The Best Easter Bread Recipe (Pane di Pasqua)
This Easter Bread Recipe will be the star of your Easter party with its beautiful bright colors and its soft and fluffy texture with a hint of sweetness. Serve it for Easter dinner, on an Easter dessert board at parties, or toasted with butter for breakfast.
Growing up, I never really connected to my Italian roots, so one way for me to finally learn about my family is through food. My grandmother was Polish, so I grew up making a bunch of Polish recipes for Easter, like Haluski and a Polish Easter bread, that were used in the blessed Easter baskets. As an adult, it’s nice to finally learn about Italian recipes and traditions.
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This Italian Easter bread has colored raw eggs baked right into the bread, giving it a stunning finished look that’s fit for Easter. Your Easter party guests will be talking about this bread long after Easter is over – it’s that good.
I love pairing this delectable bread on an Easter dessert board with these chewy Easter cookies, these cinnamon and sugar bunny twists, and these bunny chocolate spoons. The bright pastels of the bread and cookies add a pop of color, while the bunny twists and chocolate spoons tie together perfectly on the Easter charcuterie board.
Symbolism of the Eggs
The colored whole eggs in the bread are symbols of resurrection and rebirth. The egg shells may “crack” in the oven, symbolizing Jesus’ resurrection. They can also represent the return of spring and the Earth’s fertility. The braided circular shape of the bread represents the crown of thorns.
How To Make This Easter Bread Recipe
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 3½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Colored raw eggs (optional, for baking into the braid)
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar (optional, for drizzle)
- 1 tablespoon milk (optional, for drizzle)
- Sprinkles (optional)
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. In a large bowl, stir together the warm milk and yeast and let it sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
2. Mix in the sugar, eggs, melted butter, salt, vanilla, and almond extract (if using).
3. Gradually add 3½ cups of flour, stirring until a soft dough forms. Add in a little more flour if needed, until the dough pulls away from the sides but remains slightly tacky.
4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
6. Punch down the dough and divide into three equal pieces, rolling each into a rope about 18 inches long. Braid the ropes together and pinch the ends to seal, forming a long loaf and then twisting into a ring.
7. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, gently nestle colored raw eggs into the braid if desired, cover loosely, and let rise again for 30–45 minutes until puffy.
8. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the loaf with beaten egg wash.
9. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
10. In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth.
11. While the bread is still warm, drizzle with the glaze and immediately apply sprinkles (if using) as the glaze will harden.
12. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Important Recipe Notes
Dying the Eggs: Dye the first, to allow time for them to dry completely. The easiest way to dye them is with an egg dye kit that uses food coloring, but you can dye them however you’d like.
Adding the Flour: Add the flour to the wet ingredients gradually. It’s much easier to add more flour than it is to adjust the recipe if your dough is too dry.
Rising Time: Ensure enough time for the dough to rise. The bread will not be as soft and fluffy if you don’t allow it to rise fully.
Adding Sprinkles: Add the sprinkles immediately after the glaze. The glaze will harden quickly, so don’t wait to add the sprinkles.
Print
The Best Easter Bread Recipe (Pane di Pasqua)
This lightly sweetened, enriched yeast bread is soft and fluffy with a tender crumb and a glossy finish. It’s perfect for serving with Easter dinner or toasted the next morning with butter.
- Total Time1 hour + 1.5 hours rise time
- Yield1 large braided loaf (about 10 slices) 1x
Ingredients
1 cup whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
3½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Colored raw eggs (optional, for baking into the braid)
⅔ cup powdered sugar (optional, for drizzle)
1 tablespoon milk (optional, for drizzle)
Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
In a large bowl, stir together the warm milk and yeast and let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
Mix in the sugar, eggs, melted butter, salt, vanilla, and almond extract if using.
Gradually add 3½ cups of flour, stirring until a soft dough forms, adding a little more flour if needed until the dough pulls away from the sides but remains slightly tacky.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and divide into three equal pieces, rolling each into a rope about 18 inches long. Braid the ropes together and pinch the ends to seal, forming either a long loaf and then twisting into a ring.
Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, gently nestle colored raw eggs into the braid if desired, cover loosely, and let rise again for 30–45 minutes until puffy.
Preheat the oven to 350°F, brush the loaf with beaten egg.
Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth.
While the bread is still warm, drizzle with the glaze and immediately apply sprinkles (if using) as the glaze will harden.
Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
Dying the Eggs: Dye the first, to allow time for them to dry completely. The easiest way to dye them is with an egg dye kit that uses food coloring, but you can dye them however you’d like.
Adding the Flour: Add the flour to the wet ingredients gradually. It’s much easier to add more flour than it is to adjust the recipe if your dough is too dry.
Rising Time: Ensure enough time for the dough to rise. The bread will not be as soft and fluffy if you don’t allow it to rise fully.
Adding Sprinkles: Add the sprinkles immediately after the glaze. The glaze will harden quickly, so don’t wait to add the sprinkles.
- Prep Time: 30 + 1/5 hours rise time
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
More Easter Fun!
- The Best Easter Bread Recipe (Pane di Pasqua)
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Easter Books for Kids To Read While Enjoying The Easter Bread
The Easter book you NEED is How To Catch The Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace. Kids will love the fast-paced story and will be on the edge of their seats the entire time! You can also try some of these popular Easter and bunny-themed books:
