Portuguese Sweet Easter Bread | Braided Easter Bread | Sweet Easter Bread | Easter Recipe | Startup Cooking

PORTUGUESE SWEET EASTER BREAD | EASTER BREAD | SWEET EASTER BREAD | EASTER RECIPE | STARTUP COOKING

Braided Bread is one of my favorite recipe to bake for Easter but it tastes great all year round ! This Easter Bread is easier to make than it looks and it's the perfect addition to Easter supper! This tasty loaf is ideal for bread puddings and simple delicious 😋 when served with butter and jam.

With easter coming up, I wanted to share this great braided Easter Bread recipe! I love everything about baking bread, from kneading the dough, to the wonderful aromas that wraft through the house as the bread is baking. The texture is super soft on the inside with that gorgeous glossy finish from the egg wash on the outside; making it ideal to use for bread puddings. 

What is easter bread ? A slightly sweetened bread traditionally served on Easter Sunday. In many European countries, there are numerous traditions encompassing  the use of bread during the Easter holiday. It is widely known that bread is significant for religious purposes.

This soft, comforting bread is a mainstay among Portuguese bread lovers, especially at Christmas and Easter.

Back to this beautiful and sweet Easter bread, I made a 4-strand braid with a bunch of raisins into dough which added a nice contrast to the sweetness of the bread. Just look at the golden brown crust! Doesn’t it look good? Yes ! This braided sweet bread is perfect for breakfast and brunch! It might look a bit complicated but it is actually quite easy to make. 

Serve this bread with butter and jam or spread Nutella on it -  so delicious! Follow my step-by-step photo recipe to prepare Portuguese Sweet Easter Bread. If you like this recipe, share it, tweet it and pin it. Please do try and post your comments.

RECIPE FOR PORTUGUESE 

SWEET EASTER BREAD

Course       : Bread

Cuisine      : Portuguese

Author       : Jayashree Karthik

Prep Time  : 3 hr

Cook Time : 20-25 minutes

Total Time  : 3 hr 25 min

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brown raisins

• 2 cup boiling water

• 1/2 cup warm milk (heated 30 seconds in microwave oven)

• 1 tsp sugar

• 2 envelope active dry yeast

• 1 cup warm milk (1 minute in microwave oven)

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter - softened

• 1 tsp salt

• 3 eggs

• 6 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp water

PROCEDURE

• take 1 cup brown raisins in a bowl

• add 2 cup boiling water

• rest for 10 minutes

• drain the water and set the raisins aside

• heat 1/2 cup milk in microwave for 30 seconds

• transfer into measuring jar

• add 1 tsp sugar

• sprinkle yeast over the top

• stir well

• let it stand to proof until bubbly and doubled in volume ( it takes 10 minutes)

• heat 1 cup milk in microwave for 1 minute

• transfer in to large mixing bowl

• add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

• add 1 tsp salt

• mix well until all the butter is melted

• add 3 eggs

• beat well

• add yeast mixture

• whisk well 

• add 6 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• mix well until a soft dough forms (use hand or dough hook attachment in blender)

• transfer the dough onto a well floured surface and start knead for 10-15 minutes

• dough will be little sticky and will stick to the bowl, but should not stick to your fingers (use little flour to prevent sticking to your hands)

• add soaked raisins

• combine altogether (evenly distributed)

• transfer the dough to a large buttered bowl, cover with plate or kitchen towel

• place the bowl in oven and rest for 1 1/2 hour or until double in volume ( I set my oven to low 100 degree F, then turned it off and let the dough sit in a warm oven)

• take it out and punch well

• place the dough onto a lightly floured surface

• divide the dough in half

• divide one half in to four equal pieces and form a strips with quarter

• pinch the four strips together on one end and let start making a braid

• cross the far right strip over it's neighbor

• tuck the far left strip under it's neighbor and over the next strip

• repeat steps until you finish the braid, then pinch together the other end

• repeat the steps with other half of the dough

• place each braid in a buttered tray

• allow the braids to  sit for 30 minutes (it will expand well)

• now pre-heat oven to 375 degree F

• in a small bowl, beat 1 egg with 1 tsp water

• brush the top and sides of the bread with the egg mix

• bake each loaf separately for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

• cool down completely

• slice and serve with butter and jam or with Nutella 

• Delicious 😋 

Portuguese Sweet Easter Bread with Step-by-Step Photo Recipe

take 1 cup brown raisins in a bowl

add 2 cup boiling water and rest for 10 minutes

drain the water and set the raisins aside

heat 1/2 cup milk in microwave for 30 seconds, transfer into jar and add 1 tsp sugar

sprinkle yeast over the top

stir well and wait for 10 minutes

yeast mixture ready (doubled in volume)

heat 1 cup milk in microwave for 1 minute and transfer into large mixing bowl

add 1 cup sugar

add 1/2 cup softened butter

add salt

mix well until all the butter is melted

add 3 eggs

add yeast mixture

whisk well

add 6 1/2 cup all purpose flour

mix well until a soft dough forms

add soaked raisins

combine altogether

butter a large bowl

place the dough in the buttered bowl

cover with top, plate or kitchen towel. place the bowl in oven and rest for 1 1/2 hour or until double in volume (I set my oven to low 100 degree F, then turned it off and let the dough sit in warm oven)

dough after 1 1/2 hours

punch well

place the dough into lightly floured surface

divide the dough in half

divide one half into four equal pieces

form a strips with each quarter

pinch the four strips together on one end, then start making a braid

cross the far right strip over it's neighbor

tuck the far left strip under it's neighbor and over the next strip, repeat step until you finish the braid, then pinch together the other end

repeat the steps with other half of the dough, place the braid in a buttered tray and rest for 30 minutes (it will expand well)

take 1 egg and 1 tsp water

beat well

brush the top and sides of the bread

preheat oven to 375 degree F. Bake each loaf separately for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

cool down completely

Slice and serve with butter or jam or with Nutella