Easter is incomplete without Pane di Pasqua on the table. This Italian Easter bread is sweet, soft, moist, and bursting with citrus. It is absolutely delicious.
Ingredients:
Yeast mixture:
– 8 grams instant dry yeast
– 1 tablespoon sugar
– 1 cup warm milk (105°F to 115°F)
Warm the milk, then add the yeast and sugar. Mix, cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes until it blooms.
Main ingredients:
– 5 cups all-purpose flour
– 1 teaspoon salt
-3/4 cup sugar
– Zest of an orange and a lemon
– 3 large eggs
– 1/2 cup softened butter
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– Yeast mixture
In a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt, sugar , lemon, and orange zests, eggs, softened butter, vanilla extract, and the yeast mixture. Mix using the dough hook on medium speed until it forms a ball of dough, approximately 5 minutes. Be sure to mix for a good 5 minutes for the best result. Remove the dough and roll it out on a work surface a little to smooth it out. Butter a deep bowl or container and place the dough inside, then brush a little butter on top of the dough and cover with a lid or plastic wrap and a tea towel and place in a warm place to rest for 2 hours, or until it doubles in size. Punch down the dough and then divide it into three equal pieces. I use a scale to ensure they are roughly the same size. Roll each piece into a rope approximately 10-14 inches, then braide the ropes together by pinching the ends of all three ropes together and begin braiding, tucking the dough at the end. Place the braided bread on a parchment-lined baking tray and cover with plastic or a tea towel and let proof for 1 hour to proof again. Brush the bread with a whisked egg before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the bread for 25-30 minutes with an internal temp of 190F-205°F, or you can also tap the bottom of the loaf; it should sound hollow. The crust should be a deep golden brown, and the loaf should feel firm. Cool on a wire rack 1-2 hours before cutting. Enjoy. #panedipasqua, #italianeasterbread, #easterbread, #italianbaking, #easterbaking
11 Comments
I'm Portuguese and this seems very similar to our version of a sweet easter bread so I'm definitely using this recipe this year 😂❤ bc my grandma who holds all the recipes makes it VERY complicated lol love her so much though
I love your recipe! My husband is Italian Canadian, and of course I had to find a recipe for Easter bread soon after we were married thirty years ago. Mine is very good and I’ve been making it for years, but it has a lot more steps in it than yours. I am going to try and make a loaf of your bread tomorrow. I hope it turns out as beautifully as yours did. Thank you for sharing the recipe, and Buona Pasqua to you and your family from Toronto.🌷🐣⛪️🇨🇦
I have never watched you before but you are hilarious! 😂😂.
This looks sooooo good!! I'm going shopping!!
Ooh you are making me hungry
Slap that dough!!!😂😂😂😂
So fabulous! And I love your kitchen 😊thank you for sharing❤🎉
I've made this before and it is so very good
I just took mine out of the oven waited 5 minutes had to go have a slice and it is absolutely delicious,I made 3 Smaller loaves out of that recipe next time I am going to to double the recipe ,have to give my sons a loaf. Thank you
In a small bowl mix 8 gm yeast 1ts warm milk 1 ts sugar set 10 minutes
in a big bowl 5 c all purpose flour, 1 ts salt, 3/4 c sugar, zest of and lemon, 3 large eggs, 1/2. C softened butter, 1 ts vanilla, and yeast mixture
Mix until you form a smooth ball of dough about 5 min, knead on board, butter a large container, cover until it doubles,
Punch it dough, split into 3 equal parts, roll into logs, pinch 3 ends together braid it,
Place on parchment on a large sheet pan, cover let rise 1 hour, , brush it with egg wash, bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
Sounds entirely too good to not try it!!❤❤