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This festive Easter Bread is similar to a brioche bread, the flavor is just a little sweeter. The dyed eggs are raw and will cook in the oven along with the bread. They come to a soft center when baked.
Table of Contents
There are many variations when it comes to Easter Bread recipes. This Easter egg bread is similar to a traditional Italian Easter bread. Two longs ropes or strands of dough are twisted into a braid, then circled into a wreath. Traditionally, this wreath is a symbol of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus Christ at the crucifixion. The dyed egg in the middle of the wreath symbolizes the rebirth or resurrection of Jesus Christ on the first Easter Sunday. It is the perfect thing to serve at an Easter brunch or for Easter dinner.
Ingredients in Easter Bread
- Whole or 2% milk
- Sugar
- Large eggs
- All purpose flour
- Yeast
- Salt
- Butter
- White vinegar
- Nonpariels
Step by Step Instructions
- Activate the yeast. Heat milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute, until the milk reaches between 110-120°F. Stir in the yeast and set aside for 10 minutes until frothy.
- Mix the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, ½ cup of sugar, and salt. Lightly beat 2 eggs and add them to the bowl along with the frothy yeast mixture. Using the dough hook on low speed, knead for 5 minutes.
- Add the butter. With the mixer still on low, add room temperature butter one tablespoon at a time. Once all the butter is incorporated, continue kneading on low for 10-15 minutes, pulling the dough down from the hook as needed. The dough should feel sticky and stretchy but should not stick to your fingers. If it tears easily, knead a little longer.
- Let the dough rise. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
- Dye the eggs. While the dough rises, dye your raw white eggs. Combine 1 cup of warm water, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, and a generous amount of gel food coloring in a bowl. Submerge each egg for about 3 minutes until it reaches the desired color, then set on a paper towel to dry completely.
- Divide and shape the dough. Punch down the risen dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 14-inch rope, then pair two ropes together, pinch one end, and twist them around each other. Form into a circle by pinching the ends together. Repeat with the remaining dough to make 3 loaves.
- Add the eggs and let rest. Place each loaf on a lined baking sheet and set a colored egg in the center of each one – don’t press it down, as it will naturally sink while baking. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Apply the egg wash. Whisk together 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of water. Gently brush the egg wash over the dough, being careful to avoid the colored eggs to prevent the dye from bleeding into the bread.
- Add sprinkles. Decorate with nonpareils or any sprinkles you like.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until the loaves are a deep golden brown. Transfer immediately to a wire rack to cool.
Recipe Tips
- Easter Bread tastes best when made the same day you plan on serving it.
- The dough will be stretchy and sticky to the touch, but it won’t stick to your hands. Keep kneading the dough if it is breaks while stretching or if it’s too sticky.
- When making the dough, it’s important to add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time to help it incorporate into the dough. It has a tendency to collect at the bottom of the mixing bowl so just let it incorporate slowly.
- Because of the eggs, store in the refrigerate in an air tight container.
- If it gets a little stale after a day or two, slice it up and make into a delicious French Toast.
What Happens to the Raw Eggs when they Bake?
The eggs will cook along with the bread and will come to a soft center, similar to a soft-boiled egg. If you prefer a hard-boiled egg, prepare dyed hard-boiled eggs and place them in the center of the bread after it bakes. Either way, the eggs are completely safe to eat.
Easter Bread
This festive Easter Bread is similar to a brioche bread, the flavor is just a little sweeter. The dyed eggs are raw and will cook in the oven along with the loaves of bread.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup milk, (2% or Whole milk)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 3 white eggs, for coloring
- 3 cups warm water
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- gel food colors, pink, blue and purple
- Sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Heat milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl (microwave safe) for 1 minute. The milk should be between to 110 to 120°F. Do not heat the milk above 130°F. Add yeast and stir. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate and get frothy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add flour, ½ cup of sugar and salt. Mix together.
- Lightly beat 2 eggs, then add to the mixing bowl along with the frothy yeast.
- Using a hook attachment, set on low speed and knead for 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the dough and pull it down from the hook as needed.
- Add room temperature butter 1 tablespoon at a time while the dough is kneading on low. Once all the butter has been added, continue to knead on low for 10-15 minutes. You will need to pull down the dough from the hook as it bunches up.
- The dough will feel sticky and stretchy, but it should not stick to your fingers. If it tears easily while pulling, knead a little longer.
- Grease a large bowl. Place dough in the greased bowl, cover with damp towel or plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place for 1-1 ½ hours until it's doubled.
- Dye white RAW eggs in Easter colors. Place 1 cup of warm water in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Add a generous amount of gel food coloring and mix. Place white egg in the bowl for about 3 minutes until it reaches the desired color. Place on a paper towel and let it completely dry.
- Punch down the dough, place on a lightly floured working surface and divide into 6 equal parts.
- Take two pieces of dough and create two 1 inch ropes that are 14 inches long.
- Pinch together one end and twist the two ropes together. Create a circle by pinching the two ends together. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Place a colored egg in the center of each loaf. Do not push the egg down, it will sink while it bakes.
- Cover Easter Bread loaves with a kitchen towel and allow dough to rest for 30 minutes. Whisk 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of water together. Brush the dough with the egg wash being careful not to brush too close to the colored egg because it will bleed into the dough.
- Sprinkle with nonpareils or any kind of sprinkles you want.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until it's a nice golden brown. Immediately place on a wire rack to cool.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
Notes
- This recipe makes three 7 inch Easter Bread Loaves.
- The dough will be stretchy and sticky to the touch, but it won’t stick to your hands. Keep kneading the dough if it is breaks while stretching or if it’s too sticky.
- It is important to add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time to help it incorporate into the dough. It has a tendency to collect at the bottom of the mixing bowl so just let it incorporate slowly.
- Because of the eggs, store in the refrigerate in an air tight container.
- If it gets a little stale after a day or two, slice it up and make into a delicious French Toast.
- The nutrition does not include the colored eggs in the center of the Easter Bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 282kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 373mg, Potassium: 113mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 324IU, Vitamin C: 0.002mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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How would I make this without an electric mixer?
You could knead the dough by hand, but you would have to put it back into a bowl when adding the butter.
love my italian n slovak easter bread. also I make potato salad, stuffed cabbage. pizza piena love the traditions
Yum! This sounds like the makings for a great Easter dinner. Thanks for sharing!