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easter sweet bread

Easter Sweet Bread

Delicious and colorful sweet Easter bread your whole family will love.
5 from 2 votes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 people
Calories 255 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 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

Instructions
 

Easter Sweet Bread

  • Sprinkle yeast in a small bowl with 3 tbs of warm water. Stir with a fork until dissolved
  • 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)
  • Pulse the dry ingredients for a few seconds to mix well
  • With the motor running, add the yeast and butter mixtures
  • 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)
  • Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for one minute
  • 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)
  • Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let it sit for one hour at room temperature. It should double in bulk.
  • 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

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
  • 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.
  • Twist the two ropes together loosely, beginning at one end.
  • 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.
  • 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).).
  • Cover and let rise in a draft-free location for 30 minutes
  • Press the eggs down again and then pop it into the oven for 30 minutes or until bread is golden
  • When you remove it from the oven, let it cool on a wire rack.

Confectioner's Icing

  • 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.

Notes

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 361mgPotassium: 82mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 244IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Easter
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