Description
This traditional Italian Easter Bread recipe features soft, fluffy braided loaves with a delicate citrus-orange flavor enhanced by a hint of anise. Made from scratch with fresh ingredients like whole milk, eggs, orange zest and juice, and enriched with margarine, these braided breads are finished with a sweet powdered sugar glaze and colorful sprinkles, perfect for celebrating the Easter holiday or any festive occasion.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 8 cups (1040 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (360 ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
- 2 oranges, zested & juiced
- 4½ teaspoons (2 envelopes) active dry yeast
- 1 cup (227 g) margarine, melted
- 8 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon anise oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for brushing)
For the Glaze
- 2 cups (227 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
- Sprinkles, if desired
Instructions
- Make the Dough: Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Warm the whole milk over low heat until it reaches 110-115°F, warm to the touch but not hot. In a small bowl, combine sugar and orange zest by rubbing together until incorporated. Stir the sugar-zest mixture into warm milk to dissolve the sugar, add the yeast, stir, and let sit 10 minutes until foamy.
- Mix the Dough: Add the milk and yeast mixture to the flour, mixing to form a shaggy dough. Add melted margarine and stir in well. Add the orange juice and mix to combine. In a small bowl, beat eggs, salt, and anise oil together with a fork, then add to the dough. Mix thoroughly. Add more flour as needed to form a sticky but manageable dough.
- Knead the Dough: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, adding flour in small increments as needed until the dough is soft, elastic, and slightly tacky. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning to coat, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a draft-free area for about 1 hour or until doubled in volume.
- Shape the Bread: After rising, turn dough out onto a clean surface and divide into two equal portions. Divide each portion into two pieces, creating four pieces total. Roll two pieces at a time into 24-inch ropes and loosely twist them together. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, form each twisted rope into a ring, sealing the ends. Brush the tops with melted butter and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour until nearly doubled.
- Bake the Bread: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake one loaf at a time (or both if your oven can accommodate) for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Glaze the Bread: Once cooled to room temperature, whisk powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Using a pastry brush, apply glaze evenly over the bread’s top and sides. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Best served at room temperature.
Notes
- Equipment – While the dough can be mixed by hand, a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook can be used for convenience.
- Milk – Use whole milk for rich flavor; 2% milk can be substituted if needed.
- Oranges – Both zest and juice from two oranges are used; a microplane and juicer help with zesting and juicing respectively.
- Yeast – Active dry yeast is used, but instant yeast can substitute with no other changes needed.
- Margarine – Margarine is called for, but unsalted butter is an acceptable alternative.
- Anise Oil – If only anise extract is available, use 2 teaspoons since it is less concentrated.
- Scaling – To make a single loaf, simply halve all ingredients.
- Storage – Store leftover bread wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezing – Wrap whole loaves or slices tightly in plastic wrap and foil if whole loaf. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw whole loaf overnight in refrigerator; thaw slices at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
