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    Home » Easter » Italian Easter Sweet Bread [Pane di Pasqua]

    Italian Easter Sweet Bread [Pane di Pasqua]

    April 1, 2015 , Updated March 12, 2021 Maria 76 Comments

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    A sliced loaf of Italian Easter Bread.

    Lina’s Italian Easter Sweet Bread (also known as Pane di Pasqua) is a simple, light yeast bread flavored with a hint of orange. Would you believe me if I told you that there are mashed potatoes in the line-up of eight ingredients to make this wonderful Italian sweet bread recipe?

    Sliced pieces of Italian Easter Sweet Bread.

    There was a time I was absolutely apprehensive about using yeast. I had this preconceived idea that only professional bakers had the magical ability to decipher when the first rising was complete.

    And what about the business of punching down the dough…what if I punched it too much? Would I deactivate the yeast? What if I did not punch it enough?

    It just didn’t seem very easy.

    I decided to confront my fears and misconceptions about yeast and have never looked back since. If you think that yeast is too complicated and that you cannot even beat an egg, never mind about punching down dough…I am here to assure you that if I can work with yeast, anyone can.

    I bet you if you just tried it once…you will get hooked. Just like me!

    And this is the perfect recipe, to begin with.

    A close view of the tender crumb of Italian Easter Sweet Bread.

    I got very excited when I first saw the ingredients for this recipe. You see, I’ve already had the pleasure of making a yeast dough with the addition of mashed potatoes and the results were amazing (click on the recipe link for the softest cinnamon rolls ever… Easy Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls).

    This recipe for Lina’s Italian Easter Sweet Bread can make 6 round or 3 braided loaves. You can decide whatever shape you want.

    This Pane di Pasqua recipe is a really wonderfully soft dough to work with. It’s super easy to make the braid and the final product makes anybody look like a pro.

    Lina's Italian Easter Sweet Bread

    Here you have the round version of the same recipe. I am sure you can also make individual mini bread with this dough…something to add to my to-do list!

    ORIGINS OF THE RECIPE FOR LINA’S ITALIAN EASTER BREAD:

    It’s no secret that I absolutely love anything made with yeast. When a colleague of mine, Fabiana, learned of my yeast obsession, she was generous enough to share her family’s recipe for this Italian Easter bread with me.

    My friend’s mom was born in Ururi, a small town in the province of Campobasso, in the Italian region of Molise. I learned that Albanian refugees migrated following the Balkans’ invasion in the 15th century by the Ottoman empire. Ururi was one of the places that these uprooted Albanians settled in. I can’t help but wonder if this recipe, which according to Fabiana, was always referred to as poprati, was influenced by the Arbëreshë people.

    A top view of a sliced Italian Easter Sweet Bread.

    The original recipe said, with regards to flour, to use quanto basta – which essentially means to use as much flour as the mixture will absorb. If you think that a description like that in a recipe is super vague and unhelpful, you are not alone. These two words have haunted so many of us trying to recapture and honor our families’ recipes. But we are a resilient group as we continue to bake and document as best as we can.

    I want to mention that Fabiana’s original recipe used 1 1/2 cups of sugar. I reduced it to 1 cup. That’s the beauty of recipes, and you can adapt to your own preferences.

    Lina’s Italian Easter Sweet Bread…also referred to as Pane di Pasqua… I absolutely love it!

    Thank you, Fabiana, for sharing your mom’s poprati.

    Looking for more authentic Italian Easter recipes, search in the recipe index or consult this Easter category of recipes. 

    The golden color of the crust of the Italian Easter Sweet Bread.

