Italian Easter Bread

This is one of the most delicious Italian Easter Bread recipes you’ll ever have, and it’s straight from the old country. The dough is an absolute dream to work with. The recipe makes 6 of these festive twisted breads (or two large loaves) and I can’t imagine letting an Easter go by without them. Happy Baking!

I took photos of this recipe a year ago and didn’t post it because my camera’s sd card was partially corrupted, meaning I lost many of the process photos. Fast forward to just recently, I was going through my cell phone’s camera roll and, to my surprise, there were several photos from this recipe. I never use my phone to take pics when I’m shooting a recipe for this blog so how cool is that? Anyway, here you go, a mix of high quality camera and low quality phone pics. Not ideal, but enough that you should be able to follow the process of making this amazing Italian Easter Bread. Here’s how….

You’ll need 6 hard-cooked eggs that have been colored. The photos I took of this process were some of those that were corrupted, but here’s the aftermath. The process is simple, soak hard-cooked eggs in cups filled with warm water, a splash of white vinegar, and food coloring. Soak the eggs until the color you desire is achieved, the remove from the water and allow to dry on paper towels. I used gel food colors (like these). There are so many more colors to choose from (and they’re vibrant enough to color white and brown shelled eggs).

Personally, I like to use a variety of colored eggs, but some like just red, and others use uncolored eggs (white and/or brown). Heck, some people don’t use any eggs at all, but what fun is that?

I’m also a fan of decorating my easter bread with confectioner’s sugar icing and colored sprinkles, but some prefer no icing, just a sprinkling of nonpareils or pearl sugar. You do you!

More corrupted photos for the bread dough, but it’s pretty straight forward. You can make the dough with stand mixer or a hand mixer. It’ll need to rise for about an hour, covered, before shaping.

Then the dough is divided into 12 equal portions, Each portion will then be rolled into a 10-inch snake. Twist 2 snakes together before forming into a circle, pinching the ends together. Place on a silpat or parchment-lined half sheet pan and put an egg in the center of each. Repeat with the remaining dough until 6 breads are formed.

Cover with plastic that’s been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray; allow to rise for 45 minutes.

Now’s a good time to preheat your oven.

After 45 minutes have passed, brush breads with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar or nonpareils sprinkles. If you plan to add icing, use the egg wash, but hold off on adding pearl sugar or nonpareil sprinkles.

Bake as directed in the recipe below. Allow breads to rest for several minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely (especially if you plan to ice them).

To make the optional icing, whisk the ingredients together until smooth (cover bowl with damp towel until ready to use).

Pour icing over breads when they’re completely cool. Add coordinating nonpareil sprinkles, if desired.

Happy Easter - Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• pearl sugar https://amzn.to/3w5KOWp

• gel food colors https://amzn.to/3w58hqy

• the best pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE

• kitchen scale https://amzn.to/3uLRKd9

• nonpareil sprinkles https://amzn.to/3db824I

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Italian Easter Bread

makes 6 individual breads or 2 large loaves

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Easter Breads:

• 1 1/4 cup whole milk (300ml)

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (114g)

• 2 large eggs (100g)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or half pure almond extract)

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (5ml)

• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast (1 packet/.25oz/7g)

• 4 cups all purpose flour, sifted (480g)

• 6 hard-cooked eggs, colored

• sprinkles and/or pearl sugar for decoration

Egg Wash:

• 1 large egg

• 1 tablespoon water

Optional Icing:

• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

• 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or half as much pure almond extract)

Directions

1. Gently warm milk and butter together over medium heat until the milk is warm (not hot) and the butter is melted.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer on medium- low speed for 30 seconds.

4. Slowly add the warm milk/butter mixture, followed by the yeast.

5. Add the flour/salt mixture, a little at a time, until all the flour is incorporated.

6. Turn the soft, sticky dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for several minutes until smooth.

7. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic, and allow to rise at room temperature until it doubles in size (about 1 hour).

