How to make Sweet Easter Bread

Sweet Easter Bread Recipe, to help you make the best sweet raisin braided bread filled with warm aroma of spices and lots of juicy raisins.

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Why you will love this Sweet Easter Bread Recipe

• This easy sweet raisin bread recipe uses the minimal and basic ingredients
•  It is so simple to make :We don’t need to use a stand mixer or any other equipments
• The resulting raisin braided bread is beautiful, absolutely delicious and is filled with warm aroma of spices and lots of plump raisins

Watch the video to see how easy it is to make this Sweet Easter Bread

Ingredients needed for making Sweet Easter Bread

For the Bread Dough

• Flour: 357 g or 2 3/4 cup
• Warm water: 210 ml or 1 cup-2 tbsp
• Instant yeast: 1 tsp(Active dry yeast 1 and 1/4 tsp)
• Salt : 1 tsp or 5.9 g
• Butter: 42.6 g or 3 tbsp(very soft or melted)
• Sugar : 32 g or 2 1/2 tbsp or more according to your preference

For the filling

• Raisins :80-90 g around 1/2 cup
• Orange zest of 1 Orange
• Cinnamon Powder :1/2 tsp(optional)
• Nutmeg Powder :1/4 tsp(optional)

To make the Icing

• Powdered Sugar :85 g around 3/4 cup
• Vanilla Sugar or Extract :1/2 tsp
• Milk :1-2 tbsp 15-30 ml (according to how thin or thick you want your icing to be)

How to make Braided Sweet Bread for Easter

We can make this delicious Braided Sweet Easter Bread in five simple steps

1.Prepare the dough

2.First Proofing

3.Divide and Shape the dough

4.Final Rising

5.Bake the Sweet Easter Bread

You might also love Soft Hot Cross Buns Recipe, that is made with lot more raisins in an enriched dough made with milk and egg.

1.Prepare the dough

Into a bowl, add in the lukewarm water, sugar, salt, yeast and stir to dissolve the ingredients in water.

Add in the very soft or melted butter.

Add the flour into this.

Stir and combine.

Make sure there are no dry patches left behind.

Transfer the dough on to a clean work surface. Knead the dough until the dough become soft and elastic.

This dough is not a sticky dough. So it will be easy to knead. 

In the beginning of kneading, the dough may be slightly sticky, we may get tempted to add more flour at this point; but don’t do that.

Just continue to knead and you will see all those extra moisture will get absorbed and your dough will turn soft, smooth and elastic.

You can also use a stand mixer to prepare the dough. In a stand mixer, just knead the dough for 8-10 minutes using the dough hook attachment.

If you are a fan of no knead bread recipes, then you will love these Easy to make No knead Bread recipes.

Light and Airy Ciabatta Bread recipe

Easy No knead Sandwich Bread

Soft and delicious No knead dinner rolls 

No knead Rustic Dutch oven bread

2.First Proofing

Place the dough ball in a bowl.

Cover and let the dough rise in a warm environment for 1 hour.

If you want to skip double proofing, you might love these Easy Faster One Rise Bread Recipes

Quick and Easy Dinner rolls recipe

Delicious One Rise Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

3.Divide and Shape the dough

After One hour of rising, our dough has risen slightly.

Now incorporate the raisins and spices into the dough.If you want, you can add dried cranberries, candied peels or chocolate chips.

I just mixed raisins, Zest of one orange, freshly ground nutmeg and some cinnamon powder.This will add a nice aroma to our Sweet Easter Bread.

It’s better to keep the total weight of the add-ons to be 80-90g, to prevent them from popping out. And if you plan to add chocolate chips, you can skip adding spices or can add according to your choice.

I pulled the dough from sides of bowl and folded it into the center. Thus we can incorporate the raisins into the dough and simultaneously can deflate the dough.

Take care not to over work the dough as this can create tension and elasticity to the dough.

Divide the Raisin bread dough

Divide the dough into three equal parts.

To make beautiful braided raisin bread, use a kitchen scale and divide the dough into three equal parts.

Flatten the dough and then tuck in the edges towards the center and shape into round balls.

Once you form three dough balls ,cover it and leave it for 8-10 minutes.

