These Easter Bread Wreaths are designed to stun your family with a fluffy texture,
a delightful herby taste, and unforgettable addition of Easter eggs in the middle of each wreath.
If you looking for an amazing centerpiece for your Easter breakfast menu,
I invite you to try this recipe.
Savory Braided Easter Bread
Easter breakfast table is usually loaded with other sweet delicacies,
so I decided to create a scrumptious savory version of this originally sweet Italian breaded bread.
In this recipe, I’m sharing a recipe for mini herby bread wreaths (you’ll get 7 pieces out of one dough), but you can change it into one big chunky braided bread.
If you’re a lover of warm, herby garlic bread, then this recipe will win your heart and taste buds!
These mini Easter bread wreaths are:
- and best eaten warm with your family
- super soft and buttery,
- packed with herbs,
- spiced up with garlic powder.
What is traditional Easter Braided Bread?
Originally, Easter bread is a sweet braided bread, usually shaped in a wreath,
and baked with colorful Easter eggs.
Its origin is known as an Italian and Greek specialty meant to be eaten only on
Easter celebration days, since it has symbolic meaning for Christians.
The Easter Bread wreath is a symbol of the crown, made of thorns, worn by Jesus while the three-dough rope braids signify the Holy Trinity. As for the eggs, they symbolize rebirth or the resurrection of Jesus.
Religious or not, you’re invited to share a warm piece of this irresistible soft,
chevy, and beautifully shaped Easter bread with us.
How to make braided Easter egg bread
1. In a small saucepan slightly heat milk and butter, until the butter melts.
Don’t allow the milk temperature to rise above 54ºC/129ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast with the eggs and whisk together.
Pour in warmed milk and butter mixture, add salt with herbs, and mix again.
3. Attach a dough hook to a stand mixer and mix for 10 minutes on medium speed,
while slowly adding the flour.
Scrape the sides with a spatula as needed to incorporate the flour fully.
4. Place the dough on a lightly floured board and hand knead for about 3 to 4 minutes,
adding a little more flour to the surface to prevent sticking of the dough.
5. Shape the dough into a ball, cover it with a damp dish towel, and allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes in a warm place. While the dough is resting, boil 7 eggs and cool them completely in an ice-cold water.
6. Divide the dough into 7 pieces and weigh them, so they’re all the same in size.
Divide each piece into 3 equal parts. Roll all 3 parts into a long rope, braid them, and shape a nest out of each dough braid.
Make sure the ends are securely pressed together.
7. Distribute wreaths among two parchment-lined baking sheets providing enough room in between. Loosely cover both baking sheets with plastic wrap or a dish towel, and allow to rise in a warm area, until it doubles in size, around 60 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF. Set the rack in the middle position.
9. Whisk together the large egg and 1 teaspoon of water.
Brush each braided bread with the egg wash. Don’t brush the Easter egg in the middle.
Sprinkle, top of the bread with herb mixture.
10. Bake bread wreaths until golden brown, for about 20 minutes.
Quickly and carefully transfer the baked bread to a cooling rack.
Check the video recipe below.
How to decorate Easter bread
The decoration is super easy and synced with the Easter holidays, of course.
The shape of these mini braided wreaths itself is already stunningly beautiful,
but adding an Easter egg in the middle of each one makes this bread like no other.
Don’t forget to brush the top of each bread with an egg wash and sprinkle it with a herby salt mixture.
What to serve with Easter bread wreath
These mini bread wreaths are best eaten warm and served with other traditional Eastern dishes.
Check these Easter menu recipe ideas:
However, you can use this dough recipe and make one big braided bread loaf any time of the year and serve it with:
Hokkaido Pumpkin Cauliflower soup
5-minute Potato Chips recipe
Savory Easter Bread Wreaths
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 small sauce pan
- 1 medium sauce pan
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer with hook attachments
- 2 baking trays
- 1 knife
- 2 kitchen cloths
- 1 Pastry brush
- 1 cooling rack
Ingredients
The dough
- 300 ml milk
- 70 g butter
- 2 piece large eggs room temperature
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 1 tsp Mediterranean herb salt
- 1 tsp oregano fresh or dried
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 600 g all purpose flour
Decoration
- 7 pieces eggs cooked
- 1/2 tsp Mediterranean herb salt
- 1/4 tsp oregano
Egg-wash
- 1 piece egg
- 1 tsp warm water
Instructions
Make the dough
- 1. In a small saucepanslightly heat milk and butter, until the butter melts. Do not allow the milktemperature to rise above 54ºC.
- 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast with the eggs andwhisk together. Pour in warmed milk and butter mixture, add salt with herbs, and mix again.
- 3. Attach a dough hook to a stand mixer and mix for 10 minuteson medium speed, while slowly adding the flour. Scrape the sides with a spatulaas needed to incorporate the flour fully.
- 4. Place the dough on alightly floured board and hand knead for about 3 to 4 minutes, adding a little more flour to the surface to prevent sticking of the dough.
First dough proofing
- 5. Shape the dough into a ball, cover it with a damp dishtowel, and allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes in a warm place.
Shape braided bread
- 6. Divide the dough into 7 pieces and weigh them, so they're all the same. Divide each piece into 3 equal parts. Roll all 3 parts into a long rope, braid them, and shape a wreath with each dough braid. Make sure the ends are securely pressed together.
Second dough proofing
- 7. Distribute wreaths among two parchment-lined baking sheets providing enough room in between. Loosely cover both baking sheets with plastic wrap or a dish towel and allow to rise in a warm area, until it doubles in size, around 60 minutes.
Decorating braided bread
- 8. Whisk together the large egg and 1 teaspoon of water. Brush each braided bread with the egg wash, and sprinkle top of the bread with herb salt mixture. Don't brush the Easter egg in the middle.
Baking the bread wreaths
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Set the rack in the middle position. Bake at a time until goldenbrown for 20 minutes. Quickly transfer the baked bread to a cooling rack.