Italian Easter Bread

Making this luscious Easter bread comes but once a year and cannot wait! This Easter bread is your morning breakfast all in one. You got your egg protein and ring of soft, sweet egg bread around the outside. Nothing could be more perfect!

Ingredients and Variations

Ingredients: Bread flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, eggs, water, non fat milk powder and salt.

Variations: All purpose flour can be substituted for bread flour, wheat flour and gluten free bread can also be used. Honey, coconut sugar, maple syrup or sugar substitute can replace the granulated sugar. Any yeast of choice can be used. Milk can be scalded and used in place of water and milk powder and full fat milk powder can be used in lace of non fat milk powder. There is simply no replacement for the eggs here.

The bread can be shaped any way you like.

Italian Easter Bread

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Jeni Gough Course: Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, LunchCuisine: Italian
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

2

hours 

45

minutes
Baking time

20

minutes

Soft, sweet, delicious egg bread!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup 1 1/4 warm water

  • 2 1/4 tsp (1 pkg) 2 1/4 instant yeast

  • 1/2 cup 1/2 granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup 1/4 dry non fat milk powder

  • 1/3 cup 1/3 unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 1/2 tsp 1 1/2 salt

  • 4 1/2 cups 4 1/2 bread flour

  • 9 9 large eggs

  • 1 tbsp 1 oil to oil bowl

  • sprinkles

  • food coloring

Directions

  • In mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast and a tablespoon sugar over warm water. Let set for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, add 2 eggs, butter, the remaining sugar, flour, salt and milk powder to yeast mixture. Using dough hook attachment (or by hand), mix into a dough and knead for 7 minutes. Place dough ball into oiled bowl and cover. Set aside to proof for 2 hours in a warm, draft free area.
  • Punch down dough and divide into 6 pieces. Pull each piece slightly into a rectangle, cut down the middle longwise keeping 1/2 inch attached,. Twist one over the other, form in a ring and attach ends together. Put an egg in the middle. Put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, 3 to a pan, as not to crowd. Cover with a towel and let proof a second time for 30 minutes.
  • While bread is proofing, color 6 raw eggs by putting them in water and adding drops of food coloring. You can let them sit in the color until you are ready to use them. Make sure the eggs are well dried off before putting them into the bread.
  • Heat oven to 350°.
  • Beat the remaining egg and brush the dough around the egg carefully. Sprinkle with your choice of sprinkles. Bake at 350° for 20 – 25 minutes. Cool before eating.

Recipe Video

2 Comments

  1. I watched your YouTube video and wanted to make this for Easter. Just finished them and they are so soft and perfect. I actually used powdered coconut milk and plant based butter to make it safe for our dairy free family. It worked amazing.