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Home » Recipes » Recipes

Italian Easter Bread With Colored Eggs {Corona Pasquale} Easter Tradition

Published: Apr 2, 2023 by Marisa Franca · 97 Comments

Jump to Recipe

As long as I can remember,  my mamma would make an Italian Easter Bread {Corona pasquale}. She would twist long ropes of dough and then pinch the ends to form a ring. She then would nestle colored eggs in between the ropes.

Italian Easter Bread with Colored Eggs is a brioche style bread whereby the raw eggs cook as the bread bakes.
Jump to:
  • Meaning of the Easter bread
  • Italian Easter tradition
  • The basis for the Easter bread
  • A family Easter tradition
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Meaning of the Easter bread

When I asked why she made our Italian Easter bread that way, she explained that the crown represented the crown of thorns on Christ's head. The eggs represented rebirth --  Christ rising from the dead after the third day.

On the Italian Easter table, bread has a religious significance -- Christ is often referred to as "the bread of life." This is a time for rejoicing. After the 40 days in Lent, it's time to celebrate. . . . nature is coming to life all around us. 

Italian Easter Bread With Colored Eggs {Corona di Pan Per Pasqua}@allourway.com

Italian Easter tradition

I remember getting Easter greeting cards from our relatives in Italy. They usually consisted of little fuzzy chicks and a basket of eggs.

 My mamma and papa would always comment -- Ecco! L'ouva va con il pulcino no con il coniglietto, non è giusto { There! The eggs goes with the chick not the bunny, that's not right}.

I really never got into it with them. How was I supposed to explain to them that the rabbit is known as an extremely fertile creature and it symbolized the coming of spring? So, I just kept quiet and let them ponder why Americans did it this way. 

Daffodils - First Sign of Spring @allourway.com

The basis for the Easter bread

The recipe I used for the Italian Easter bread is not quite like mamma made. Her bread's texture was more like a brioche. She never wrote down recipes -- they were all in her head.

Nevertheless, this recipe is very good and it's also easy to make whereas brioche can sometimes be a little bit more challenging. 

If you're want to sample a classic Italian Easter bread, you have to make this Italian Easter Meat Pie. It's loaded with meat and cheese and practically a meal in itself.

Italian Easter Bread with Colored Eggs @allourway.com

A family Easter tradition

Celebrating Easter has always been a family affair for us, although in Italy it isn't as family centered as Christmas. There is an old saying:" Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi" { Christmas at home with your family, Easter with whomever you please.

I simply can't imagine wanting to spend Easter with anyone other than my family. 🙂 

The Ave Maria is one of my parents favorite. I've included this rendition, which is absolutely beautiful, if you'd like to listen, here it is: 

 

 

And here is an Italian Mother's Day Card with Music for all beautiful mammas and nonnas.

Tutti a tavola è pronto!

Un caro saluto e alla prossima!

Italian Easter Bread with colored Eggs is made with a rich brioche type bread that nestles raw colored eggs and the eggs bake along with the bread.

📖 Recipe

Italian Easter Bread with Colored Eggs

A not too sweet traditional Italian Easter bread that is scented with orange. The dyed eggs cook as the bread bakes and when done is topped with an orange glaze.
5 from 27 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: bread, Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Rising Time: 15 hours hours
Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 3659kcal
Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
As An Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

Starter

  • 1 cup 120 grams Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • ½ cup 113 gramscool water
  • ⅛ teaspoon instant yeast

Dough

  • 2 ¼ cups 269 grams Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • ⅓ cup 67 grams granulated sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons 57 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract + ¼ teaspoon orange oil { I used ¼ teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia}*
  • ¼ teaspoon ground anise seed
  • grated peel of 1 large orange
  • 6 dyed raw eggs - they will cook as the bread bakes

Glaze

  • 1 cup 113 grams confectioners' sugar, sifter
  • 2 to 3 Tablespoons 23 - 43 grams orange juice
  • decorating sugar for sprinkling on top -- can also use nonpareils for decorating

Instructions

  • Mix the starter ingredients, cover the bowl, and let rest at room temperature overnight, or for up to 15 hours.
  • Next day, combine the bubbly starter with all the remaining dough ingredients. Mix and knead, using a mixer or bread machine, until the dough is elastic and satiny. I don't recommend preparing the dough by hand because it is sticky and challenging to bring together.
  • Grease a large bowl and let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours, until it's noticeably puffy.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface, divide it into two pieces and shape each piece into a 20 inch long rope. Twist the two ropes together and pinch the ends to form a wreath (crown).
  • Place the wreath (crown) on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover and allow it to rise until puffy, about 1-2 hours. Toward the end of the rising time preheat the oven to 375 F.
  • Before placing in the oven, gently spread the rope strands apart and place a dyed egg in between them. Space the eggs evenly around the crown.
  • Bake the crown for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 350 F and bake for an additional 20 minutes, tenting it for the final 10 minutes of baking. The finished loaf will be golden brown, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will register at least 190 F.
  • Remove the crown from the oven, and transfer it to a rack to cool.
  • To make the glaze: Stir together the sugar and 2 Tablespoons orange juice.Add more liquid ¼ teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is thin and pourable.
  • Drizzle the glaze onto the cooled braid, then decorate with the sugar crystals or sprinkles, if desired.

Notes

  • * Fiori di Sicilia is a flavoring sold by King Arthur Flour. It is excellent, I also use it in my Panettone recipe.
  • You can eat the eggs but if you intend to let the bread sit out for several hours -- refrigerate the eggs and then eat them later.
  • There is a disparity in rising times because rich dough sometimes take longer -- just look how it's rising and let that be your guide.
  • This recipe was adapted on the Easter Bread Wreath recipe on the King Arthur Blog.

Nutrition

Calories: 3659kcal | Carbohydrates: 596g | Protein: 104g | Fat: 95g | Saturated Fat: 44g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 42g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1795mg | Sodium: 3589mg | Sugar: 267g

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