Italian Easter Bread (Pane di Pasqua)
What better way to celebrate Easter than making these cute little braids with dyed eggs in the center? Serve each guest their own or use them as table decorations. This dough is slightly sweet, easy to work with, and versatile; the ring with pastry cream is also made with it.
Servings 4 braids
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour you might use a little more or less
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast
- ¼ cup lukewarm whole milk but not hot!
- ½ tablespoon liquid honey
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon water
To decorate:
- 4 dyed eggs raw or hard-boiled, see Notes below. Follow the homemade colored eggs post
- colorful nonpareil sprinkles optional
Instructions
For the dough:
- Place 2 cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (KitchenAid or similar). Or in a large bowl if kneading by hand.
- Add 1 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast and mix. If using active-dry or fresh yeast, see Notes below.
- Incorporate ¼ cup lukewarm whole milk, ½ tablespoon liquid honey, 1 egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon lemon zest. Start kneading and add ½ teaspoon salt. Continue to knead for 2-3 minutes until all the ingredients are integrated.
- Add ¼ cup unsalted butter, soft and in pieces, one at a time, and continue kneading until a smooth and soft dough is formed. It is very elastic and barely sticks to the fingers.
- Form a ball, cover with a kitchen towel, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Once the dough has relaxed, divide it into 8 parts, forming rough balls.
- Roll each piece to form a rope about 1 inch thick and 12 to 14 inches long. Braid two ropes of dough together, pinch the ends, and then loop into a circle. Join the two strips at one end and twist them, making a sort of braid. Form a circle with the braid and join the other end again. I recommend you test one and see that the length of the ropes is right to make a round braid with an egg that fits well in the center.
- Place on a greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise in a warm place for approximately 1 hour.
For the egg wash:
- In a small bowl, mix 1 egg, lightly beaten, with 1 tablespoon water.
- Brush the top of each braid and place 4 dyed eggs, one in the middle of each bread. See Notes below first.
- Sprinkle colorful nonpareil sprinkles on top if you want to. Not too much, just a hint of color. You can omit them.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until it grows, turns golden brown, and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom with your fingertips. Don't overbake them. Let them cool on a wire rack and keep covered in an airtight plastic bag (Ziploc-style) or container to prevent drying. They can be frozen without the eggs.
Notes
How to use active-dry or fresh yeast: they need to be foamed or activated first before adding to the rest of the ingredients.
Place the slightly warm milk and 1 teaspoon of the total amount of sugar in a small bowl and add the yeast. Stir a few times to combine. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 to 10 minutes so yeast can bloom. Dyed eggs: If you're going to bake them with the bread, you need raw dyed eggs. If you have colored hard-boiled eggs, place them after the bread is baked, just as you remove them from the oven, so they don't overcook. Baking time: Consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Place the slightly warm milk and 1 teaspoon of the total amount of sugar in a small bowl and add the yeast. Stir a few times to combine. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 to 10 minutes so yeast can bloom. Dyed eggs: If you're going to bake them with the bread, you need raw dyed eggs. If you have colored hard-boiled eggs, place them after the bread is baked, just as you remove them from the oven, so they don't overcook. Baking time: Consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
