The Story of Mom’s Shepherd’s Bread

As a little girl, the aroma of my mother’s homemade whole wheat bread came lofting through our home every Thursday, which was Mom’s weekly bread-baking day.

When I married and moved away from home, I remember going into a Great Harvest Bread store and was surprised when tears began welling up in my eyes. The very scent of fresh baked bread became the emblem of my mother’s affection and love for her loved family, in my heart.

Hence, whenever I missed my mother, I made homemade whole bread in her honor.

As a child, each Christmas Day, Mom always served a very simple dinner of homemade soup and Shepherd’s Bread which was a round loaf of her homemade, white bread.

Mom’s Shepherd’s Bread was one of my favorites as it signified happy memories on Christmas Day with all the accompanying emotions of gratitude, happiness, joy and peace. Mom’s Shepherd’s Bread became synonymous to me of “Gift-Giving” as well as “Receiving Good Gifts”.

As my mother grew older, I wanted to do something that would preserve this happy, precious memory of her homemade bread-baking years. So, I elaborated on her Shepherd’s Bread theme and added Sourdough to the mix.

In 2024, only five months before Mom passed away, I began baking Shepherd’s Sourdough Loaves for her and began delivering them to her almost weekly.
I made it for the purpose of uniting, gathering and preparing the way for “Sweet Reunions” with her.

I reminisce on the day in my childhood, when I asked my Mother, “Why do you call it ‘Shepherd’s Bread’?” She simply answered, “Because that is what the Shepherd’s ate while they sat on the hillside waiting for the baby Jesus to be born.”

As I knead each loaf of Sourdough Shepherd’s Bread, I pray that a blessing of love, joy and peace will come to the person who receives it .

I am not reserving this bread only for Christmas Day, but as the gift that keeps on giving all year round. May this beautiful homemade bread become a gift you give in times of joy, in times of mourning, in times of sorrow, in times of peace. May it be a “comfort food” to your heart, mind, body and spirit!

May it also be an offering that you share with the ones you love. As you “break bread together”, may each loaf be a sweet symbolism of “The Good Shepherd” and His perfect love for you and those you love.