Italian Easter Bread

This may be the happiest-looking bread I’ve ever made. Sprinkles on bread? Yes times one million!

I’ve had Italian Easter Bread on my bake list for ages, but each year the holiday seems to pass by too quickly, or I just plain forgot about it. So, late this past Monday night, I decided to drop everything and just make it already!

Because of my late start I was babysitting rising bread until 11 pm, and then rolling it into loaves at 11:30, but it was all worth it because at midnight we were pulling apart hot, feathery bread with our fingers.  I’ve always thought that dessert tastes better after midnight. It feels like you’re doing something secretive or getting away with something. The same goes for freshly baked bread. I mean, Italian Easter Bread makes a nice brunch, but after midnight it tastes AMAZING.

Trust me, I would never lie about something so important.

My favorite thing about this bread, besides the sprinkles of course, is the colorful egg in the center. You don’t have to worry about hard boiling the eggs before adding them to the bread. They cook perfectly as the bread bakes in the oven!

I used a common drugstore brand of egg coloring to dye uncooked eggs and allowed them to dry completely on paper towels before placing them inside the dough rounds. Most loaves turned out perfect, but the eggs in two loaves speckled a little during baking, so we ate those imperfect ones first. Just a heads up that you might experience the same result.

See how the egg cooks up perfectly? Love!

This bread is slightly sweet – the perfect sweetness for me – but my husband said he’d appreciate a glazed version next time. To increase the sweetness factor, you can make a simple glaze from 1 cup confectioners’ sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons milk. See the recipe notes for other variations on this bread. And If you need a little help understanding the bread-twisting and whatnot, refer to the process shots below the recipe.

Happy Spring, friends!

Italian Easter Bread

Heather Baird
This is a very basic version of Italian Easter Bread. The dough can be endlessly varied with your choice of dried fruit and citrus zests. Some common toppings are pearl sugar, nonpareils and sweet milk glaze (see note). I sprinkled one loaf with fleur de sel and was quite content to call it lunch. It’s a good idea to plan ahead – have the eggs dyed, thoroughly dried and ready to go in the loaves!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 loaves

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 1/4 cups milk or half and half
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • Pinch of salt about 1/16 teaspoon
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup/100g sugar
  • 4 cups bread flour approximate
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • Rainbow nonpareils
  • 6 raw eggs room temperature, dyed in rainbow colors

Instructions
 

  • Combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Warm just until the butter is completely melted and remove from the heat. Let cool until just warm.
  • Combine the yeast, salt, eggs and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the warm milk and half of the flour. Knead with the dough hook until combined. Add more flour gradually until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the mixer. You may not have to use all of the flour (but I did!). Knead the dough about 3-5 minutes longer, or until completely smooth and elastic.
  • Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn it over once to coat the top. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm place, about 1 hour (my dough took longer, about 1 hour 30 minutes to raise).
  • Gently deflate the dough with a fist. Turn it out onto a floured work surface and pat it down slightly so that the dough has an even thickness. Cut the dough into 12 even pieces. Roll each piece to form a 1-inch thick rope about 14 inches in length. Take two lengths and twist them together; loop the twist into a circle and pinch the ends together. Place the circle onto parchment lined baking sheets. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and let rise again for 1 hour, or until doubled.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Combine the egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small condiment cup. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the loaves with the mixture. Sprinkle on the nonpareils and gently place a dyed egg in the middle of each loaf. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is golden and fragrant. Let cool until warm, if patience allows. The burned fingers were worth it to me!

Notes

For a simple milk glaze, mix 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Whisk together until smooth. A little vanilla extract couldn’t hurt, either.
After the dough is raised and turned out onto a work surface, 1/2 cup mixed candied fruit and 1/4 cup blanched almonds can be mixed in. 2 tablespoons of citrus zest may be added to the dough also.
Keyword active dry yeast, bread flour, rainbow nonpareils
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Need more spring inspiration? Check out two more of my egg-themed treats! My Chocolate Surprise Egg tutorial is on the Etsy blog, and my Speckled Egg Malted Milk cake is featured at BettyCrocker.com.

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June Burns
June Burns
9 years ago

You are right, that is the happiest bread I have ever seen too. 🙂 Also love the speckled cake on the Etsy blog, the resemblance to an egg shell is incredible.

Rosa's Yummy Yums
Rosa's Yummy Yums
9 years ago

So pretty and delicious looking! Lovely decorative breads.

Cheers,

Rosa

My Linh
My Linh
9 years ago

Sprinkles on bread? Yes times one million + 1! Sprinkles make everything better 😉 These breads look gorgeous. I should definitely make some this weekend. Perfect easter brunch ^^ Thank you for sharing!

Cakeyboi
Cakeyboi
9 years ago

That bread looks so festive! And the eggs are so vivid – amazing. Happy Easter!

