Easter Egg Bread

On the Menu Today~
Easter Egg Bread

I have always wanted to make Easter Egg Bread.
I always thought it would look festive served at Easter.
Not only will this bread look great on your Easter table,
it's delicious and relatively easy to make.

Easter Egg Bread is made with a sweet dough similar to a
Brioche or Challah.
The raw colored eggs cooked beautifully in the oven,
something I was a little skeptical about and
the dough is really very easy to work with.

Easter Egg Bread is easy to make and
it's very delicious~
Easter Egg Bread is definitely
something I will make each year from now on....
See Note Below~

Easter Egg Bread

Ingredients

• Color Eggs
• 5 to 7 eggs
• 1 cup (more or less) distilled vinegar
• hot water
• food coloring of your choice
• Easter Egg Bread
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons rapid rise yeast
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon anise seed
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs, beaten with a fork
• Lemon Glaze
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teasppon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk
• sprinkles, optional

Cooking Directions

1. Color Eggs:
2. Step 1:
3. Decide how many colors of dye you want to mix for your eggs. Set out as many glass cups or bowls. Make sure they are large enough to hold the eggs and the liquid needed.
4. Step 2:
5. Add 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar to each cup.
6. Step 3:
7. Add 2/3 cup hot water to each cup.
8. Step 4:
9. Add 7 to 15 drops food coloring to each cup or until you achieve desired color.
10. Step 5:
11. Carefully add eggs to water/vinegar. Allow raw eggs to soak until desired color is reached.
12. Wipe dry. Store colored eggs in the refrigerator until needed.
13. Make Easter Bread:
14. Mix together 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a medium bowl. Add anise seed and lemon zest. Stir well.
15. Place milk and butter in a small glass microwavable safe bowl. Microwave until milk is warm and butter has just begun to melt. Watch carefully. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the milk mixture and eggs. Swirl your hand in a circular motion to combine the flour mixture with the milk/eggs. Mix well until a soft dough forms. Place dough on a floured surface. Knead in remaining 1/2 cup flour. Knead dough until soft but elastic, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add a small amount, about 1 teaspoon oil to your hands to prevent dough from sticking to them if necessary. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl. Turning dough to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a damp towel. Place in a warm place to rise 1 1/2 hours. Punch down. Divide dough in half.
16. On a floured work surface, roll each half into a ball. Shape the balls into 2 long ropes about 1-1/2 inches thick and 18 to 20 inches long. Lay ropes side by side on a greased baking sheet. Twist one end. Add a colored egg. Twist ropes together. Add another colored egg. Twist ropes together. Add another colored egg. Twist ropes together. Add another egg. Add 3 to 4 eggs more. Form into a circle. Pinch ends together. Cover with saran wrap and damp towel. Let rise 1 to 2 hours. 
17. Meanwhile make glaze:
18. Whisk together lemon juice, melted butter, vanilla extract, and confectioners sugar until smooth. Add milk gradually until glaze reaches desired consistency.
19. Bake Easter Egg Bread:
20. Preheat oven to 350° Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove bread from oven. Place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cool slightly.
21. Drizzle with vanilla lemon glaze, sprinkle with sprinkles.

Steps In Pictures:

• Step 1:
• Decide how many colors of dye you want to mix for your eggs.
• Set out as many glass cups or bowls.
• Make sure they are large enough to hold the eggs and the liquid needed.

Step 2:

• Add 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar to each cup.

Step 3:

• Add 2/3 cup hot water to each cup.

Step 4:

• Add 7 to 15 drops food coloring to each cup or until you achieve desired color.

Step 5:

• Carefully add eggs to water/vinegar.
• Allow raw eggs to soak until desired color is reached.
• Wipe dry.
• Store colored eggs in the refrigerator until needed.

Make Easter Bread:

1. Mix together 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a medium bowl. Add anise seed and lemon zest. Stir well.
2. Place milk and butter in a small glass microwavable safe bowl. Microwave until milk is warm and butter has just begun to melt. Watch carefully.

1. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the milk mixture and eggs. Swirl your hand in a circular motion to combine the flour mixture with the milk/eggs. Mix well until a soft dough forms. Place dough on a floured surface. Knead in remaining 1/2 cup flour. Knead dough until soft but elastic, about 5-8 minutes. Add a small amount, about 1 teaspoon oil to your hands to prevent dough from sticking to them if necessary. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl. Turning dough to coat.
2. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a damp towel. Place in a warm place to rise 1 1/2 hours.

1. Punch dough down. Divide dough in half.
2. On a floured work surface, roll each half into a ball. Shape the balls into 2 long ropes about 1-1/2 inches thick and 18 to 20 inches long. Lay ropes side by side on a greased baking sheet.

• Twist one end. Add a colored egg.

• Twist ropes together. Add another colored egg.

• Twist ropes together. Add another colored egg.

• Twist ropes together. Add another egg.

• Add 3 to 4 eggs more. Form into a circle. Pinch ends together.

-

• Cover with saran wrap and damp towel. Let rise 1 to 2 hours.

Make Glaze

1. Whisk together lemon juice, melted butter, vanilla extract, and confectioners sugar until smooth. Add milk gradually until glaze reaches desired consistency.

Bake Easter Egg Bread

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

1. Remove bread from oven. Place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cool slightly.
2. Drizzle with vanilla lemon glaze.
3. Sprinkle with sprinkles.

Bread, Eggs, Italian, Easter

Note:
My Easter Egg Bread turned out a little wonky looking...
but surprisingly the eggs stayed put....
another thing...
the ends didn't pinch together well.
Both things can easily be fixed with practice...
Overall, I will give this Bread an A+