This will give some time for the dough to relax and you will find it easy to shape them.

Shape the Raisin sweet bread dough

Flatten each of the dough ball flat and then roll it like we roll a jelly roll and keep it aside(around 15 cm long).

Once you finish three of them , take the first one that we shaped and then roll it out into thin long rope of approximately 60 cm long.

While doing this step make sure the surface is clean. If there is dust on the surface then you will find it difficult to roll and elongate the dough.

Place the three ropes parallel to each other and then braid the raisin bread.

It is easy to braid three strand braided bread.

Take the one on right side and place over and to the middle.Then take right one place it over and to the middle and keep on repeating.

If you are not familiar with braiding, just follow the video and you will find it easy to do.

Join the both ends.

Place the Sweet Raisin Ring Bread on to a parchment lined baking tray.

4.Final Rising

Let the sweet raisin ring bread dough sit and rise in warm environment for 80-90 minutes.

As this sweet raisin Easter bread contain more sugar, butter and raisins, it takes a little longer than regular breads to rise.

So after 80 minutes, our dough has risen well.

Give the Easter raisin bread a good egg wash so that they will look golden brown with a shine on top after baking.

We can prepare the egg wash by lightly beating an egg.

5.Bake the Braided Raisin Bread

Bake the Raisin bread at 350 F or 180 C preheated oven for 34-36 minutes.

After baking you will get beautiful, golden brown, Sweet Raisin Braided Bread.

It smells amazing, the smell of joy and happiness, the smell of festivals Christmas and Easter.

The top of the bread will not be soft when it is just out of the oven. Wait for the bread to cool down slightly and the bread will turn soft. Smearing the surface with some butter while it is still warm will also make the crust even softer.

I like to top it with some simple icing.

We can make it by mixing 3/4 cup of powdered sugar with 1-2 tbsp milk and 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract. I added 1 and 1/2 tbsp milk. If you want a thinner consistency, add little more milk.

Add sprinkles if you like your Sweet Easter Bread look more festive!

Enjoy this beautiful and delicious sweet braided bread with some hot tea or coffee.

This Sweet Raisin Braided Bread is one the Best Breads For making French Toast.

You can make this bread in the evening and can enjoy delicious french toast for breakfast.

It is super simple to prepare the French Toast.Actually we don’t need to add any spices or vanilla extract to the egg mixture for toast as the fruit bread is flavored with spices.

Ingredients for making French Toast

• Eggs :2
• Milk :60ml or 1/4 cup
• Sugar :1 tbsp
• A pinch of salt

How to make French Toast with Sweet Raisin Bread

Beat together egg, milk, sugar and salt.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or skillet over low-medium heat.

Dunk each slice of fruit yeast bread in egg mixture, soaking both sides.

Place in pan, and cook on both sides until golden. Serve hot.

How can I add egg in this sweet Easter Bread Recipe

As one egg is approximately 45 ml, just replace the same volume with water. So you can take out 3 tablespoon of water(45 ml) and add one egg instead.

Can I use Milk instead of water in this Easter Bread Recipe

Yes you can use the same amount of milk instead of water in this easy Braided Easter bread recipe.

How to store Sweet Raisin Bread

Once the Braided Raisin bread has completely cooled, place it in a plastic storage bag, or wrap in foil and store at room temperature.

Properly stored, this Easter bread with raisins will last for about 3-4 days at normal room temperature.

In extremely warm, humid temperatures, the Braided raisin bread should be frozen for longer-term storage.

For freezing: Place the Raisin braided bread in a heavy-duty freezer bag or wrap the bread tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap and freeze.

Properly stored, they will maintain best quality for about 3 months.

How to reheat sweet Easter Bread

Thaw the Raisin Ring bread and then brush/spray some water on the slice of bread and place it into a 350 F preheated oven for 5 minutes.

The Raisin Bread will turn soft. It will smell fresh and good.

If you want to make Delicious and Super Moist Fruit cake made with lots of dry fruits and aromatic spices, which is best to make during Christmas or Easter or on any special occasion , kindly check out this Readers Most favorite Easy Boiled Fruit Cake Recipe.You will love it.