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–+ servings
Italian Easter Bread Recipe Paine italieneasca de Paste reteta

Italian Easter Bread | Pane di Pasqua

Learn how to make the popular Easter bread, known as "pane di Pasqua", for the Easter gathering this year and impress your guests and family.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Choose Serving Size 4 small breads

Ingredients 

  • 118 ml 4 fl oz warm milk
  • 50 g ¼ cup sugar
  • 7 g 0.2 oz dry yeast
  • 550 g 4 ⅓ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 110 ml 4 fl oz fresh orange juice
  • ½ tablespoon of grated orange peel
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 60 g 2.1 oz of butter, melted and brought to room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon of anise powder

For garnish:

  • 4 red-dyed eggs
  • 1 lightly beaten egg + 1 teaspoon of milk

Instructions

  • In a bowl, add warm milk, sugar and yeast. Mix gently, cover with a plastic wrap and leave aside for 10 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, add 300g of the total amount of flour, orange peel, beaten eggs, butter and anise. Stir well .
  • Add the yeast mixture, the fresh orange juice - mix until incorporated.
  • When you have kneaded a liquid dough, gradually add the remaining flour until a denser dough is formed.
  • Transfer the dough to a table sprinkled with flour and knead it until it becomes elastic.
  • Put the kneaded dough in a bowl well greased with oil, spread oil on the dough as well.
  • Cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place, with the windows closed, to rise and double in volume. Around two hours.
  • After the dough has risen, form the loaves. Transfer the dough to a surface sprinkled with flour.
  • Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
  • Roll out each piece into a 25-30 cm baguette.
  • Take two pieces of stretched dough each, and twist them into a spiral. Then join the ends to get a coil.
  • Transfer the obtained cakes to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
  • Cover with a plastic wrap and let the dough rise once more.
  • Heat the oven to 180C (360 ºF).
  • After 30-40 minutes, when the loaves have risen, brush them with a mixture of butter and milk, sprinkle with colored ornaments or sesame seeds, put a red egg in the middle of each and put them in the oven. Leave them to bake for 15 minutes, until they turn golden brown.
  • Take them out of the oven and transfer them to the grill to cool.