Unknown
Unknown
9 years ago

Oh these are so pretty! i would love to make one with all those colored eggs in a massive rainbow sprinkle bread. A girl can dream right?

Mirtilla
Mirtilla
9 years ago

bellissimi colori,splendida preparazione 🙂

Unknown
Unknown
9 years ago

so pretty… and so perfectly easter, a sweet bread is always welcome at this time of year!

Faith
Faith
9 years ago

my italian mother loves you. actually, she hasn't seen this but i know she would. so i'm telling you. carbs and nonpareils for the win.

Unknown
Unknown
9 years ago

We always made this, it is truely delicious, but we always put orange flower water or Mille Fiore in the dough… it just doesn't taste like easter without it… Sometimes we would braid the dough over the eggs to make it look like crosses… Yours came out just beautiful, I love the colors with the sprinkes.

Katrina @ WVS
Katrina @ WVS
9 years ago

This is so pretty!! I have always wanted to try Easter bread!

Simones Kitchen
Simones Kitchen
9 years ago

This looks amazing. I guess that I haven't done a lot of easter stuff as I will be away this Easter. It;s just not the same!

Emily
Emily
9 years ago

This is on my buckle list too. I am not going to get to it this year again but some day… Yours look beautiful.

Cookbook Queen
Cookbook Queen
9 years ago

This is the funnest and most beautiful bread I've ever seen, Heather!! Will you move in with me?

amanda @ fake ginger
amanda @ fake ginger
9 years ago

I've always wanted to make this bread but was intimidated by the egg in the center! Good to know that it's super simple. Totally making this tonight!

Medeja- CranberryJam
Medeja- CranberryJam
9 years ago

Italian bread looks adorable!

Anonymous
Anonymous
9 years ago

Best bread ever! So cheerful!

Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen
9 years ago

Pretty Italian Easter bread, Heather! I love the sprinkles. So colorful for spring!

dina
dina
9 years ago

it looks like it came from the bakery!

Nicole @Coco's Kitchen Lab
Nicole @Coco's Kitchen Lab
9 years ago

I love Easter bread! I am going to have to compare your recipe to mine!

Francesca
Francesca
9 years ago

Lovely! This used to be a tradition in my Italian family. Question from a baker who has only a hand-held electric mixer (with no hook). Can this be done without traditional electric mixer and hook?

Schnickschnack
Schnickschnack
9 years ago

Wunderbar. I am so glad I found your recipe. My italian neighbors in germany used to give it to us some 30 years ago. Today I made my dough and I will give my bread to my new Italian friends here in Sydney.

Anonymous
Anonymous
9 years ago

I've always wanted to make this kind of bread and was inspired to just do it after seeing your happy loaves. Just made them and the bread tastes great. Only thing is my eggs did not cook thoroughly. So bummed! Not sure what I did wrong but I'm going to try again.

Sue
Sue
9 years ago

You are so right, Heather; sometimes you just need to drop everything and DO IT! This bread makes me happy!

IFeelCook
IFeelCook
9 years ago

This bread looks super cute and I'm sure is yummy 🙂

Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago

Can you explain how you died the eggs before the bake? Thanks!

Alma @ EasterTreats
Alma @ EasterTreats
8 years ago

My mother made these every Easter in much larger quantities. I hope I can make it as nice as my mom does but I'm not good at bread making..Let me try 🙂

kals
kals
7 years ago

Do I add candied fruits as a necessity or will almonds and citrus flavor or anise be good for lunch?

Unknown
Unknown
7 years ago

I just finished making these and they came out perfectly!! Easy to follow instructions, mine look exactly like yours and taste amazing! I've been wanting to make Easter Bread my whole life, I'm so glad I found your recipe…Thank You!

Heather Baird
Heather Baird
7 years ago
Reply to  Unknown

Yay! Internet high five! **

Anonymous
Anonymous
6 years ago

i don't have a standing mixer. can i use a hand held?

Heather Baird
Heather Baird
6 years ago
Reply to  Anonymous

If your hand mixer has dough hooks, then I think you could use it without problem. If you have regular whip attachments, I'd forgo the mixer altogether. Mix the ingredients by hand, and once a good sticky dough is formed, put int on a work surface and knead by hand, adding flour a little at a time until the dough is non-sticky and elastic. Thanks for asking! Good luck!

Anonymous
Anonymous
6 years ago

Just made two batches of these. Turned out perfect. Thank you!

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

If you have trouble with the egg just use a glass in the middle when cooking bread. Boil eggs and color. Remove glass after baking and put boiled color egg. Problem solved. Make sure glad spray glass with baking oil so dough doesn't stick to glass when baking.

Abby
Abby
5 years ago

Can I make the dough the night before? Id like to bake them in the morning for easter….

Eugenia
Eugenia
1 year ago

I make this bread every year, it is just perfect!