Easter Bread

Easter is a time of celebration and joy, and what better way to bring that joy into the kitchen than baking a delicious Easter Bread? This festive treat is surprisingly easy to make, and even easier to love! Its sweet, delicious flavor, and luscious doughy texture, is sure to be a hit with family and friends this Easter season.

Whether you like to keep it simple with a classic topping of sugar icing, or like to get creative with a sprinkle of coconut and dyed Easter eggs, Easter Bread is a treat the entire family will love. Paired with a hot cup of coffee or tea, it's the perfect way to start your Easter Sunday morning. It pairs especially well with honey or jam, and can be served with a variety of sweet or savory accompaniments, such as eggs, honeycomb, or cream cheese.

Also known as Paska, Tsoureki, or Challah, Easter Bread is a traditional sweet bread made with eggs and butter, and flavored with honey, sugar, and milk. Spices like cardamom, mahlab, and anise are also sometimes added into the batter. It's typically braided and then topped with colorful sprinkles, creating a beautiful and festive presentation. The combination of flavors is thoroughly unique, as its doughy texture and crisp crust.

So, if you're looking for a fun and festive way to celebrate Easter this year, why not give Easter Bread a try? If you're ready to take your Easter celebrations to the next level with a delicious and beautiful Easter Bread, then keep reading! Below, I'll provide you with an ingredient checklist, tips for making the best Easter Bread possible, and suggestions for pairings as well as a few key ways to make this recipe your own.

Now, let's get baking.

Ingredient Checklist

• All-Purpose Flour. Stick to all purpose for this recipe. Bread flour will result in a heavy, dense loaf, whereas baking flour will result in a loaf that is simply too light and fragile. As a rule, always use All-Purpose Flour unless a recipe specifically says otherwise.
• Whole Wheat Flour. For added texture and color.
• Sugar. Granulated sugar is what you'll need for today's bread.
• Eggs. A key ingredient. Eggs act as a binder, helping to hold the dough together and give the bread structure. They also add moisture, richness, and flavor to the finished product via the addition of fat. They also serve as a leavener, helping the dough to rise and giving the bread a light, fluffy texture.
• Butter. Plain, unsalted butter, melted and then chilled.
• Honey. Use your favorite honey for this particular recipe. The honey forms a large part of the flavor profile, so you'll want to be sure that you use a honey you enjoy.
• Dry Yeast. We'll be proofing the yeast in milk with sugar. The yeast helps the dough rise, resulting in a fluffy, light bread.
• Milk. Stick to whole fat milk for this recipe, as we want the added texture, flavor, and moisture provided by the fat.
• Sprinkles. For garnish.

Tips for Making Easter Bread

1. Proof the Yeast in Milk. Proofing yeast in milk helps to activate the yeast, allowing it to produce carbon dioxide. This will help the dough to rise and give the bread a light, fluffy texture. Milk also adds richness and flavor to the finished product. When making Easter bread, proofing the yeast in warm milk will help to create a delicious and tender loaf.
2. Room Temperature Eggs & Butter. Using room temperature eggs and butter helps to ensure that the dough is evenly mixed. Cold eggs and butter can cause the dough to harden, resulting in an uneven texture. Room temperature eggs will also help the dough to rise properly, resulting in a light and fluffy finished product.
3. Kneading. You only want to knead the dough until it is soft and pliable, and no longer. Kneading any longer introduces excess air into the dough, resulting in a hard loaf.
4. Rising Location. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. Allowing the dough to rise in a warm location helps to activate the yeast, allowing it to produce carbon dioxide. This will help the dough to rise and give the bread a light, fluffy texture. It is important to choose a warm, but not hot, location for the dough to rise in order to achieve the best results.
5. Grease. You'll want grease the baking pan with butter or oil before adding the dough.
6. Gloss. Before baking, brush the top of the dough with an egg wash for a golden, glossy finish.
7. Cool. Allow the Easter bread to cool before slicing and serving.

Serving Ideas for Easter Bread

1. Back to Basics. I suggest serving Easter bread with butter, honey, cream cheese, and jam for best results, possibly with a side of eggs.
2. French Toast. Using Easter Bread as the 'toast' in French Toast is simply delicious, and one of my favorite uses for leftover Easter Bread.
3. Sweet Savory. To get creative, consider serving Easter Bread as part of a charcuterie board with cheese, olives, and cured meats. The sweetness of the bread will contrast beautifully with the savory and salty elements of the charcuterie board.
4. Dessert. For a sweeter option, serve Easter bread as a dessert topped with ice cream and fruit compote.
5. Breakfast Bread. Toast the Easter Bread with butter, and top with a fried egg for a delicious breakfast.

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And that's our Easter Bread! I hope you enjoyed today's recipe as much as I enjoyed bringing it to you! Also, if you have any questions or suggestions for this or future content, let me know in the comments, below, I love hearing from you.

As always, if you enjoyed today's recipe, remember to like, share, and subscribe, it helps more than you can know! Happy Baking!

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