Description
Celebrate Easter with this stunning Easy Braided Easter Bread recipe! This sweet, golden loaf is a festive centerpiece that’s surprisingly simple to make. The dough is enriched with eggs and butter, creating a tender crumb perfect for tearing and sharing. Topped with colorful sprinkles or dyed eggs, it’s as much a decoration as it is a treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm milk (110°F)
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water (for egg wash)
- Colored sprinkles or dyed eggs for decoration
Instructions
- Activate the yeast by combining warm milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and yeast. Let sit until foamy (5-10 minutes)
- In a stand mixer, combine flour, remaining sugar, salt, yeast mixture, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Mix until dough is smooth and elastic
- Place dough in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (1-1.5 hours)
- Punch down dough and divide into 3 equal pieces. Roll each into 16-inch ropes and braid together
- Transfer to baking sheet, let rise 30 minutes, brush with egg wash, add decorations
- Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until golden brown
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for better dough consistency
- If dough is sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time
- For extra shine, brush with melted butter after baking
- Add dyed eggs before the final rise so they bake into the bread
- Let bread cool completely before slicing for clean cuts
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 240 Kcal
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: Easter bread, braided bread, holiday baking, sweet bread, festive bread, Easter recipe, homemade bread, yeast bread