Best Easter Bread Rings Recipes

EASTER BREAD RING

Steps:

• Color the 5 eggs with egg dye. In a large mixing bowl, blend the white sugar, salt, and yeast well with 1 cup of the flour.
• In a saucepan, combine 2/3 cup milk and butter, heating slowly until liquid is warm and butter is melted. Pour the milk into the dry ingredients and beat 125 strokes with a wooden spoon. Add eggs and 1/2 cup flour or enough to make a thick batter. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Stir in enough flour to make a ball of dough that draws away from the sides of the bowl.
• Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 10 minutes, working in additional flour to overcome stickiness. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the fruit, nuts, and anise seed.
• Punch down the dough and return it to a lightly floured board. Knead in the fruit mixture, keeping the syrupy pieces dusted with flour until they are worked into the dough. Divide the dough in half.
• Carefully roll each piece into a 24-inch rope--the fruit and nuts will make this slightly difficult. Loosely twist the two ropes together and form a ring on a greased baking sheet. Pinch the ends together well. Brush the dough with melted shortening. Push aside the twist to make a place for each egg. Push eggs down carefully as far as possible. Cover the bread with wax paper and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Bake the bread in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a twist comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.
• Once the bread is cool, drizzle the icing on top between the eggs, and decorate with colored sprinkles. To make icing: mix together confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon whole milk, and vanilla.

EASY ITALIAN EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a large saucepan, heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter to 120°-130°. Add dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs; mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down; turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in fruit, almonds and aniseed until blended. Let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a 24-in. rope. Loosely twist ropes together; place on a greased baking sheet and form into a ring. Pinch ends together. Melt remaining butter; brush over dough. Gently separate ropes and tuck dyed eggs into openings. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes., Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. For glaze, in a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency; drizzle over bread. Sprinkle with candies if desired.

EASTER BREAD RING

Steps:

• BREAD:.
• In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour with the sugar, yeast, orange zest, and salt. Mix until well blended.
• In a saucepan, heat the milk over medium high heat until just boiling. Remove from the heat; add the shortening and stir until melted. Stir in the orange juice and vanilla. Cool to 120°F Pour the milk mixture and the beaten eggs over the flour mixture.
• Mix until a soft and sticky dough forms. Slowly stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 8-10 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plstic wrap and place in a warm draft free spot and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down dough, cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
• Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; punch it down. Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a rope, about 24-inches long. Twist the ropes together; place the dough on prepared baking sheet. joining the ends together to form a ring shape.
• Push the hard boiled eggs, on their sides, between the spaces in the twisted rope around ring. Cover bread with a piece of lightly greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 -2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F Place the bread in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Bat egg with 1 tablespoons milk. Brush bread with egg wash; return to oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
• GARNISH:.
• Place a few drops of liquid food coloring in a small dish. Using a cotton swab or small paint brush, carefully color each dyed egg. Let dry fully before drizzling on Orange Glaze.
• ORANGE GLAZE:.
• In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients: stir until smooth. Drizzle over cooled bread.

BRAIDED EASTER EGG BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast; stir well. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan; heat until milk is warm and butter is softened but not melted.
• Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture; stirring constantly. Add two eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal size rounds; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each round into a long roll about 36 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loosely braided ring, leaving spaces for the five colored eggs. Seal the ends of the ring together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of dough.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place loaf on a buttered baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place loaf in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Brush risen loaf with melted butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.