Easter Bread Colored Eggs (Print Version)
Lightly sweet braided bread intertwined with colorful eggs for a spring celebration.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - 1 teaspoon salt
05 - 2/3 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
06 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
09 - 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)
→ Decoration
10 - 6 raw eggs, dyed with food coloring and dried
11 - 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
12 - 2 tablespoons colored sprinkles (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Combine warm milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy.
02 - Whisk together flour, remaining sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
03 - Add yeast mixture, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla (plus lemon zest if using) to dry ingredients. Mix until a soft dough forms.
04 - Knead on a floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
05 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
06 - Punch down dough and divide into 6 equal pieces. Roll each into a rope about 16 inches long.
07 - For each loaf, braid 3 ropes together, pinching ends to seal. Form into a ring or leave as a braid, and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
08 - Tuck 3 colored eggs gently into the braid of each loaf. Cover and let rise 30 minutes.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush loaves with beaten egg and sprinkle with colored sprinkles if desired.
10 - Bake for 25–28 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a rack before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The bread emerges from the oven looking like something from a storybook, eggs nestled like jewels in golden strands.
- It gives you permission to play with color in a way adult baking rarely allows.
02 -
- The dyed eggs will cook through completely during baking and become hard-boiled; do not use already cooked eggs or they will turn rubbery and strange.
- Handle the dyed eggs with care or the color will transfer to your dough in splotches that look like accidents.
03 -
- Dye your eggs the day before and let them dry overnight on a rack; damp eggs weep color into dough that cannot be undone.
- Place a sheet of foil loosely over the bread if the tops brown too quickly; the eggs need the full baking time to cook through.