PANE DI PASQUA
Pane di Pasqua with its colorful eggs is Italy’s signature version of the holiday staple. It is a classic dish of slightly sweet, braided bread baskets with brightly-colored eggs woven in. It is a beautiful colorful addition to any Easter brunch table, and is quite delicious to eat..
INGREDIENTS
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5 uncooked eggs, colored
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¾ cup whole milk, warmed, but not hot
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2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
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2 large eggs, lightly beaten
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1/3 cup granulated sugar
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1/2 tsp salt
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4 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
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½ cup unsalted butter
METHOD
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In the bowl of your electric mixer, or a large bowl, combine warm milk and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes.
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Add egg, sugar, salt, and 1 cup of flour to the yeast mixture. Mix until combined.
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Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until combined.
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Add remaining flour. Knead until mixture forms a ball and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.
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Place dough in a well-greased bowl, cover, and place in a dark spot in your kitchen for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
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Once doubled, punch dough down, and allow to rest for another 15 minutes. Then form the dough baskets.
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For the small baskets, roll out a long (about 18 inches) rope of dough about 2 inches thick.
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Fold dough in half and twist.
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Circle together so that both ends meet and form a round, pinch together.
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Place no more than 4 on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and space them out.
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For the large braid, roll out 3 18-inch long ropes of dough, place on parchment lined baking sheet.
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Pinch the three ropes together at the end, then braid the dough gently.
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Cover the small rounds or large braid, and allow to rise for 45 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 375ºF.
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Baste dough with beaten egg and sprinkle with nonpareils. Place colored raw eggs gently in braid or in the middle of round baskets.
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Bake small baskets for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
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Bake large braid for 35 minutes or until golden brown.