Food + Drink
Italian Easter Bread is a traditional Easter bread dish that uses a sweetened dough that’s been shaped into a wreath. Before baking, gently tuck raw dyed Easter eggs into the centers. Bake the bread at 350°F or until golden (about 20 minutes). The eggs will cook as the bread bakes.
– 1¼ cup milk – 1 pkg. active dry yeast – ½ cup sugar (divided) – 1/3 cup butter – 3 eggs (beaten) – 1 tsp. salt – 1 tsp. vanilla – 5 cups flour (divided) – 1 tsp. vegetable oil – 6 large eggs (dyed, raw) – 1 large egg (beaten) – Pearl sugar or sprinkles (for decoration)
Making Italian Easter Bread isn’t hard, but it does take a little bit of time. Make sure to set aside 4 hours when you’ll be around the house so you can tend to it.
To make Italian Easter Bread, you’ll create a sweetened yeasted bread dough with milk, butter, yeast, eggs, flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla. If you have a stand mixer, let the bread hook do the work. If not, get ready for a serious arm workout.
Once the dough feels elastic, place it into an oil-coated bowl and cover it with a damp towel for an hour. While you’re waiting for it to rise, dye raw eggs. Once the dough has doubled in size, deflate it and divide it into 12 equal pieces using a dough scraper or knife.
After the second rise, tuck a dry, dyed egg into the center of each wreath, brush with egg wash (this helps makes the bread look more golden after baking), top with pearl sugar or sprinkles, and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.