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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.
Featured with this recipe
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.
Ingredients in Easter Bread
- Whole or 2% milk
- Sugar
- Large eggs
- All purpose flour
- Yeast
- Salt
- Butter
- White vinegar
- Nonpariels
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.
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How to Make Easter Bread
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.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
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.
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 Information
Calories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 7gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 373mgPotassium: 113mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 324IUVitamin C: 0.002mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 3mg
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!