Braided Easter Bread Recipe

If you're looking for a centerpiece for your Easter celebration, this braided Easter bread recipe from food photographer and recipe developer Jess Morone is just what you need. This beautifully braided brioche loaf is topped with a lemon glaze, sprinkles, and decorative Easter eggs. And trust us, it looks just as good as it tastes, striking the ideal balance of sweetness without being overly-sweet.

If you're not an expert bread maker, don't worry — this recipe isn't only for the bread virtuosos among us. "I'm not an expert in making bread and found this recipe actually pretty easy," Morone says. "The tricky part is really just making sure the dough rises enough." Indeed, as with many bread recipes, patience is a virtue here, but the results will be well worth the wait. From the delicate braided pattern of the dough to the lemon glaze drizzle and festive Easter eggs, this bread will no doubt be the talk of your Sunday table.

To make this show-stopping Easter bread, you will need the bread essentials: warm water, active dry yeast, and all-purpose flour. You'll also need milk, butter, eggs, and sugar. You'll also need kosher salt and three dyed Easter eggs (the eggs can be uncooked, and you can dye them any color of your choice).

To make the lemon glaze, you'll need powdered sugar and lemon juice. You'll also need 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. "The lemon zest in the bread paired with the lemon glaze really gives this bread an extra pop of flavor that takes it up a notch," Morone says. "You can skip the glaze if you want to, but it's really worth it for the flavor."

Add the warm milk, warm water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let the mixture sit until it is foamy, or about 5 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, butter, and two eggs. Use the mixer's dough hook and mix on medium speed until all ingredients are combined, or about 30 seconds.

You can make this bread without a stand mixer, but it will take a little more elbow grease and time to get it done. "Without a stand mixer, just do everything the same but use a regular bowl and a wooden spoon to mix everything together," Morone says. "Once you add in the flour, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands until it is smooth and elastic, and no longer sticks to your hands."

Add the salt, lemon zest, and roughly ⅓ of the flour to the stand mixer. Beat everything together on low speed until all ingredients are combined, and then slowly add the remaining flour. Increase the mixer's speed to medium and continue to mix until the dough forms a smooth, elastic ball, or around 5 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly-oiled mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. Letting the dough rise enough — but not too much — is the only tricky part of this recipe. If the dough has over-proofed, i.e., if it has risen too much, then it will deflate easily and not hold its shape. "You can still bake it and it will taste good, but it won't shape well for this Easter bread," Morone says.

Morone's tip for optimal bread rising is to add a little heat. "My kitchen tends to be very cold, so when I do anything with yeast I will turn my oven on to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, then shut it off, then put the bowl of dough in the oven to proof, which I find really effective," she says.

Once the dough has risen, place it on a lightly floured surface and divide it into three equal parts. Roll each part into a rope around 28 inches long. Pinch the ends of the three ropes together, and then braid the ropes. At the end of the braid, pinch the ends together.

Place your braided dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and shape it into a circle. Pinch the ends of the braid together to close the circle and make a seal. Press the dyed Easter eggs into the braid.

Are the dyed Easter eggs for decoration, or are they edible? While the eggs will cook to a medium-hard consistency in the oven, unless you're planning on eating the bread right away, don't eat the eggs. "I think of them more as a decoration than for eating," Morone says.

Loosely cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap. Let the shaped Easter bread rise for an additional 45 minutes. During the last 15 minutes of this second rise, preheat your oven to 350 F.

To make the egg wash, whisk the remaining egg and a tablespoon of water. Brush the egg wash over the bread. If you'd like to top your Easter bread with sprinkles, add them now.

Bake your braided Easter bread in the preheated oven for 28 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden brown. After removing the bread from the oven, slide the parchment paper with the loaf resting on it onto a cooling rack. Let the loaf cool completely.

Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Use a spoon to drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled bread.

Once the glaze has set, your bread is ready to serve! This show-stopper of a bread is of course perfect for any Easter gathering and is great on its own, but you can't go wrong adding a little butter or jam. Morone also recommends using the leftovers to make French toast.