Description
Sweet Easter Bread – How To Make Armenian Easter Bread
This sweet braided easter bread is my traditional spring recipe I make every year and it’s a must! This recipe is hand braided and is a lightly sweetened yeasted bread that has such an amazing and unique buttery taste. This dense buttery dough is filled with sugar, mahlab, cardamom, and vanilla flavors and stuffed with dried cranberries. It sometimes accented with colorful boiled decorative easter eggs to bring out that Easter look. This recipe is so delicious and lightly sweetened it pairs perfectly with a nice sweetened tea. Let’s start making it!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 8 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Butter
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 2 tablespoons Fast Active Yeast
- 2 teaspoons Mahlab
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup Water
- 6 Eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon Powdered Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Place yeast and sugar into warm water (115°-120°) and cover the bowl. Allow this to sit for about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl add 6 eggs and sugar and mix with a hand mixer on medium speed until it starts to foam. Add warm whole milk (115°) and batter ingredients into the bowl, pour in melted butter and mix. Pour and fold in the yeast mixture (DO NOT over-mix). In a separate bowl, whisk flour, sugar, vanilla and baking powder.
- Add flour mixture to wet batter one cup at a time by whisking in between each cup. Do this until it creates a soft and sticky dough. Knead the dough for 15 minutes. Place dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place it in a warm environment for 2 hours.
- Divide your dough into 8 pieces with a dough scraper. Once cut through the center, cut the opposite to make 4 pieces. Then cut your 4 pieces again to make 8 pieces total. Form your pieces into individual balls and set them aside. To make one braided bread you’ll need a total of 3 dough balls. Take one dough and start rolling with the palms of your hands and roll it into a long cylinder-shaped dough. It should measure about 12″ long. Do this with all 3 dough balls.
- Time to braid your dough. Place dough about 1 inch apart and attach the tips by gathering the edges of your dough and tucking and pinching together. Start braiding your dough by crossing the right dough over the center dough. Then, cross the left dough over the center one and keep doing this until you reach the end of your braiding. Brush egg wash over each braided bread before placing into the oven.
- Place into the oven at 375° and bake for about 25-30 minutes until you see your dough nice and browned. Wait for an hour before cutting into it. It should be cut into once it has completely cooled off. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you like to add berries to your dough, include dried berries of your choice in the center of the dough. Pinch close the dough, and tap to flatten. Round dough with the palms of your hands in a back-and-forth rocking motion until it forms back into a round figure.
- If you cut too quickly your dough will not have rested and it will be slightly doughy inside – so let it sit to cool before cutting. I know it’s difficult to wait, but be patient my friend.
- Make sure to store bread in a plastic sealed bag after baking to keep moist and fresh. This sweet bread recipe can last up to one week at room temperature.
*** Our Nutrition information is estimated, so please make sure to check your own calculation to fit your diet.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Dough Rise Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Armenian
Keywords: sweet bread, armenian sweet bread, easter bread, european recipe, baked bread, desset