Here’s the recipe that I promised you yesterday! I think I have shared the recipe before, but it’s been a while and I thought I would share it again for my new readers.
Like every good German, I am slightly obsessed with bread (surprise!) and if you’ve been around this corner of the Internet, you know that I traditionally bake a sweet plaited bread for New Year’s and Easter. It’s a tradition in the Rhineland and for me, it doesn’t feel right without it.
Do you have traditional Easter baked goods or other dishes that you always make every year?
Sweet Yeast Bread
Ingredients
- 500 g (4 cups) flour (all-purpose or bread flour)
- 1 pkg dry yeast
- 70 g (1/3 cup) sugar
- 250 ml milk
- 80 g (1/3 cup) soft butter
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg yolk
- pearl sugar optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour and yeast; stir well.
- Combine milk and butter in a small bowl; heat (in the microwave) until milk is warm and butter is softened but not melted.
- Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture; stirring constantly. Add the egg, sugar, and salt and knead thoroughly until smooth and elastic.
- Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1-2 hours (or over night).
- Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into three equal size rounds. Roll each round into a long roll and form a loosely braided loaf.
- Connect both ends and seal the ends of the wreath together.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place loaf in a warm place and let rise again for 30-45 minutes.
- Brush risen loaf with egg yolk. Sprinkle with pearl sugar*, if desired.Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until golden.
This is best enjoyed fresh with butter or some jam. I also love it with a soft-boiled egg or some liverwurst or cheese.
*Pearl sugar seems to be hard to come by. I haven’t been able to find it at regular grocery stores and have bought some and brought it back from Germany. But I googled again and found some here and here. (I’d better not tell you that 8 oz cost less than 1 € in Germany. I guess, I’ll keep importing it.)
I am SO making this! :) It looks heavenly.
YES! You gotta try it!
This looks so good! I will definitely have to make this soon.
YES, you do!
Yum. It looks delicious! I’ve never tried to make my own bread before, but this sounds so good I may have to try. Hope you had a nice holiday!
It’s really easy… you should give it a try! :)
Ooh that sounds really yummy!! We have specific dishes that we eat at Christmas, but not so much Easter.
Yeah, the bread is the only Easter food that is kinda ‘standard’… ;)
This bread looks AMAZING! I must make it!!
YOU MUST! Tell me what you think!
Dear San,
I share you current feelings on Covid 19, but its my little girls birthday and easter this coming weekend, and I’ll bake this easter bread as I wanted to for some time. Luckily got all the ingredients in (can’t get any flour here right now).
Thinking of you. Thanks for your blog, as I’ve enjoyed it over so many years now.
Manja
Thank you and thanks for stopping by again. :) Hope you guys are well.