I made my Italian grandmother's colorful Easter bread, and it's the perfect sweet treat for dessert or breakfast

Victoria MontaltiApr 16, 2022, 20:13 IST

I made my grandmother's recipe for traditional Easter sweet bread.Victoria Montalti/Insider

Italian Easter bread comes in many forms and styles, but it is enjoyed all over Italy on Easter.
The braided sweet dough and colorfully dyed eggs make the perfect springtime dessert.

Italian Easter bread is a sweet bread enjoyed around Italy and by Italian Americans, with many renditions.

Easter bread can come in the form of large loaves or individual rolls.Victoria Montalti/Insider

This recipe requires a few simple ingredients. The time and effort mostly goes into braiding and decorating.

The sweet bread doesn't require too many ingredients, and it uses products commonly found in baking.Victoria Montalti/Insider

I used a weighing scale to measure the dry ingredients before adding them to a standing mixer.

I used a scale to calculate the amount of flour, sugar, and yeast I needed to use.Victoria Montalti/Insider

I also added yeast and grated lemon zest into the bowl before combining.

In addition to flour and sugar, I added yeast and lemon zest to the dry ingredients.Victoria Montalti/Insider

For the wet ingredients, the eggs need to be whisked and then mixed with Crisco.

For the wet ingredients, I lightly beat four eggs and added Crisco, forking the lard to break it down into the eggs.Victoria Montalti/Insider

I turned the mixer on high to form the dough as much as possible.

The mixture took a bit of time to combine and needed a high speed to complete it.Victoria Montalti/Insider

After, I hand-kneaded the dough for over 10 minutes to make it smooth and fully combined.

The mixture was dense and not too sticky or wet. I kneaded it for over five minutes to form a smooth ball.Victoria Montalti/Insider

To make the colorful eggs, I boiled them before dyeing them in vibrant food coloring and white vinegar.

I hardboiled eggs in water before dying them with water, white vinegar, and food coloring.Victoria Montalti/Insider

The most difficult part was dividing up the dough equally and braiding it to form a wreath shape.

Pieces of dough get divided and rolled into three logs before braiding them and forming a wreath shape.Victoria Montalti/Insider

Each of the wreaths was a different size, which was a bit frustrating ... but it also made for a rustic look.

After the wreaths were formed, I brushed them in egg wash for a glazed finish.Victoria Montalti/Insider

I placed each of the eggs upright in the center of the dough and created crosses on some of them.

I place the dyed eggs in the center of the wreaths. With the remaining dough, I rolled out thin logs, formed a cross, and adhered them to the wreaths.Victoria Montalti/Insider

After an egg wash, all the bread needed was colored sprinkles.

I generously coated the dough with sprinkles.Victoria Montalti/Insider

After baking, the cooked bread and eggs came out looking beautiful and colorful.

The cooked bread came out slightly golden and crisp and the eggs were still a vibrant color.Victoria Montalti/Insider

The bread was citrusy and sweet and the perfect treat for breakfast or dessert.

The bread had a dense inside, hard and glazed outside, and a sweet and citrusy flavor.Victoria Montalti/Insider

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