Sourdough Italian Easter Bread, THM XO

The traditional Easter Egg Bread is a soft, sweet brioche dough. This dough is formed into wreaths with colorful dyed eggs tucked in the folds. This Easter Bread has a wonderful flavor from dried fruits and freshly grated citrus peel.

Sourdough bread is made by fermenting the dough naturally using occurring lactobacilli and wild yeast. This was the usual form of leavening bread down into the Middle Ages until it was replaced by other products. French Bakers brought sourdough techniques to California during the Gold Rush where it remains large part of the culture today. To me, there is something special about taking flour and water and turning it into a bubbling starter.

My starter, pictured below, is over 8 years old. From this jar, I have sent our thousands of jars/packs of starter to help others begin their journey into this intriguing world of baking. If you would like to purchase a mature starter to give you a jumpstart into baking you can purchase one on the “Buy it Now” page.

This post has affiliated links, if you purchase items through these links, I receive a small commission but your price doesn’t change. Your purchase help support this blog, keeps new recipes coming, and assist with our move to a mission outreach of our church.

You will find many more recipes in the spiral bound 600+ page Around the Family Table Cookbook and the hard cover spiral bound It’s all About Sourdough. All recipes are sugar-free and label with the correct fuel. Books can be purchased using this link. We have now added additional items to our store… Sourdough Starter Kits and more. Buy It Now. Follow my blog, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

Resurrection Rolls are another holiday favorite, especially with kids.

Sourdough Italian Easter Bread, THM XO

  • Dough:
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter, divided
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour, divided
  • 1 cup active sourdough starter
  • 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
  • 1/2 teaspoon THM Pineapple Extract
  • 1 teaspoon mineral salt
  • 6 uncooked eggs, dyed various colors
  • Fruit:
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon THM Gentle Sweet
  • 1 tablespoon dried blueberries
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon dried cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon chopped raisins
  • Frosting:
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons THM Gentle Sweet
  • Dough: Blend almond milk, eggs, 3 tablespoons butter, and honey together. Stir in 2 cups white whole wheat flour. Allow the dough to rest for 45 minutes. Add sourdough starter, vital wheat gluten, Pineapple Extract, salt and the remaining flour. Mix well. Set aside. Combine the dried fruit, citrus peel, and sweetener together. Mix fruit into the dough. You can either knead the dough for 3-4 minutes or do 4 sets of stretch and folds; each set 1 hour apart. Allow the dough to ferment for a total of 6 hours counting from the time you mix it.
  • Shaping: Colder dough is easier to handle so I set the dish of dough into the fridge for 30-45 minutes. Divide the dough into two pieces. Take one piece and and roll it 18 inches long. With a bench knife, cut the roll in half lengthwise. Loosely twist the two pieces together. to form a braid. Shape the braid into a circle. Brush with melted butter. Tuck 3 egg into the folds in the wreath. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough. Allow dough to proof/rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Baking: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake bread for 22-24 minutes or until the internal temperature is 200 degrees. Remove the braids from the oven. Allow to cool before frosting.
  • Frosting: Whip frosting ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over the breads. 2 breads

This mixture of fruit was a perfect replacement for the sugar-filled fruit traditionally used in this bread. I used freshly grated citrus and fruit that I had dried.

This is how my dough looked after it is all mixed but before I kneaded it. It is rough and kind of shaggy.

After kneading or doing stretch and folds your dough should be smooth and silky. This show that the gluten has been developed.

I found that it was easier to do one roll and cut it in half. I love my bench knife….it is a baker’s right hand. I used the knife to cut the roll in half.

This is how the bread looked after I tucked the eggs into the folds. I allowed the dough to proof 45 minutes to 1 hour.

This post has affiliated links, if you purchase items through these links, I receive a small commission but your price doesn’t change. Your purchase help support this blog, keeps new recipes coming, and assist with our move to a mission outreach of our church. Below are a few of my favorites listed under the affiliate store I purchase them. 

AMAZON

Wheat Montana Prairie Gold 100% Whole Wheat Flour (Pack of Two – 5 Lb. Bags)

White Whole Wheat Flour is a 100% percent whole grain flour made from hard white spring wheat. It is lighter in color and taste than the traditional whole grain flour.

