Vi c sugar
1 c Sugar confectioner's
3 T Milk
14 c butter
1 tsp orange or lemon extract
Scald 2 cups of milk. Add water
and butter and stir until the butter
is melted. In the meantime, in a
large bowl mix yeast, sugar, salt, 3
cups all purpose flour. Add the hot
milk mixture and stir quickly until
mixed well. Add the eggs and mix
well. Add enough of the flour to
make a soft dough. (It is right when
the dough pulls from the side of
the bowl and sticks together. Turn
the dough onto a lightly floured
surface, cover and let stand 5 - 10
minutes. Knead until the surface is
smooth. Place dough in a greased
bowl, turn over so the top side is
greased. Cover and let rise until
doubled. Punch down and turn
to let rise again. When doubled,
using your hands to pinch, make
9 equal pieces. Roll each piece
like a snake to make a piece about
12 - 14 inches long. Take three
pieces, laying side by side, start in
the middle and braid to each end.
At the end press the ends together
and fold under the loaf. Then do
the same to the other end. Place
on a baking sheet and decorate as
desired with candied fruit, raisins
and nuts. Let rise until doubled.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 - 25
minutes until the loaf is brown
and sounds hollow when thumped.
Mix the confectioner’s sugar,
melted butter, extract and milk to
drizzle over the top.
By Joe Brady, Editor
for
The Times
Solicitor General Evelyn Hubbard
has been weaving a unique Christmas
tradition for the past sixty years - her
cherished brioche braid. As she reflects on
this longstanding practice, Evelyn, with
a twinkle in her eye, admits, "I have been
making fifty loaves of my bread for as long
as I can remember and giving it away. This
year I only made 40 loaves. So, there will
be some disappointed people." She chuckles
warmly, embodying the spirit of the season.
The inspiration for the brioche braid and
its enduring tradition came from a humble
source - a calendar procured from Durham's
IGA in College Park, Ga, just south of
Atlanta. "As a child taking piano lessons,
my parents required that I keep track of my
practice time on a calendar. The year I was
10,1 selected a free calendar from Durham's
IGA. A photo of this wonderful bread was
on the piano in my line of sight every day
for almost 12 months," Hubbard explained.
That year, her grandmother, Xavier
Woods Stembridge, fondly known as Bonny,
agreed to help her make the cherished
brioche recipe, making it the centerpiece
of their family Christmas breakfast. The
tradition blossomed into a family favorite,
and together they continued the annual
baking ritual until the year before Bonny's
passing in 1984.
After her grandmother's death, Evelyn
embraced the responsibility of carrying
on the tradition. Every Christmas, she
lovingly crafted the brioche, not just for
her family but as heartfelt gifts for friends
and neighbors - a continuation of Bonny's
legacy of creating and giving.
She has extended this tradition to her
children, grandchildren, and now great
grandchildren, teaching them not only the
art of baking together but also the joy of
sharing the finished bread with friends.
The annual tradition has become a tapestry
of intergenerational warmth, love, and
connection.
As Evelyn bakes her brioche loaves this
Christmas, she expresses a heartfelt wish:
that her cherished recipe be shared with
future generations. Perhaps, she muses,
other families will adopt this tradition,
weaving their own unique threads into the
rich fabric of holiday celebrations.
