Women take on a central role in this tradition, skilfully crafting the sourdough as part of their preparations for Easter. It was customary for them to undertake this sacred task either within the solemn confines of the church or in the comfort of their own homes.

As they read the Apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthians, specifically the passage ‘Did you not see that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?’, the women would commence kneading the leaven (yeast) with flour and lukewarm water. The sourdough was traditionally prepared by a pure girl who had observed fasting throughout Lent. This sacred task was undertaken by the girl, who then presented the sourdough to the housewives.

Sourdough was typically prepared after the Sacrament of Healing, following the Vespers of Holy Week. On Holy Thursday, after the second Gospel, worshippers would depart from the church to their homes to prepare the leaven. Some individuals would even bring flour on Good Friday to the church and create the leaven there, using flowers from the epitaph or flowers provided by the priest. These flowers were dipped three times crosswise in water, and this consecrated water was then utilised in the preparation of the sourdough.

Housewives would create a sourdough starter with Resurrection Leaves from the first Resurrection, on the morning of Holy Saturday, while the priest sprinkled the faithful with the Resurrection Leaves and the church echoed with the chant ‘Christ is Risen’. The housewives would gather these leaves, dip them three times crosswise in the water intended for making the starter.

Lena Igoumenaki

President of the Cretan Cuisine Festival Association