It's Bread Bakers Day! And today the bakers are making Easter breads. Be sure to scroll down to see the list of Easter delights we have for you today.
Italian Easter bread has been on my to-bake list for the longest while. The sprinkles. The coloured egg. It's so very inviting. But somehow, I never made it until this year. Colouring eggs is not part of the Jamaican Easter tradition - our focus is on eating and partying - so this is the second time I've ever coloured eggs. The first time was for another Easter bread. I was nervous about colouring the eggs because I only have brown eggs. In fact, it wasn't until I was thinking about colouring eggs for this recipe that it even occurred to me that brown eggs are the majority here. But it turned out perfectly fine. The eggs took on the colour quickly and got darker as time passed.
I loved the flavour of this bread - the recipe calls for orange juice, zest, and anise. I don't have access to anise so I followed the instructions and substituted with cinnamon and nutmeg. It's a very subtle taste but still very good.
Italian Easter Bread
Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
zest of an orange
480 to 600 grams flour
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
juice of an orange (approximately 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup oil or melted butter
1 egg + 1 tablespoon of water for egg wash
sprinkles
6 coloured eggs (no need to boil)
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, rub the zest into the sugar. Add the dry ingredients (starting with 480 grams of flour) and thoroughly combine. Next, add the eggs, orange juice and oil.
Knead until you get a soft, tacky dough. You don't want it to be sticky or twisting will be messy. Ask me how I know. If it's sticky, add in a little more flour.
Allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature until doubled or you can do this in the fridge overnight. This is my preferred method.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
When the dough is doubled, divide into 6 equal pieces. Next, divide each piece into two pieces. Roll each piece out to a 14-inch log. You're then going to twist two pieces together and bring the ends together to form a wreath. If your logs are sticky, dust them with some flour.
Place each wreath on the baking sheet to proof until puffy.
When they are almost ready, preheat the oven to 350 F.
Mix the egg and water together for the egg wash. Brush the proofed wreaths with egg wash and then sprinkle on as much sprinkles as your heart desires.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until your bread is golden brown.
Cool and devour.
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#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
