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

Traditional Hot Cross Buns

Here's a post I shared a couple of years ago.  Perhaps you'll make them this Easter.

I have one word for these - Delish!  The recipe comes from Rachel at The Traveling Spoon who spend an exorbitant amount of time searching for the traditional Hot Cross Buns of her childhood in England.  Rachel is a purist and says these are the real deal.  She also says traditional hot cross buns never have icing crosses, but rather crosses that are made of a sweetened flour paste that is piped on just before baking.  These buns are excellent warm from the oven or gently heated the next day.  I'm posting the recipe as written, but I'll share my notes for using a stand mixer in the recipe below.

Note - The only thing I'd change next time would be to use dried currants instead of raisins because currants are smaller and would distribute more evenly throughout the dough. 

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• professional stand mixer https://amzn.to/3II3lxv

• commercial cake pan https://amzn.to/2JRJJNR

• oven thermometer https://amzn.to/34dozUQ

• disposable pastry bags https://amzn.to/2FEd9cX

• pastry decorating tips/tubes https://amzn.to/2FKbpQw

• my favorite plastic wrap https://amzn.to/2U7fur3

• whisks https://amzn.to/2K2d2gy

• apricot jam https://amzn.to/2WBOg8B

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Hot Cross Buns

from The Traveling Spoon via Citrus and Candy

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Buns:

• 310ml warmed milk

• 60g granulated sugar

• 16g dried yeast (about 4 teaspoons)

• 600g all-purpose flour, sifted

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon allspice

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 2 large eggs

• 60g butter, room temperature

• 1 - 1 1/2 cups raisins (I prefer dried currants)

Crosses:

• about 60g all-purpose flour

• about 60 ml water

• 1-2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Glaze:

• 2 tablespoons fruit jam, warmed (apricot recommended).

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, warmed milk, and yeast until sugar has dissolved. Cover loosely and set aside for 10 minutes or until mixture becomes frothy - it should almost triple in size, so be patient!

2. Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Rub the softened butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until evenly distributed (I prefer doing this in a heavy duty stand mixer fitted with a dough hook). The mixture will be crumbly. Stir in the egg, frothy yeast mixture and the raisins (or currants) until completely combined.

3. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it comes together and becomes smooth and elastic. Add flour to your kneading surface as necessary. Lightly grease another large, clean mixing bowl (I knead in the stand mixer on speed 1 or 2 for five minutes).

4. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it several times to coat lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm, non-drafty place for about 45 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.

5. When dough has doubled, remove the plastic wrap and punch down the dough (don't be shy - you can really thwack it). Knead briefly, on your lightly floured surface, until smooth. Separate the dough into 12 even rounds.

6. Shape each round into a bun and place in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 390°F.

7. Whisk together the 60g of all purpose flour, the sugar, and the water to create the paste for the crosses. Add flour if necessary to thicken so that the paste can be easily piped onto the buns - use a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a small hole cut in one corner. Pipe crosses onto the buns and bake for 10 minutes at 390°F. Then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes, or until buns are golden and sound hollow when tapped - don't worry, they will soften after baking.

8. Warm the jam for the glaze and dilute with water if necessary. Brush onto buns while still warm.

9. Buns are best eaten warm from the oven or freshly toasted on the day of baking, but they're also tasty cold and you can store any leftovers in an air-tight container for a day or two. Recipe makes 12.