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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Tutti a tavola è pronto!
Un caro saluto e alla prossima!
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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.
- Prep Time: 35
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 10
Ingredients
Starter
- 1 cup (120 grams) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup ( 113 grams)cool water
- 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast
Dough
- 2 1/4 cups (269 grams) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/3 cup ( 67 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 Tablespoons ( 57 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract + 1/4 teaspoon orange oil { I used 1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia}*
- 1/4 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 1/4 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: 3659
- Sugar: 267
- Sodium: 3589
- Fat: 95
- Saturated Fat: 44
- Unsaturated Fat: 42
- Trans Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 596
- Protein: 104
- Cholesterol: 1795
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