Portuguese Easter Bread

Portuguese Easter Bread

Bake Portuguese Easter Bread: glossy braided loaves studded with raisins, perfect for sharing at brunch.

Prep Time160 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time182 minutes
Yield2

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1: Soak the Raisins

Place the raisins in a heatproof small bowl and pour two cups of just-boiled water over them; let them steep for about ten minutes so they plump and soften. Drain thoroughly, spread them on a small plate or paper towel to remove excess moisture, and set them aside to cool while you prepare the dough. This softening gives the finished bread juicy pockets of fruit instead of dry, chewy bits.

Step 2: Proof the Yeast

Pour half a cup of very warm milk into a small clear measuring cup, sprinkle one teaspoon of sugar into it, then scatter the active dry yeast across the surface. Wait about ten minutes until the mixture turns foamy and bubbly and smells slightly yeasty — that gentle bloom is what will lift the bread and give it that airy crumb.

Step 3: Warm Milk, Sugar and Butter

In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining very warm milk, the cup of sugar, softened butter, and salt, stirring until the butter has mostly melted into a warm, glossy mixture. This sweet, buttery base is the aromatic backbone of the dough — imagine a warm, slightly glossy pool that will embrace the eggs and yeast.

Step 4: Combine Wet Elements

Whisk or stir the three well-beaten eggs into the warm buttered milk, then pour in the foamy yeast mixture. Mix until you have a homogenous, slightly glossy batter — the mixture should feel warm and elastic already, ready to accept flour and transform into dough.

Step 5: Add Flour and Knead

Using the dough hook or a sturdy wooden spoon, add the flour a cup at a time and bring the mixture together into a soft dough. Knead for 8–12 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky (it should cling lightly to the bowl but not to your fingers). If kneading by hand, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and use only enough flour to keep it from sticking.

Step 6: Fold in the Raisins and First Rise

Gently fold the drained, plumped raisins into the dough until they are evenly distributed. Transfer the dough ball to a large buttered bowl, turning it so the buttered side is up, then cover with a tea towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1½ hours. When it’s puffy, glossy and clearly larger, it’s ready for the next shaping stage.


Step 7: Punch Down, Divide and Braid

Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into halves; take one half and divide that into four equal pieces, rolling each into ~15" ropes. Pinch the four ropes together at one end and braid: cross the far right over its neighbor, tuck the far left under its neighbor and over the next, repeating until you finish the braid; pinch the other end closed. Place each braid into a buttered rectangular baking dish, cover loosely, and let them rest for 30 minutes so they puff up again.

Step 8: Egg Wash and Bake

Preheat the oven to 375°F while the braided loaves finish their second rest. Beat one egg with a teaspoon of water to make a glossy wash and brush the top and sides of each braid generously just before baking; that egg wash is the secret to the shiny, golden crust. Slide each loaf into the oven and bake 20–22 minutes until the crust is deep golden and smells richly of butter and caramelized sugar.

Step 9: Cool and Serve

Remove the loaves and let them cool briefly in their buttered rectangular baking dish so the crust sets and the interior finishes its gentle steam-rest. The finished Portuguese Easter bread should have a glossy, deep-golden braided crust, with soft, airy, slightly sweet crumb dotted with plump raisins — slice or tear to reveal the tender interior and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes