Sweet Easter Bread (a bread machine recipe)
This Sweet Easter Bread is an easy and delicious bread machine recipe. Let the bread machine do all the mixing and kneading then shape the dough into a braided loaf and bake it in your oven.
Servings 1 loaf
Ingredients
Sweet Easter Bread:
- 1 cup milk at room temperature
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp butter at room temperature
- 3 2/3 cups all purpose flour (or bread flour)
- 1 tsp instant yeast
Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp water
Instructions
- Measure all of the above ingredients into the bread machine.1 cup milk, 2 large eggs, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 3 tbsp granulated sugar, 4 tbsp butter, 3 2/3 cups all purpose flour (or bread flour), 1 tsp instant yeast
- Choose the ‘Dough Cycle’.
- Once the dough cycle is complete, remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and cover with a clean damp tea towel. Let the dough rise for 15 minutes.
- After this time, split the dough into 3 pieces. Then roll out each piece into long ropes, about 1 inch thick.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil (or line it with parchment paper), then braid the ropes on the pan, pinching the ends together so the loaf stays in a braid shape(see images).
- Cover the bread braid with a clean tea towel, then let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
- In the meantime preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the egg wash: 1 large egg, 1 tsp water
- When the dough has doubled in size use a pastry brush to brush the surface of the bread dough lightly with the egg wash (you will only use a little bit of it).
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The bread will sound hollow when you tap the bottom, and the top will be golden brown.
- Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.