Italian Easter Bread

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Servings: 1 Difficulty: Advanced
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A traditional sweet braided bread studded with candied fruit, nuts, and colored eggs.
Italian Easter Bread recipe image
Italian Easter Bread recipe image
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Italian Easter Bread

Author: chefs-mate Cooking Method: Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Advanced
Servings: 1 Calories: 551.0

Description

This Italian Easter Bread, or Colomba, is a festive staple for spring celebrations. The dough is rich and tender, infused with the warm aroma of anise and butter. As it rises, it develops a soft, pillowy texture that contrasts beautifully with the chewy candied fruits and crunchy almonds hidden within. The decorative braided crown holds brightly dyed hard-boiled eggs, making it as visually stunning as it is delicious. Drizzled with a simple vanilla icing and sprinkles just before serving, this bread serves as both a dessert and a centerpiece. It pairs wonderfully with coffee or tea and is perfect for holiday brunches or family gatherings.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, blend the sugar, salt, yeast, and 1 cup of flour together well.
  2. In a saucepan, combine milk and butter, heating slowly until the liquid is warm and the butter is fully melted.
  3. Pour the warm milk mixture into the dry ingredients and beat 125 strokes with a wooden spoon to combine.
  4. Add the eggs and 1/2 cup of flour, or enough to form a thick batter. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
  5. Stir in additional flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms a ball that draws away from the sides of the bowl.
  6. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
  7. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
  8. Meanwhile, combine the mixed candied fruit, chopped blanched almonds, and anise seed in a small bowl.
  9. Punch down the risen dough and return it to a lightly floured board. Knead in the fruit and nut mixture, keeping the syrupy pieces dusted with flour to ensure even distribution.
  10. Divide the dough in half and carefully roll each piece into a 24-inch rope.
  11. Loosely twist the two ropes together and form a ring on a greased baking sheet, pinching the ends together well.
  12. Brush the dough with melted shortening. Push aside the twist to create small indentations for each hard-boiled egg, pushing them down carefully as far as possible.
  13. Cover the bread with wax paper and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
  14. Preheat oven to 350&# 194;°F (177ðC). Bake the bread for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the dough (avoiding the eggs) comes out clean.
  15. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  16. Once cool, drizzle the prepared icing on top between the eggs and decorate with colored sprinkles.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 1

Amount Per Serving
Calories 551.0kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 3.1g5%
Saturated Fat 0.5g3%
Cholesterol 0.0mg0%
Sodium 20030.1mg835%
Total Carbohydrate 124.4g42%
Dietary Fiber 6.0g24%
Sugars 60.4g
Protein 10.0g20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Keywords: italian, easter, bread, braided, yeast, candied, fruit, anise, almonds, eggs, icing, dessert, holiday, spring, traditional, crown, enriched
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