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Italian Easter Bread Recipe

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4 from 11 reviews

Italian Easter Bread is a traditional sweet, braided bread enriched with eggs, butter, and citrus zest, decorated with colorful dyed eggs and sprinkles to celebrate the festive season. This soft, slightly sweet bread has a tender crumb and a beautiful presentation, perfect for festive gatherings.

  • Author: Chef
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the Sponge

  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, lukewarm
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour

For the Dough

  • 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Zest of 1 orange

For Decoration

  • 4 dyed eggs, uncooked
  • Multicolored nonpareils or sprinkles
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

  1. Make the sponge: Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes foamy. Add the sugar, eggs, and 2 cups of flour to the mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until combined. The mixture should resemble pancake batter. Cover the bowl and set it aside in a warm spot for 30 minutes until the surface is bubbly, meanwhile dice the butter into 1/2-inch pieces.
  2. Make the dough: To the sponge, add the remaining 2 cups flour, sugar, butter, salt, vanilla extract, and citrus zest. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and mix on the lowest speed until dough forms a rough ball, about 1 minute. Increase speed to level 2 and knead for 7 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulling away from the bowl sides, although it may stick slightly to the bottom.
  3. First rise: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1.5 hours or until roughly doubled in size.
  4. Divide the dough: Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 8 equal portions, each about 120 to 125 grams.
  5. Assemble the loaves: On parchment-lined baking sheets, roll each dough piece into a 12-inch rope. Pinch two ropes together at their ends and twist them several times to form wreath shapes, pinching the ends to secure and tucking them underneath. Repeat for remaining dough pieces.
  6. Second rise: Place two loaves on each baking sheet, cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour until puffy and nearly doubled.
  7. Prepare the oven: Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds and preheat to 400°F (204°C).
  8. Decorate the loaves: Nestle a dyed uncooked egg into the center of each wreath loaf. Whisk together one egg and a tablespoon of milk to create an egg wash, then gently brush each loaf excluding the eggs. Sprinkle with multicolored nonpareils.
  9. Bake: Bake the loaves for 20 minutes until golden brown, rotating and switching the pans halfway through baking for even coloring.
  10. Cool: Transfer the baked breads to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before serving.

Notes

  • Use room temperature eggs for better dough texture and rise.
  • Ensure the milk is lukewarm to activate the yeast properly without killing it.
  • You can dye the eggs a day in advance using food-safe dyes.
  • For a richer flavor, use high-quality vanilla extract and fresh citrus zest.
  • Do not overbake to keep the bread soft and tender.
  • This bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.

Find it online: https://cheftinaskitchen.com/italian-easter-bread-recipe/