Traditional Italian Easter Bread

Traditional Italian Easter bread is a rich, slightly sweet egg-based loaf studded with candied fruits and nuts, often baked with whole eggs nested inside the dough. The dough is tender and enriched, similar to panettone but less dense, and the whole eggs bake hard inside as a symbol of rebirth. This recipe gives you the classic home version without the weeks of fermentation.

Ingredients for Traditional Italian Easter Bread

All-purpose flour provides the structure for a soft, open crumb. Whole eggs nestle inside the dough and bake hard, becoming a symbol you crack open at the table, while egg yolks in the dough itself enrich it and make it tender. Butter adds richness and keeps the bread moist for days. Granulated sugar sweetens gently and helps the dough brown. Instant yeast raises the dough over a long, slow proof. Salt controls fermentation and deepens flavor. Whole milk hydrates the flour and activates the yeast. Vanilla extract adds depth without being obvious. Candied orange peel and candied citron bring brightness and chew. Golden raisins add sweetness and texture. Sliced almonds provide crunch and nuttiness.

Why This Traditional Italian Easter Bread Works

The dough is enriched with egg yolks and butter, which makes it soft and cake-like while still being a true bread. The long, cool proof over several hours develops flavor and gives the yeast time to work without the dough overproofing and collapsing. This slow fermentation is what makes the crumb open and tender, not dense.

The whole eggs are nestled into the shaped dough before the final proof, where they stay in place as the dough rises around them. When the bread bakes, the eggs cook hard inside, creating a surprise at the table. The candied fruits and nuts are folded in after the first rise, so they do not get beaten up by kneading and they stay visible in the finished loaf.

Baking at 350°F (175°C) allows the rich dough to brown evenly without the outside burning before the inside is done. The bread is done when it is deep golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, or when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the dough (not touching an egg) reads 190°F (88°C).

Mistakes To Avoid

Skipping the slow proof and trying to rush the dough with heat makes it rise too fast and collapse during baking. The yeast also does not have time to develop flavor, so the bread tastes flat and one-dimensional. A proper proof takes 4 to 5 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Adding the candied fruits and nuts during the initial kneading breaks them up and distributes them unevenly through the dough. Fold them in gently by hand after the first rise is complete, so they stay in large, visible pieces and stay distributed throughout the loaf.

Using cold eggs straight from the refrigerator will chill the dough when you nestle them in, slowing the final proof. Let the eggs sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before shaping so they do not shock the dough.

Pulling the bread out of the oven too early because it looks brown on top leaves the inside raw and gummy, especially near the center. Use the hollow-tap test and check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer to be sure the dough is done all the way through.

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Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups (430g) all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F (43°C)
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup (55g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup candied orange peel, chopped
• 1/3 cup candied citron, chopped
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 3 large whole eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon water

Step-by-step Instructions

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt.
2. Add the warm milk, egg yolks, softened butter, sugar, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients.
3. Mix on low speed with the dough hook for 2 to 3 minutes until a rough dough forms, then increase speed to medium and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and springs back when you poke it with a floured finger.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours until it has grown by about half and does not immediately spring back when you poke it.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently fold in the candied orange peel, candied citron, golden raisins, and sliced almonds by hand until they are evenly distributed.
6. Shape the dough into a round or oval loaf about 8 inches long and place it on a piece of parchment paper in a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan, leaving room for the eggs.
7. Gently nestle the three room-temperature whole eggs into the top of the dough, spacing them evenly and pressing them in slightly so they stay in place.
8. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough proof for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature until it has risen around the eggs and the dough springs back slowly when you poke it with a floured finger.
9. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) about 15 minutes before baking.
10. Whisk together 1 tablespoon water with a pinch of salt and brush it lightly over the dough, avoiding the eggs.
11. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the bread is deep golden brown, sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the dough (not touching an egg) reads 190°F (88°C).
12. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing, at least 1 hour.