Italian Easter Sweet Bread Recipe: Pane di Pasqua

Braided Easter loaves on a cooling rack.

Italian Easter Sweet Bread Recipe: Pane di Pasqua

Pane di Pasqua, also known as Italian Easter Bread, is a fluffy braided bread made with sweet yeast dough traditionally made at Easter time. This authentic recipe yields three beautiful loaves that are perfect for sharing with family and friends.

Course Brunch

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 45

Resting time 2 15

Total Time 4

Servings braided loaves

Calories 851kcal

Author Maria Vannelli RD

Ingredients

Yeast mixture:

8 grams active dry yeast 1 package or 2¼ teaspoons
1 cup milk lukewarm
1 tablespoon sugar granulated

Orange sugar:

1 cup sugar granulated
zest of one orange

Dough ingredients:

5 eggs room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups russet potato about 2 medium, peeled, boiled and riced, about 225 grams
1000 grams flour all-purpose, sifted, about 7 cups

Egg wash:

1 egg slightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

Dissolve the yeast:

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir. Set aside for 10 minutes.
NOTE: If you do not see any foam after 10 minutes, your yeast is likely inactive and you'll need to start over with fresh yeast.

Make the orange sugar:

Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar and the zest of one orange in a small bowl. Using your fingertips, rub them together in a circular motion for a couple of minutes. Notice how the sugar undergoes a color and aroma change as it absorbs the oils from the orange. Set aside for now.

Assembling the dough:

In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the eggs at medium speed until they are nice and frothy, about 3-4 minutes.
Gradually add the orange sugar. Continue to whisk for another 3-4 minutes.
Whisk in the oil and the pure vanilla extract on low speed.
In a small bowl, whisk together the riced potatoes and the yeast mixture. This will create a slurry.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the yeast slurry. Whisk together for one minute.
On low speed, add about ⅓-½ of the sifted flour. Whisk together for 1 minute.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Switch to the dough hook attachment.
Add the rest of the flour and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl, but it should be sticking to the bottom. To test the dough consistency, press your finger lightly into the dough. It should be soft and slightly tacky to the touch.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Make sure to give the dough a good turn while coating it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Allow the dough to rise in a warm place, draft-free, for about 1 hour or until double in size.
After the first rise gently deflate it by punching and pressing down. Cover and allow it to rest for an additional 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

How to braid the dough and form three loaves:

Press down on the dough once more to deflate it again.
Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and divide it into three equal parts (use a kitchen scale if you have one).
Cover each ball of dough loosely with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
Working with one ball of dough at a time, use a kitchen scale to divide it into three equal pieces and cover loosely with plastic cling wrap.
Then, taking one piece at a time, knead it briefly for 15 seconds then roll it out into a long rope that is about 10 inches long and 1½ inch thick. Make sure that the ropes are even in thickness so that they will braid evenly.
Braid the three ropes together by intertwining one over the other two. Tuck the end underneath and pinch it to secure.
Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic film.
Repeat braiding with the other two balls of dough.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until almost double in size, 45 minutes. The dough should spring back lightly if you poke it with your knuckles.

Baking the bread:

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
When the dough is ready, brush the entire surface lightly with the egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk) using a pastry brush. This will give the bread a nice, glossy finish.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until deep golden brown. Depending on your oven, you might want to place a sheet of aluminum paper loosely over the loaves, to prevent them from over-browning.
The bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

The serving size is calculated as 1 loaf.
Each baked loaf is approximately 10-11 inches long and yields 20 slices cut ½-inch thick.
Check the expiration date on the yeast and test it to see if it's still viable.
Have the eggs at room temperature for simpler mixing. This includes the egg used for the egg wash.
Use russet potatoes because they have a high starch content and yield a fluffy texture in the bread.
The most precise technique to measure flour is by weight. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour and then scoop it using a dry measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. For reference, 1 cup of all-purpose flour = 142 grams [source].
There's no need to flour your wooden board since you want the dough to adhere to it while rolling and shaping the logs. You can prevent the soft dough from sticking to your hands by dusting your palms with flour.
This sweet braided Easter bread is best if served the same day they are made. As with most sweet yeast bread, they dry out quickly.

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