8. Divide dough into 12 equal portions and roll each portion into a 10-inch snake.

9. Twist 2 snakes together before forming into a circle, pinching the ends together; place on a silpat or parchment-lined half sheet pan and put an egg in the center of each. Repeat 5 more times.

10. Cover breads with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise for 45 minutes.

11. Preheat oven to 350F.

12. Just before baking, make egg wash by whisking egg and water together; brush breads with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar or nonpareil sprinkles (omit sugar and sprinkles on the breads you plan to ice)..

13. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

14. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

15. For breads decorated with icing, whisk icing ingredients together until smooth, then pour oven completely cooled breads and sprinkle with nonpareil sprinkles. Allow icing to set before serving.

Notes

• Recipe makes 6 individual breads or two large braided loaves.

• Personally, I like to decorate my bread with a variety of colored eggs that I can accent with confectioner’s sugar icing and coordinating sprinkles. Some people use only red eggs, some use uncolored eggs (white and/or brown), and others choose not to use any eggs at all.

• To color my eggs, I prefer gel food colors because they’re very vibrant and there are so many colors to choose from.

• Be sure to use hard-cooked eggs as uncooked eggs may crack in the oven.

• Yes, you can eat the eggs after the bread is baked, but they’ll be very tough. We usually don’t eat them.

• Bread dough can be made with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment until all the flour is incorporated, then switch to the dough kneading hook.

• Large loaves can be braided instead of twisted - divide the dough for each loaf into 3 equal pieces, roll into 20-inch long strands, and braid them together. Form into a circle, pinch the ends together, and nestle 3 eggs per loaf into the braid before the 2nd rise.

recipe adapted from Nonna Gina Pettiti

Soft Flatbread

The intoxicating aroma of homemade flatbread wafting through your home will drive your family crazy, but the best part is how quick and easy they are to make. Start to finish, they’re ready in less than an hour.

Start by whisking together flour and salt.

Add warm milk and melted butter.

Combine until no traces of dry flour remain. I find a silicone spatula or spoonula is the perfect tool for this task.

Knead the dough together on an oiled surface for a couple of minutes, then wrap in plastic.

Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, divide the dough into 6 equal portions.

Roll each portion into a ball and cover with plastic until needed.

Remove one portion of dough from the plastic and use a small nylon rolling pin to roll it into a 6 or 7-inch diameter round.

Preheat a cast iron skillet coated with a little vegetable oil until the skillet is hot and the oil shimmers.

Carefully place the flattened dough into the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until there are lovely brown spots on the surface and the dough is cooked through. Some people like to cook them until they are really charred (ME!!!).

For a little added touch of luxury, melt a tablespoon of salted butter.

Brush the butter on the top side of each flatbread immediately after removing it from the skillet.

Stack the flatbreads on top of each other and wrap them in clean kitchen towel to keep them warm at the table. Use them to make wraps, fajitas, gyros, pizzas, or a gazillion other things. Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• large cast iron skillet https://amzn.to/31FfY9R

• silicone spoonula https://amzn.to/3jq1Fff

• bowl scraper https://amzn.to/2EGyPZx

• small nylon rolling pin https://amzn.to/3lu1527

• silicone pastry brush https://amzn.to/2EGyYfx

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Soft Flatbread

makes 6

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 3 tablespoons milk, warm or room temperature

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• oil for coating pan

• melted butter (salted), for brushing flatbreads after cooking (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

2. Add the milk and melted butter; mix until no traces of flour remain.

3. Knead dough on oiled counter for 3 or 4 minutes, until smooth; wrap in plastic and rest for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

5. Divide dough into 6 equal portions and use a rolling pin to roll thin into 7-inch rounds.

6. Coat hot skillet with oil and cook each dough round for 1-2 minutes per side, adding more oil as needed.

7. Brush flatbreads with melted butter (optional).

8. Keep flatbread warm in clean kitchen towel.

adapted from from recipetineats