Italian Easter Sweet Bread Recipe

Easter Bread on a white platter with colored eggs

Festive Easter Sweet Bread is a soft, braided bread with hints of citrus flavor that's topped with colorful eggs & drizzled with a light glaze. Perfect Pane Di Pasqua for your holiday table!

Prep Time45

Cook Time30

Rise Time1 30

Total Time2 45

Course: bread, Snack/ Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Easter Sweet Bread, Pane di Pasqua

Servings: servings

Calories: 226kcal

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

For the Egg Dying:

3-4 white eggs uncooked
3-4 different colors of liquid or gel food coloring
⅔ cup water for each egg
1 ½ tsp white vinegar for each color

For the Bread:

½ cup milk 4fl.oz, ml
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened 2oz, 57g
¼ cup granulated sugar 1.7oz, 50g
2¼ tsp active dry yeast
3 eggs divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest
½ tsp lemon zest
¼ tsp salt
2 ½ cups all purpose flour 13oz, 375g
1 TBSP water

For the Glaze:

3-4 TBSP milk
1 cup powdered sugar 4.6oz, 130g
colored sprinkles for garnish

Instructions

Dye the eggs: Pour ½ - ¾ cup of water into each cup or bowl and add 1 ½ teaspoons of white vinegar into each bowl. Generously add some liquid food coloring to each bowl and stir. Add 1 uncooked egg to each bowl and allow them to soak until the colors are bright. Once they are the desired color, remove them from the bowl and set them aside to dry.
Bread dough: In a microwave-safe mixing bowl, heat the milk with the butter for 1 minute on high. The milk will be steaming and should be between 100°- 110°F.
Add the sugar and yeast, stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes, the yeast will be frothy and have a lovely earthy smell to it.
Once the yeast has bloomed, add the mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer. Add 2 eggs, vanilla extract, orange zest, lemon zest and salt. Use the dough hook to stir together on medium speed.
Add one cup of flour and beat on medium speed for a couple of minutes. Continue adding the flour slowly until a soft dough starts to come together. Be patient as this may take 5-6 minutes. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl and stick to the bottom in a small circle about the size of a quarter. Set a timer and knead 3 more minutes.
Rest & rise: Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough into the bowl. Cover it and place in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
Prepare a baking sheet or pizza tray by lining it with parchment paper. Once risen, punch down the dough and turn it out on a floured surface.
Divide the dough into 3 portions, roll each portion into a 2 foot rope. Pinch three ends of the dough ropes together and braid the dough. Pinch the bottom together to hold the braid. Bring the pinched ends of the braid together creating a circular loaf on the prepared cookie sheet. Pinch together the ends and tuck them under.
Nestle the colored eggs in between the ropes of the dough. Cover with a towel and let rise for an additional 30 minutes.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the 1 remaining egg with a tablespoon of water, brush the risen bread with the egg wash.
Place the bread pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. The outside of the bread will be a beautiful golden brown color. Transfer to a cooling rack to fully cool.
Glaze: In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk and whisk together. If needed, add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach a pourable consistency.
Drizzle the glaze over the top of the bread, avoiding the eggs. Before the glaze has time to dry, add some brightly colored sprinkles to the top. Enjoy!

Notes

Leftover sweet bread will stay fresh up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

For longer storage, wrap it in plastic wrap then wrapping tightly in tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw on the counter when you are ready to serve.

Nutrition