Italian Easter Bread (Pane di Pasqua)

When Nonna would make this traditional Italian bread it was a sure sign of Spring. In the US we have the Easter bunny, in Italy, we celebrate Easter with Pane di Pasqua.  

Every year Nonna used to make one of these festive breads for each of her grandchildren. I love that now I get to carry on that family tradition with my own granddaughter.  And I am pleased to say that Olivia loved the Easter Bread I made for her! 

This is a familiar and much-loved tradition, especially in southern Italy.  Each region of the country has its favorite version.  In Sicily, they make cuddura cu l’ova, which is sometimes made with bread dough and sometimes made with cookie dough that encases the colored eggs.  In Calabria, they make cuzzupe which is a cross between bread and cake, also decorated with Easter eggs, but then topped with a sweet glaze.   

This is a basic sweet Italian Easter bread recipe.  The texture of this bread is, soft and fluffy, similar to challah bread. Since my Nonna made her bread with anise, I like to make mine the same way. 

Ingredients

How to Make the Best Easter Bread

Make the Dough

1. Proof the Yeast: In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter until the butter completely melts.  Pour the warm milk mixture into a bowl or measuring cup, add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar and the active dry yeast, and stir to combine.  Let this mixture sit for 5-10 minutes or until a foam forms on top of the mixture.  The milk should be no more than 120 degrees F or it will kill the yeast.  

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar, 2 beaten eggs, salt, anise, yeast mixture, and half of the flour.  Mix on low speed using the dough hook attachment until a batter is formed.  Gradually add in the rest of the flour a little at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all of the flour is blended into the dough.  Continue to knead the dough for 5-10 minutes or until a sticky dough ball starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  

3. Scrape the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it several times until it has formed a soft ball of dough that is tacky but not sticky.  Grease a large bowl with olive oil and turn the dough in the bowl, cover it loosely, and place it in a warm place to rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.  

​Assemble and Bake the Bread

1. Once the dough rises, punch it down once and pour it out onto a clean surface.  Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.  Roll a piece of dough into a 12-inch long log and repeat this with another piece.  Pinch the ends of the two pieces of dough together and then twist the two so that you form a long rope.  Bring the ends together so that your bread is now in the shape of a wreath.  Place the sweet bread wreath on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Repeat this with the remaining dough. 

2. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set it in a warm spot to rise, for 30 mins to one hour.

3. Gently brush the dough wreaths with the egg wash, nestle an egg in the center of each one, and decorate them with sprinkles.

4. Bake the sweet bread in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 15-20 minutes.  The bread should be golden brown.  Let it cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling. 

Baking Tips

• The milk and butter mixture should be warm, not hot.  If you aren’t, sure use a thermometer to test the temperature of the liquid.  Anywhere between 100-115 degrees F is perfect for proofing the yeast.
• You do not need to hard boil the eggs before dying them.  The eggs will be cooked in the oven with the bread.
• This is a soft sticky dough, but once you scrape it out of the bowl and start to knead it with a little bit of flour it will quickly form a soft tacky dough ball that is easy to handle.
• Be patient and let the dough take the time it needs to rise. It is definitely worth the wait!

Variations

As I mentioned earlier there are various recipes for Italian Easter bread and this recipe is a great base that can be flavored differently to suit your taste.

If you love anise, you may want to add some anise seeds to the dough.  It gives the dough a beautiful flavor and it looks pretty too!

If you don’t like the licorice flavor of anise, try a citrus flavor by adding lemon zest or orange zest to the dough.  These are both very popular in Italian families.

You don’t have to bake the bread with the colored eggs in the center.  The bread is also beautiful on its own.  

How to Store Italian Easter Bread

This fluffy bread is so fragrant that I have to eat it as soon as it comes out of the oven.  It is really delicious eaten soon after it is baked.  But the bread can be stored in an airtight container for serval days.  Since the bread has hard-boiled eggs in the center, you should store it in the refrigerator or remove the eggs so they can be refrigerated and the bread can be left at room temperature.

The sweet bread can also be frozen for up to two months once the eggs have been removed. 

FAQ

Other Traditional Italian Recipes

​Every holiday comes with its traditional recipes and Easter is no exception to that rule.  Pane di Cena are Sicilian Easter Cookies that my grandmother and my mother made every year.  And to this day we can’t wait until they are served with a nice dark espresso to finish off our meal.

In many Italian households, it wouldn’t be Easter without Italian Easter Pizza or Pizza Giana.  A flaky pastry crust is filled with delicious cheeses and assorted salumi to celebrate the end of Lent.  Another favorite in our family is Nonna’s Stuffed Artichokes.  Artichokes are in season again and this cheesy savory vegetable will have you licking your fingers!