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+ servings

Italian Easter Bread

This traditional Italian Easter bread is soft, lightly sweet, and beautifully braided with dyed eggs baked right into the dough. Flavored with orange zest and enriched with eggs and butter, it's a holiday classic worth your time.
Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:40 minutes
Rise Time:2 hours
Total Time:3 hours 30 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer with dough hook
  • 1 microplane or fine grater
  • 1 Baking Sheet
  • 1 Pastry brush

Ingredients

For Dough

  • ¾ cup whole milk warmed to about 90°F
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast one packet
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 medium orange zested and juiced (about 1 tablespoon zest + 4 tablespoons juice)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ½ to 5 cups all-purpose flour

For Assembly

  • 1 large egg beaten, for egg wash
  • 4 raw eggs dyed and completely dry
  • colored sprinkles optional

Instructions

  • Dye the eggs. Dye your raw eggs and set aside to dry completely, at least 2 hours or overnight.
  • Make the dough. Add the warm milk, sugar, yeast, eggs, melted butter, salt, orange zest and juice, and vanilla to a stand mixer bowl. Stir to combine. Add 3 cups of flour and mix until a wet dough forms. Add remaining flour about 1/2 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  • Knead. Using a dough hook, knead for 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. (Or knead by hand for 8-10 minutes.)
  • First rise. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 2 hours.
  • Shape. Punch down the dough and divide into 3 equal pieces. Roll each into an 18-20 inch rope. Braid the ropes together, pinch the ends, and shape into a ring or straight loaf. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Second rise. Cover loosely and let rise 30-45 minutes until puffy.
  • Bake. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush dough with beaten egg, nestle dyed eggs into the braid, and add sprinkles if using. Bake 35-40 minutes until deeply golden and internal temperature reaches 190°F. Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
  • Cool. Rest on baking sheet 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Yeast note: If you prefer to activate your yeast first, combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast and let sit 5 minutes until foamy before adding remaining ingredients.
Substitutions: Lemon zest works in place of orange. Bread flour can replace all-purpose (you may need slightly less).

Nutrition

Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 151kcal
Author: Katie Shaw