Sponsored Ad - King Arthur, 100% Organic White Whole Wheat Flour, 100% Whole Grain, Non-GMO Project Verified, 5 Pounds (Pa...

King Arthur Flours can be found in many supermarkets across United States. These flours are a very high quality since they are never bleached or bromated. This company sources their wheat from US farms.

Anthony's Vital Wheat Gluten, 4 lb, High in Protein, Vegan, Non GMO, Keto Friendly, Low Carb

Vital Wheat Gluten is a very important ingredients in whole grain baking. It is much harder to develop the gluten in whole grain bread dough. Adding Vital Wheat Gluten ensures that you will get the gluten structure that is needed for adequate rise in your whole grin breads.

Sponsored Ad - Zulay Kitchen 13 Inch Danish Dough Whisk - Large Wooden Danish Whisk For Dough With Stainless Steel Ring - ...

I love my Danish Dough Whisk. It is used when I feed my starter and when I mix and kind of sourdough breads.

Lamson Stainless Steel Dough Scraper with Riveted Walnut Handle

I use my bench knife all the time. It is my right hand when I am working with any kind of dough.

Katbite 200PCS 12x16 In Heavy Duty Flat Parchment Paper, Parchment Paper Sheets for Baking Cookies, Cooking, Frying, Air F...

Parchment paper is a baker’s friend. I keep a box here at all times.

I love my Kitchen Aid Mixer which I have had for almost 30 years. If you have a small amount of bread dough to knead this mixer works very well.

Trim Healthy Mama Store

The Trim Healthy Mama Store has wonderful products. Here is my affiliate link if you wish to use it. Trim Healthy Mama Store.

Image of Xylitol Free Gentle Sweet 1lb SKU# 653341255815 600x600 pixels

Sourdough Italian Easter Bread, THM XO

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 21 minutes
Fermenting time 7 hours
Servings 10
Author Glenda Groff

Ingredients

  • Dough:
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter divided
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour divided
  • 1 cup active sourdough starter
  • 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
  • 1/2 teaspoon THM Pineapple Extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 uncooked eggs dyed various colors
  • Fruit:
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon THM Gentle Sweet
  • 1 tablespoon dried blueberries
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon dried cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon chopped raisins
  • Frosting:
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 3 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 2 tablespoons THM Gentle Sweet

Instructions

  1. Dough: Blend almond milk, eggs, 3 tablespoons butter, and honey together. Stir in 2 cups white whole wheat flour. Allow the dough to rest for 45 minutes. Add sourdough starter, vital wheat gluten, Pineapple Extract, and salt. Mix well. Set aside. Combine the dried fruit, citrus peel, and sweetener together. Mix fruit into the dough. You can either knead the dough for 3-4 minutes or do 4 sets of stretch and folds; each set 1 hour apart. Allow the dough to ferment for a total of 6 hours counting from the time you mix it.
  2. Shaping: Colder dough is easier to handle so I set the dish of dough into the fridge for 30-45 minutes. Divide the dough into two pieces. Take one piece and and roll it 18 inches long. With a bench knife, cut the roll in half lengthwise. Loosely twist the two pieces together. to form a braid. Shape the braid into a circle. Brush with melted butter. Tuck 3 egg into the folds in the wreath. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough. Allow dough to proof/rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  3. Baking: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake bread for 22-24 minutes or until the internal temperature is 200 degrees. Remove the braids from the oven. Allow to cool before frosting.
  4. Frosting: Whip frosting ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over the breads. 2 breads

You will find many more recipes in the spiral bound 600+ page Around the Family Table Cookbook and the hard cover spiral bound It’s all About Sourdough. All recipes are sugar-free and label with the correct fuel. Books can be purchased using this link. We have now added additional items to our store… Sourdough Starter Kits and more. Buy It Now. Follow my blog, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

4 thoughts on “Sourdough Italian Easter Bread, THM XO

  1. Can I make this the night before and cook it the next morning? Example: Let the bread ferment 6 hours & cool, then braid the bread and place it in the refrigerator overnight? Then I would pull it out the next morning and let it sit for an hour before baking?

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