natashaskitchen4.9
Braided Easter Bread Recipe
Braided Easter Bread is soft and has a surprise inside! This Easter bread is laced with farmers cheese, apricots, and orange zest which give the loaf amazing flavor and aroma.
👥 8 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 3h 5m⏳ Prep: 25 min🔥 Cook: 40 min👤 Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com📖 natashaskitchen
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●measuring cup
- ●bowl
- ●whisk
- ●mixing bowl
- ●spatula
- ●pan
- ●oven
📝 Preparation Steps
1
In a measuring cup, Combine 1/2 cup warm milk (not hot),1 tsp sugar and 1 1/2 tsp yeast. Stir to combine and let sit ⏱️ 10 min to proof.
cup warm milk1/2
2
In a small bowl, add 1 egg, remaining 3 Tbsp sugar, 1/8 tsp salt and whisk together. Whisk in warm melted butter (NOT HOT). Lastly whisk in proofed yeast mixture.
egg1egg yolk1
3
In a large mixing bowl, add 2 1/4 cups flour then add wet ingredients. Combine dough with a spatula then knead by hand ⏱️ 10 min. Dough will be soft and not sticking to your hands. Form dough into a ball then cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature 1 1/2 to ⏱️ 2 hours, until doubled in size.
4
Meanwhile, make cheese filling: In a medium bowl crumble farmers cheese with a fork. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg yolk. Use spatula to blend until combined and somewhat creamy. Add diced apricots and 2 tsp orange zest.
egg1egg yolk1orange zest (from 1 medium orange)2 tsp
5
Once dough has risen, punch it down and transfer to lightly floured surface. Roll dough into 12"x9" rectangle, between 1/8" and 1/4" thick. Add cheese filling and spread evenly leaving a 1/2" border at the edges.
6
Roll dough into a log starting from the long end and pinch edges to seal. Cut the roll in half to split into 2 strands, keeping them attached at one end. Overlap the 2 strands starting at the connected end and weaving them together towards the ends. Pinch the ends to seal. Carefully transfer braid cut-side up to a greased loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise/puff up at room temperature ⏱️ 30-45 min. Beat 1 egg with 1 tsp water and generously brush egg wash over risen loaf.
egg1egg yolk1water1 tsp
7
Bake in center of oven at 350˚F for 35 to ⏱️ 40 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let rest ⏱️ 5 minutes in pan then transfer to wire rack. Dust warm bread with powdered sugar. Once cooled to room temperature, slice and serve.
Nutrition Facts
calories
300 kcal
fat Content
9 g
serving Size
1 serving
fiber Content
1 g
sugar Content
15 g
sodium Content
183 mg
protein Content
10 g
cholesterol Content
87 mg
carbohydrate Content
43 g
saturated Fat Content
5 g
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