Easter Sweet Bread: A Family Tradition

Easter Sweet Bread

Delicious and colorful sweet Easter bread your whole family will love.

5 from 4 votes

• 1

  package

  quick-rising active dry yeast

• 3

  tbsp

  warm water

• 3-1/2

  cups

  all-purpose flour

• 1

  tsp

  salt

• 1/3

  cup

  granulated sugar

• 1/4

  cup

  butter or margarine (melted)

• 1

  large egg

• 1

  tsp

  vanilla

• 3/4

  cup

  warm milk

• 1

  cup

  confectioner's sugar

• 2

  tbsp lemon juice (optional)

• 1/4

  tsp

  vanilla

• water

• Easter Sweet Bread

  1. Yeast.

     Sprinkle yeast in a small bowl with 3 tbs of warm water. Stir with a fork until dissolved

  2. Mix.

     Combine flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor with the steel blade in place (not the dough blade! I made that rookie mistake the first round thinking I was so smart and it did not make that nice dough ball you are going to want)

  3. Pulse.

     Pulse the dry ingredients for a few seconds to mix well

  4. Add.

     With the motor running, add the yeast and butter mixtures

  5. Pour.

     Slowly pour in the milk until a moist dough forms into a ball around the center (keep an eye on things as you pour, you may not need all the milk)

  6. Knead.

     Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for one minute

  7. Coat.

     Round into a ball and  place in a warm buttered bowl, turning to coat the top (meaning, make sure there is butter on top too)

  8. Cover.

     Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let it sit for one hour at room temperature. It should double in bulk.

  9. Wait.

     Once your dough ball doubles in size, turn it out onto a clean surface (and I’m sure during this time, all your surfaces are super clean!). Use a little flour if necessary and knead down, cover, and let rest (sounds like the spa day we’re all dreaming of when everything opens again!)

• Constructing Your Easter Sweet Bread

  1. Prep.

     Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

  2. Separate.

     Divide your dough in two equal portions and roll each half into a 26 inch rope. You can also use three portions and braid the sections if you're feeling ambitious.

  3. Twist.

     Twist the two ropes together loosely, beginning at one end.

  4. Circle.

     Form into a circle and join the two ends together and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. You can add an egg wash if you desire.

  5. Decorate.

     Have six colored Easter eggs ready and place them in the twists snugly (this can be a fun way to integrate your kids into the process by using eggs they decorated. Note: You do not need to use hard-boiled eggs in the bread as they will cook in the oven, and they aren’t meant to be eaten).).

  6. Wait.

     Cover and let rise in a draft-free location for 30 minutes

  7. Bake.

     Press the eggs down again and then pop it into the oven for 30 minutes or until bread is golden

  8. Cool.

     When you remove it from the oven, let it cool on a wire rack.

• Confectioner's Icing

  1. Mix.

     Using a whisk, simply beat the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla together as you slowly add water to get the thickness you need to cover your bread.

You can also use a stand mixer to mix the dry ingredients and a dough hook to blend the wet and dry ingredients into a dough. Basic confectioners’ icing is pretty much just confectioners sugar and water. It is also what makes my kids call Easter bread a giant donut. The glaze you make should be easy to pour and drizzle over the top of your bread. I love to add some small green sprinkles on top to make it look beautiful and springy.