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Pane di Pasqua is a cherished Italian Easter bread that fills your home with the sweet, citrusy aroma of lemon and vanilla. This slightly sweet and dense bread is lovingly twisted into a ring, encircling a vibrant egg that symbolizes the promise of new beginnings. Topped with colorful sprinkles, it’s not only a feast for the taste buds but also an excellent centerpiece for your Easter table. Making this Italian sweet bread will become a favorite holiday tradition!
Discover how to make pane di Pasqua, a delicious and traditional Italian Easter bread. This traditional recipe is fun to prepare and looks so pretty and festive.
Also try bunny bait, slow cooker Easter candy, spring pretzel bites, Italian Easter cookies or Easter cake, and Easter mini vanilla Bundt cakes.
Why You’ll Love It
Perfect for Easter: This seasonal recipe needs to be on your Easter baking list. It’s a pretty and colorful sweet bread that also tastes amazing.
A traditional Italian recipe: Bring a taste of Italy to your table this Easter.
Tastes delicious: Flavored with lemon and vanilla, this sweet bread offers flavors everyone loves and it’s sweet without being overly sweet.
Italian Easter Sweet Bread Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Bread flour: Provides the structure for the bread.
White granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens the dough and enhances its flavor.
Active dry yeast: This recipe used active dry yeast to help the dough rise by creating air pockets.
Warm milk: Provides moisture and kick-starts the yeast.
Large eggs: Give the bread structure and a rich texture.
Unsalted butter: Softens the dough while adding depth of flavor.
Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor.
Lemon zest: Adds a fresh, citrusy aroma and flavor.
Kosher salt: Balances out the sweetness.
Raw eggs, dyed with food coloring: Decorative elements that symbolize new life.
How to Make Pane di Pasqua
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the dough: Combine the warm milk with sugar and add active dry yeast in a small bowl. Whisk sugar, flour, salt and lemon zest together in a large mixing bowl and add the yeast mixture to it once it’s frothy. Add the softened butter, eggs and vanilla and mix to achieve a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic with a stand mixer and dough hook or with your hands.
Let the dough rise: Put the dough in a greased bowl and cover it. Leave it to rise until doubled in size and then punch dough down.
Shape the bread: Divide the dough into 12 portions and roll each one into a rope circle. Put the bread rings on a parchment paper lined or greased baking sheet, cover and wait until they puff up.
Decorate each sweet bread ring: Brush beaten egg wash over them with a pastry brush and add sprinkles. Add a dyed raw egg in the middle of each one.
Bake, cool and serve: Bake the pane di Pasqua until golden brown, cool it slightly on a cooling rack and serve warm.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, use gluten-free flour and check your sprinkles are gluten-free also.
Bread flour: You can use all-purpose flour if that’s all you have.
Lemon zest: For a different citrusy twist, consider adding orange zest in addition to, or instead of, the lemon zest.
Vanilla extract: Almond extract can be used for a different flavor profile.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers and savory dishes: Begin with pizza giana rustica (Italian Easter pie) and Cajun shrimp deviled eggs.
Sweet dishes: Serve your pane di Pasqua warm with melted butter, jam, a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar, or plain, perhaps paired with bunny print Easter cookies and Easter haystacks.
To drink: Rainbow sherbet champagne mimosas would be delicious.
How to Store Braided Sweet Bread
Store: Store the bread in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days. If it starts to dry out, warm it slightly before serving.
Freeze: If you want to store it longer, wrap the completely cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil before freezing for up to 2 months.
Thaw: Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Top Tips
Dough texture: Knead the dough until it’s stretchy and smooth. Add extra flour if it’s too sticky, a little at a time.
Kneading the dough: I like to use a stand mixer to knead the dough, but if you don’t have one (or want to be very traditional!) feel free to knead by hand.
Even sized bread rings: Use a kitchen scale to weigh each portion to ensure equal portions of dough.
Italian Pane di Pasqua FAQs
Bread flour has more protein, which builds strong gluten for a chewier, well-structured pane di Pasqua that holds its shape around the eggs. All-purpose flour has slightly less protein, which creates a softer crumb with less elasticity. However, if bread flour isn’t available, all-purpose flour works fine. Just knead slightly longer for better gluten development.
Yes, they are. This is completely normal and doesn’t affect the taste. When baking, the raw dyed eggs may develop small speckles or variations in color due to the heat and moisture in the oven. If you prefer a more vibrant look, you can always brush the eggs lightly with oil after baking to enhance their shine.
Best Italian Easter Bread Recipe
Pane di Pasqua
Equipment
- Microplane or Citrus zester
- Stand Mixer with Paddle and Dough Hook Attachments
Ingredients
- ¾ Cup milk, warmed to 110°F
- 1 Packet active dry yeast, 2¼ Teaspoons
- ½ Cup granulated sugar
- 4 Cups bread flour
- ¾ Teaspoon kosher salt
- zest of 1 lemon, 1 Tablespoon
- ½ Cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 eggs, large
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
To Decorate:
- 6 eggs, raw, dyed with food coloring
- sprinkles, or nonpareils, colorful
For the Egg Wash:
- 1 egg, large
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Prepare the Dough:
- Combine ¾ cup warm milk and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle 1 packet of active dry yeast over the mixture and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining granulated sugar, flour, kosher salt, and lemon zest.
- Create a well in the center and add the yeast mixture, softened butter, 3 large eggs and vanilla extract.
- Use a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment for your stand mixer to mix the ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Then, switch your attachment to a dough hook and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Alternatively, you can transfer the soft dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it by hand for 8 to 10 minutes or until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour as needed.
Let the Dough Rise:
- Place the dough in a lightly sprayed bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
- Let it rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release any air bubbles.
Shape the Bread:
- Divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a rope approximately 12 inches long.
- Twist 2 ropes of dough together to form a braid, then shape the braid into a circle, pinching the ends together to seal.
- Repeat for all 6.
- Transfer the braided ring to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Cover it loosely and let it rise again for about 45 minutes, or until it has puffed up.
- While the dough goes through its final proof, preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Prepare an egg wash by whisking 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon of water until combined.
Decorate the Sweet Bread:
- Once the dough has finished proofing, brush gently with your prepared egg wash to give it a glossy finish.
- Decorate with colorful nonpareils or sprinkles. Gently place a dyed raw egg into each of the center holes of the braids.
Bake the Pane di Pasqua:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool slightly on a wire rack.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Kneading the dough: I like to use a stand mixer to knead the dough, but if you don’t have one (or want to be very traditional!) feel free to knead by hand.
Even sized bread rings: Use a kitchen scale to weigh each portion to ensure equal portions of dough.
Nutrition
This pane di Pasqua recipe is absolutely perfect for Good Friday or Palm Sunday, paired with Easter eggs and all your yummy Easter baked treats. Pane di Pasqua Italian Easter bread looks a bit like challah bread and looks pretty with dyed eggs and colorful sprinkles on top. Making Easter bread is relatively simple and you don’t need any specialist equipment. So, add this Pane di Pasqua Easter bread to your Easter traditions!
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This bread was a hit! Loved the sweet citrusy aroma while baking!