    Italian Easter Sweet Bread

    This Italian Easter Sweet Bread aka Pane di Pasqua is a simple, light yeast bread flavored with a hint of orange. Truly an authentic egg bread recipe!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Brunch
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 round loaves (5 inches) or 3 braided loaves
    Calories: 851kcal
    Author: Maria Vannelli RD

    Ingredients

    • 8 grams active dry yeast 1 package or 2¼ teaspoons
    • 1 cup milk lukewarm
    • 1 tablespoon sugar granulated
    • 5 eggs room temperature
    • 1 cup sugar granulated
    • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
    • zest of one orange
    • 1-1/2 cups russet potato about 2 medium,peeled, boiled and riced
    • 6 cups flour all purpose, sifted

    Egg wash:

    • 1 egg slightly beaten
    • 1 tablespoon milk
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    Instructions

    • Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir. Set aside for 10 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl (of stand mixer) whisk eggs at medium speed until nice and frothy (3-4 minutes).
    • Gradually add sugar. Continue to whisk for another 3-4 minutes.
    • Whisk in the oil and orange zest.
    • Combine yeast mixture with riced potatoes.
    • Add to egg mixture and whisk together on low speed.
    • Add half of flour mixture and mix on low speed for about one minute.
    • Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
    • Switch to dough hook and add the rest of the flour.
    • Mix for about 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternately, you can knead by hand.
    • Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Make sure to turn dough in order to completely coat the dough with the oil.
    • Let rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
    • Punch dough.
    • Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes or until double in size.
    • Punch dough again.
    • Divide in 6 portions if making round loaves or in 3 portions if making braided bread.(Continue to divide each section in 3).
    • For braided bread: roll each section into a log (about 10 inches long and 1 1/2 inch thick); start making a braid with the three strands. Tuck ends underneath the braid.
    • Place on prepared cookie sheet.
    • Cover with clean tea towel and let rise for about 30-45 minutes or until double in size.
    • Preheat oven to 350° F.
    • Brush loaves with egg wash (whisk egg and milk together).
    • Bake small round loaves for about 25-30 minutes; bake braided loaves for about 50-60 minutes. Depending on your oven, you might want to place a sheet of aluminum paper loosely over the loaves, to prevent them from over browning.
    • Cool on wire racks.
    Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

    Notes

    The serving size is calculated as 1 loaf.
     
    Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1loaf | Calories: 851kcal | Carbohydrates: 135g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 313mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 6.7mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @shelovesbiscotti or tag #shelovesbiscotti!

     

     

     

     

    Filed Under: Baked Goods, Breads, Easter

    About Maria

    Maria Vannelli is a registered dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rita

      April 04, 2021 at 7:41 pm

      Buona Pasqua Maria,
      I put this recipe to the test and am sooo proud of myself. Absolutely delicious . We found it a bit dry though. Perhaps I might have cooked it 5 mins too much. But all gone !!! Thank you

      Reply
      • Maria

        April 04, 2021 at 8:15 pm

        Thank you! Buona Pasqua to you Rita! Thank you so much for sharing!

        Reply
    2. Michelina

      April 03, 2021 at 11:40 am

      Hi Maria. I find after adding required amount of flour my dough is still sticky

      Reply
      • Maria

        April 03, 2021 at 11:47 am

        Hi Michelina, Try adding 1-2 tablespoons of flour as everyone measures flour a little differently. You will get a really light dough!

        Reply
    3. Anna

      April 01, 2021 at 7:53 pm

      Hi Mary, can I use other potato I happen to have red potatoes on hand, will it be same results? Also what do you mean by riced ?

      Reply
      • Anna

        April 01, 2021 at 7:56 pm

        Ok I get it! A potato ricer! I don’t have one? Will mashed potato yield same result?????

        Reply
        • Maria

          April 02, 2021 at 8:29 am

          Yes, you can definitely use mashed potatoes but the texture will be a little denser 🙂

        • Rita Garcia

          April 04, 2021 at 8:12 am

          Hi Anna,
          I don’t have a ricer either so I grated it and it seemed to work fine.

      • Maria

        April 02, 2021 at 8:27 am

        Hi Anna, yes, you should get good results with red potatoes. I use a potato ricer to get that texture. Have fun!

        Reply
    4. Anna-Maria Galasso

      March 27, 2021 at 7:03 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is great! Tastes exactly like my nonna Anna’s Easter bread.

      Reply
      • Maria

        March 27, 2021 at 5:44 pm

        How wonderful Anna-Maria! Thank you so much for sharing!

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Maria! a dietitian and full-time content creator. Join me as I share traditional Italian recipes from my youth to modern twists on classics using fresh and seasonal ingredients.

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