My Easter Sunday Bread Recipe - Just a Little Late!

This is my recipe for Easter bread. I bake it each Easter Sunday morn for my family but please don’t think you have to wait till next Easter to make it. It’s closely related to brioche, because of the eggs and butter included, which makes it a lovely weekend bread to have on hand to enjoy with that cup of tea or coffee.

Why so late with the recipe? Well, due to a problem of unknown origin my dough didn’t rise well on Easter Sunday. Who knows why, but you can imagine the stress as breakfast time approached! I used fresh yeast and I suspect it was not as fresh as the label stated. Sometimes these things just happen and the best you can do is to get back to it and try again - except that this time I used dry yeast.

So what you see is the second attempt and it worked as it should. But, by the time I’d redone everything someone(?) had eaten all the little chocolate eggs I’d planned to use as decoration. My friend Sam Mackie came to the rescue with this gorgeous photo of the very same chocolate eggs that I’d bought from her at The Cook’s Larder - my favourite cafe in Avalon on the northern beaches of Sydney. (Take a look at Sam’s blog - her images and descriptions are just beautiful)

So, just imagine this bread for Easter Sunday Morn breakfast, with these little eggs placed amongst the braids after baking. Or make it this weekend and simply enjoy a slice, or two, with lots of butter of course.

Easter Bread

Ingredients

• 700g plain flour
• 2 1/2 level teaspoons dried yeast - I use Lowan’s Instant Dried Yeast - available from the supermarket
• 3/4 cup castor sugar
• 1/2cup milk- warmed, not hot
• 1Tablespoon brandy
• 3 eggs - lightly beaten
• 70g butter - melted
• 1 cup sultanas (optional)
• Toasted almond flakes

Egg Wash

• I egg plus 1t water - mix together

Sugar syrup

• Equal part of cold water and castor sugar brought to boil and kept at rolling boil for 2 minutes - remove from heat and allow to cool

Method

1. Place flour, yeast and sugar in mixing bowl and mix well
2. Add milk, brandy and eggs and mix till combined
3. Add melted butter
4. Knead for about 5 minutes in electric mixer or 10 minutes by hand till the dough is smooth and quite ‘elastic’
5. Warm a large bowl with hot water, drain and wipe dry
6. Add dough to bowl and loosely cover with plastic
7. Wrap bowl in a thick cloth
8. After about 90 minutes it should be double in size - leave it till it is
9. Remove dough from bowl and divide into three equal sections on a lightly floured mat
10. Roll each dough section into a long sausage about 3cm thick and 30cm long
11. Braid the three pieces together - using a little of the egg wash to bind the beginning and end
12. Place on a lightly floured baking tray
13. Cover as before and let rise till double in bulk - about 1/2 hour or so
14. Preheat oven to moderate - say 180C
15. Brush all over gently with rest of egg wash
16. Bake till golden and sounding hollow when tapped
17. Remove from oven and whilst still hot brush with sugar syrup and sprinkle with toasted almond flakes

My Tips

• Sultanas are a personal favourite but entirely optional
• Sometimes, if I remember, I soak, drain and dry the sultanas well before adding to the dough - soaking them in a little brandy for about 30 minutes - you can then use some of this brandy in the recipe
• At Easter I’ve occasionally added chocolate buttons instead of sultanas
• I make the dough the evening before and place it covered in the fridge overnight. It rises slowly and is ready for the braiding and second rise in the morning. (This way I don’t have to get up really early to start the whole process)
• Any leftover bread is great to use in a bread and butter pudding

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