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)
â…“ 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