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 hslergr1 / Pixabay
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
97 | Calories |
6g | Fat |
10g | Carbs |
2g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 24 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 97 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 6g | 7% |
Saturated Fat 2g | 12% |
Cholesterol 43mg | 14% |
Sodium 76mg | 3% |
Total Carbohydrate 10g | 4% |
Dietary Fiber 0g | 2% |
Protein 2g | |
Calcium 25mg | 2% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
Like most Old World cultures, Italians have their versions of pane di Pasqua or Easter bread. This is an Italian-American family's traditional Easter bread recipe that is braided but the bread can take other forms like a loaf if you desire.
This rich and aromatic bread served with a simple icing makes for a festive and delicious Easter treat that is similar in taste and texture to panettone but shaped differently and does not contain raisins or candied fruits.
Ingredients
- 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup water (100 F)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon anise seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons anise extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more as needed)
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water with a small pinch of the sugar. Let sit 10 minutes until foamy.
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After the 10 minutes, whisk in the remaining sugar, milk, eggs, anise seeds, anise extract, lemon extract, lemon zest, salt, oil, and melted butter. Combine well by hand, with a hand mixer, or in a stand mixer.
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Once everything is well combined, mix in the flour, one cup at a time, to form a wet, sticky dough.
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Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes, adding flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the surface, to form a smooth and elastic dough.
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Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Lightly oil the surface of the dough, and cover the bowl with a damp towel. Place in the oven with the light on (but no heat). The dough needs to rise until doubled in size, which will take between 6 to 12 hours. This is a slow-rising dough that can be left overnight without fear of it expanding so much that it runs over the bowl.
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When doubled, punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface; divide into four pieces.
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Take one piece and cut it into three strips. Braid and form into a circle. Repeat with remaining dough.
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Place wreath loaves on a silicone mat or parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover very loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let rise for 2 hours.Â
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Heat oven to 350 F. Once loaves have risen, bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 190 F to 200 F. Remove and cool on wire racks.
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Once cooled completely, the loaves can be served immediately, or stored in an airtight container or zip top bag for up to three days, or freeze for longer storage.
Variation
- Frost the loaves with a simple lemon icing.
- Depending on which region of Italy you live in, Easter bread can take different shapes and different names. In the southwest, in a region known as Calabria, it's known as sguta, cuzzupa, or cu l’ovo, while other regions call it scarcella or gurrugulo.
- Some are baked in the shape of a wreath to symbolize the crown of thorns worn by Jesus Christ, while others consist of three-plaited braids, as can be done in this recipe, to represent the Holy Trinity, and yet others are made into a loaf in the shape of a dove that is called colomba Pasquale. Often, brightly colored hard-cooked eggs are nestled in the dough before baking.
- In Sicily, small loaves shaped like dolls, known as pupi cu l’uova, are baked with a hard-cooked egg in the center. There also is a cheese-filled bread baked into a tall cylindrical pan that is known as crescia al formaggio and, in Tuscany, there is pan di Ramerino, a savory loaf that incorporates spices, olive oil, raisins, walnuts, and rosemary.