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Easy Easter Bread Recipe (Orange Almond Sweet Bread)

Easy Easter Bread Recipe (Orange Almond Sweet Bread)

Make Easy Easter Bread Recipe (Orange Almond Sweet Bread) for a tender, citrusy braided loaf topped with honey-roasted almonds.

Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time75 minutes
Yield1

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1: Warm the milk and butter

Heat the milk gently with the butter and a splash of almond extract until the mixture reaches a warm, cozy temperature between 120–130°F (use a thermometer if you have one). This step softens the butter and infuses the milk with almond perfume — let it sit off the heat for a minute so it’s comfortably warm but not hot before it meets the yeast.

Step 2: Zest and sugar ritual

Place the granulated sugar and fresh orange zest in a small bowl and, with your fingertips, rub them together until the sugar is fragrant and speckled with bright orange threads. This releases the oils from the zest and gives the dough an immediate citrus lift.

Step 3: Build the dry base

Combine the zesty sugar with the yeast, kosher salt, and two cups of the flour in your stand-mixer bowl fitted with the paddle (or a large mixing bowl). Mix on low just to distribute the yeast and salt evenly through the fragrant sugar.

Step 4: Bring wet and dry together

Pour the warm milk-and-butter mixture into the dry ingredients and beat on medium-low for a couple of minutes until the mixture starts to come together into a loose, glossy batter — the warmth wakes the yeast and creates that soft, yielding base.

Step 5: Enrich with eggs and finish the dough

Add the lightly beaten eggs and beat until incorporated, then gradually add the remaining flour until a soft dough forms. Increase speed and beat until the dough begins to pull away from the bowl sides; it will still be slightly sticky but should feel elastic.

Step 6: Turn and knead

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding small amounts of flour as needed, for about 6–8 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and springy to the touch — a well-kneaded dough should hold shape yet remain tender.

Step 7: First rise in a buttered bowl

Place the dough upside down in a lightly buttered large bowl, then flip it so the entire surface has a thin coating of butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1–1½ hours — you’ll see the dough soften, bloom and hold gentle stretch marks.

Step 8: Shape into ropes and braid

Punch the risen dough down, divide into thirds, and gently roll each piece into a 20-inch rope on a lightly floured surface. Arrange the three ropes on a parchment-lined baking sheet, press them together at one end and braid, tucking the ends under so the loaf reads as one elegant braided strand. Cover with lightly sprayed plastic wrap and proof until nearly doubled.


Step 9: Egg wash and top

Whisk together the final egg and a tablespoon of water and brush the proofed braid with the glossy wash. Scatter honey-roasted sliced almonds predominantly toward the loaf’s middle and sprinkle pastel nonpareils for that joyful Easter pop — stillness at this point: the loaf is prepped and ready for the oven.

Step 10: Bake, cool, and slice

Bake until the crust is a deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, then transfer to a cooling rack and let it rest for about 30 minutes before slicing. The interior should be tender, airy, and fragrant with orange and almond notes — serve individual slices, enjoying the crunch of toasted almonds against the soft, buttery crumb.

Notes