Have you ever wanted to make a sweet Easter bread for a lovely Resurrection Sunday breakfast? This recipe is so easy especially when you let a bread machine do most of the work. Easter bread is a long-time tradition here and you might want to make it one for your family too.
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I have always used dyed eggs in assorted rainbow colors when making Easter bread but decided to make one using the natural brown color of eggs from my daughters chickens. I think they look beautiful nestled in the folds of dough.
Erin loves her chickens and I enjoy their eggs 🙂
If you prefer, use colored eggs to nestle in the bread.
I love my bread machine
Probably like you, I keep small kitchen appliances to as few as possible. But, I love, love, LOVE my bread machine! In my opinion, it is well worth the space it takes up. For over thirty years, I have kept one of these workhorses on top of my refrigerator and use it frequently.
But, I never bake in it. What?!? You may be thinking, why have a machine like this and not set it and forget it. Well, you absolutely can but I only use the machine for the gorgeous doughs it produces.
I simply add the ingredients and push start. About 90 minutes later I have a dough ready to shape any way my little heart desires. This process certainly can be done by hand or using a stand mixer. But the bread machine is much less messy and so much easier. Let me show you one of our old-time favorite breads made using a machine.
How to make sweet Easter bread
Adding the ingredients to the bread machine pan literally takes just a few minutes. They are usually placed by adding the wet ingredients first followed by the dry. For this recipe, an egg is added to a measuring cup and then filled with very warm tap water to measure 1 cup and poured into the pan.
The softened butter and, instead of milk, dry nonfat powered milk is added.
Next add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the 3 cups bread flour and 3-5 tablespoons sugar. I use 5 tablespoons. The last ingredient added is the yeast. Using the back of the spoon, create a small well and pour the yeast into it.
Done! Just snap the pan into place.
Select the Dough Cycle and press start.
In a hour and a half the machine will beep signaling the cycle is finished. Open the lid to reveal the finished dough.
The bread machine dough
Now that the bread machine has completed making the dough, remove it from the pan to a workspace. You can place it onto a lightly floured surface but I prefer to skip the flour and instead, to brush or rub a thin coating of vegetable oil over my work surface. The oil prevents sticking and I think it is easier to work on.
Using a pastry cutter (you can brush the cutter with the oil as well), divide the dough in half.
I’m kind of exacting when I do stuff, and I use a kitchen scale for weighing food portions and it is great when making bread and rolls and other things a uniform size. If you don’t have one just eyeball it as best you can.
Shaping the dough
Prepare a sheet pan by covering with parchment paper, coating with baking spray or using a silicone mat as I did.
Roll each of the pieces of dough into logs about 24-inches long.
Pinch the top edges together and begin braiding each piece over the other.
Form the braid into a circle and pinch the ends together. You don’t need to, but sometimes I place the dough around an inverted, oven -safe bowl. It helps to keep the center circle larger but it really is an optional step. Just be sure to coat the outside of the bowl with baking spray so the bread won’t stick to it.
Gently snuggle each egg into the dough. It helps to make an indentation with your fingers so the egg sits deep enough and doesn’t topple out when rising.
Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour or until double in size.
After the dough has risen, remove the covering and bake in a preheated 350 F degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Carefully remove the bread to a cooking rack and allow to cool.
Frosting your Easter Bread
If you like, you can add a light frosting to the Easter bread. It is optional and does make it a little messy if you plan to toast any leftover slices for breakfast. But it’s really yummy and looks very pretty.
Add 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar, a splash of almond extract, a tiny pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon melted butter to a bowl. Stir in enough milk or cream to a consistency that you like. Drizzle the frosting over the cooled bread and quickly, while it is still soft, add some pretty sprinkles.
Lovely enough for any special occasion! Hope you will make it a tradition in your family too!
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Sweet Easter Bread
Dough Ingredients
- 1 large egg plus enough water to equal 1 cup
- 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups bread flour (add a little more if dough seems too wet)
- 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
- 3-5 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
- 5-6 raw eggs, natural or dyed and brought to room temperature (I have found if the eggs are cold, they will not cook completely during the baking time for the bread)
Dough Instructions
Place the dough ingredients in bread pan in order listed in the ingredient list.
Set the machine on Basic Dough setting and press start.
When the cycle is completed, remove the dough from the bread pan and place onto a lightly oiled or floured board or countertop.
Cover the dough with a clean lint-free towel or an inverted bowl and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Shaping the dough
Roll each piece into a log about 24-inches long.
Pinch top edges together and begin braiding each piece over the other.
Form into a circle and pinch ends together.
Transfer to a baking sheet coated lightly with baking spray, covered with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Gently snuggle each egg into the dough. It helps to make an indentation with your fingers so the egg sits deep enough and doesn’t topple out when rising.
Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 hour or until double in size.
Baking Directions
Bake in a preheated oven at 350F degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Frosting your sweet Easter Bread
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1/2 tsp. melted butter
- splash of almond extract
- a few grains of salt
- milk or cream
DIRECTIONS
Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. stirring in a bit of milk (water or orange juice) to desired consistency.
Drizzle on the cooled Easter bread and add some pretty sprinkles while still soft.
Recipe Note
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