Italian Easter Bread

5 from 7 votes

Italian Easter bread is a slightly sweet brioche-style braided bread. Characterized by an Easter egg nestled in the center, and a dusting of sprinkles, this bread is a wonderful treat to serve for Easter breakfast!

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Dough proofing time2 30

Total Time3 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: breads

Author: James Delmage and Tara

Ingredients

For the dough

5 cups (625 grams) all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons instant dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (120 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest or the zest of 2 lemons
11 tablespoons (156 grams) unsalted butter melted
1 cups (240 grams) whole milk warmed
3 large eggs beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

remaining ingredients

8 large eggs whole uncooked eggs in their shells
food coloring for eggs
1 large egg for egg wash
Easter pastel sprinkles

Instructions

For the dough

Combine the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and lemon zest in a stand mixer and combine.
Add the beaten eggs, warmed milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Use the paddle attachment for 1 minute then switch to the bread hook and knead for 8 minutes on a low to medium speed.
Remove the dough and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours or until it doubles in size.

Coloring the eggs

Color raw (preferably white) eggs with your choice of food coloring, then let them dry completely. Before using the eggs lightly rinse and dry the eggs. This will help prevent the egg coloring from bleeding onto the dough.

Making the Easter bread

After two hours move the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. Cut those pieces in half for a total of 16 pieces.
Shape and roll each piece into a roughly 10-12 inch rope.
Attach two pieces together on one end then form a braid and then a circle shape. Pinch the other end together and place each circle on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat the process for the remaining dough, then insert a colored egg into the center of each wreath. Note: You can opt to make longer-style double wreaths by using more dough. The choice is yours.
Cover the baking tray with plastic wrap and allow the Easter bread to rise for another 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350f.
Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon of water together to make an egg wash.
Lightly brush each circle of braided dough with the egg wash then top with sprinkles. Bake the Easter bread for 25 minutes or until golden and serve right away.

Notes

Using a scale is recommended for accurate results but this recipe's measurements aren't too critical. If using cups, avoid packing the flour into the cup.
Diastatic malt powder can be used (no more than 2 teaspoons) to increase the browning of the bread.
The bread is best baked and eaten the same day, but the dough can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated overnight. The dough will need to warm up for 2-3 hours outside of the fridge before using the next day.
Leftovers can be saved for up to 5 days and is excellent for French toast.

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