Italian Easter Bread Recipe

Prepare the tangzhong. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together the milk, water and bread flour, making sure no lumps remain. 

Continue to constantly whisk while cooking the mixture for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened and the texture is similar to a very thick pudding. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the tangzhong to prevent it from drying. Let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk together the milk, honey, sugar, egg and lemon zest until combined.

Stir in the bread flour, dry milk, yeast and salt. Mix to combine. Knead the bread on medium-low speed for about 5 minutes. 

Add the butter to the mixture and knead until the butter is incorporated, about 3-5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rest for 8 minutes.

Remove the kitchen towel and knead the dough until a smooth and elastic dough forms and the dough starts to pull away from the bowl, about 10-20 minutes. If the dough continues to stick to the edges of the bowl, add about two to four tablespoons of bread flour. Remove the dough from the stand mixer and shape it into a smooth round ball.Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm room and let the dough rise until nearly doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes. 

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, remove the dough from the bowl and deflate it by gently pushing it down.

Divide the dough into six equal portions and roll each of them into a smooth ball, seam side down. Use plastic wrap to cover the dough you are not working with to keep it from drying out.

Roll each ball into a 1-inch wide rope, about 14 inches long. 

Take two pieces of rope and pinch one end together. Twist the two pieces of dough and pinch the ends together to create a simple braid. 

Curve the braid into a ring and pinch the ends together to create a circle. Remember, the center of the circle will be a nest for your egg, so do not make the circle too tight or loose. Transfer the braid onto the parchment-lined sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining braids creating three braided circles in total. Space out each braided circle, giving them ample room to rise. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 40-50 minutes or until puffy.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make the egg wash. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the risen circles with the egg wash.

Sprinkle with colored nonpareils. 

Dip a paper towel in vegetable oil and lightly rub each dyed egg with the paper towel for a thin layer of vegetable oil. Place the egg into the center of each braided circle. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the sheet pan halfway through the baking time.

Remove the Italian Easter bread from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!