Easter Bread

Easter bread is a soft and buttery dough with hints of citrus. This recipe turns basic ingredients into a beautiful golden brown loaf with jewelled eggs.

What is Easter Bread?

Soft and sweet Easter bread celebrates spring with colorful eggs symbolizing new life. Braids symbolize the Holy Trinity, and they can be shaped into a circle, a cross, or a simple log shape.

Flavor: Rich, buttery, and tender, Easter Bread is similar to a sweet brioche bread or challah. This loaf has hints of citrus zest and is beautifully flavorful.
Skill level: This sweet yeast bread has basic steps, and braiding it is a fun activity.
Technique: Shape the braid into a circle or keep it straight.
Prep note: Dye the eggs ahead so they are completely dry before placing them in the shaped dough.

milk , butter , salt , zest , flour , eggs , yeast , sugar , and vanilla with labels to make Easter Bread

Ingredient Tips For Easter Bread

Dough: Fresh eggs, real butter, and whole milk make this bread extra rich and fluffy.
Flour: This recipe uses all-purpose flour and hasn’t been tested with other types.
Yeast: This recipe uses active dry yeast.
Eggs: Use large eggs for the dough and small eggs for the braided tops. PRO TIP: Coloring the eggs is optional, but adds a festive, Spring flair to the bread!

Optional Glaze

You can also make a glaze by mixing 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk and drizzling it over the top once it’s cooled.

mixing wet ingredients together to make Easter Bread

How to Dye Eggs

You can also dye uncooked eggs by soaking them in a mixture of ⅔ cup water and 1 ½ teaspoons of white vinegar. Add food coloring and let the eggs soak until the desired color is reached. Let the dyed eggs dry thoroughly before placing them in the dough.

brushing butter over Easter Bread before cooking

Best Tips for Easter Bread

Use room-temperature milk and eggs for better yeast activation and the best rise.
Don’t worry if some of the dye leaks into the dough; it won’t affect the flavor.
A stand mixer with a dough hook attachment is especially helpful for kneading the dough. Otherwise, knead it by hand until it’s smooth.

Storing Easter Bread

Keep leftover Easter bread, without the eggs, covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Enjoy slices as-is or use them to make homemade French toast casserole or bread pudding. The eggs will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

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This sweetened yeast-based bread has a hint of citrus orange flavor, and makes a colorful centerpiece for an Easter feast.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Rise Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes

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In a small saucepan, combine milk and butter. Warm to 120°F. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast. Let rest 10 minutes.
Add the yeast mixture to the bottom of a stand mixer. Add in the eggs, vanilla, citrus zest, and salt, and lightly mix until combined. Add 1 cup of flour and beat using a dough hook for 2 minutes at medium speed.
Add in remaining flour a bit at a time to make a soft dough. You may not need all of the flour. Turn the mixer on to medium-low and knead with the dough hook for 4-6 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover and rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Punch the dough down and divide into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 26-inch rope.
Place all 3 ropes in a row on a piece of parchment paper and pinch the 3 tops together. Braid the ropes and pinch the bottom seams together.
Curve the rope to create a ring and pinch the end together. Tuck the colored eggs in between the ropes of dough. Gently cover with a towel and let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled.
While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the egg over the dough (avoiding the eggs).
Bake for 28-33 minutes or until the bread is golden.
Remove from the oven and cool on a baking rack.

To knead by hand, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 10-15 minutes.
The eggs will be almost hard cooked once the bread cools. Once cooled ensure eggs are stored in the refrigerator.
Eggs do not have to be colored if you’d prefer to leave them white or brown.

To dye eggs with food coloring:

Fill a cup with about ⅔ cup water and 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar.
Add a generous amount of liquid food coloring and add the eggs.
Let them soak until they reach the desired color. Remove from the water and let dry completely before using in the bread.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Bread, Breakfast, Party Food

Cuisine American, Greek, Italian

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