Treccia di Pasqua (Sweet Italian Easter Bread) is one of the most beloved traditional desserts prepared in Italy during the Easter holidays. This soft, slightly sweet, and beautifully braided bread is made from a light dough, enriched with juicy raisins and delicately flavored with orange zest. It’s a joyful and colorful treat that brings a festive touch to the table.
This braided Easter bread is perfect for Easter morning breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack, or as a light holiday dessert. Thanks to its soft texture and pleasant citrus aroma, it pairs wonderfully with a cup of coffee or tea. You can also serve it with a spoonful of Italian gelato or a creamy dessert sauce for something extra indulgent.
Unlike more complex Italian Easter recipes—such as the famous Colomba Pasquale—this homemade Easter bread is quite simple to prepare. Aside from the rising time (about 3 hours in total), the steps are easy to follow, making it ideal even for beginner bakers who want to try their hand at a festive Italian bake.
But the Treccia di Pasqua is more than just a delicious sweet bread. Its braided shape carries a deep symbolic meaning in Italian culture. The intertwining strands represent unity, connection, and the bond of love between family and friends. That’s why this bread is often baked and shared during Easter celebrations, especially at large family gatherings or traditional Easter Monday picnics (Pasquetta).
Colorful, soft, and full of meaning, this Italian Easter sweet bread will bring joy, warmth, and tradition to your holiday table.
Ingredients
Prep time: 15 Min | Rising Time: 2 ½ Hours | Cook Time: 45 Min |Servings: 10
- 500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) milk, at room temperature
- 7 g (2 ¼ teaspoons) dry active yeast
- Grated zest of 1 medium orange
- 50 g (⅓ cup) raisins
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 70 ml (⅓ cup) sunflower oil or corn oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk, for decoration
- Pearl sugar, for decoration
- Rainbow sprinkles, for decoration
Instructions
Step 1) - Start by placing the all-purpose flour, the dry yeast and the granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir them together with a spoon or whisk to ensure the yeast and sugar are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
Step 2) - Next, add the sunflower oil (or corn oil), and the eggs to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients well, using a spoon or your hands, until they begin to come together into a rough dough. The mixture will start to feel sticky, but that’s totally normal at this stage.
Step 3) - Now add the milk, which should be at room temperature, and the grated orange zest for a lovely citrus aroma. Continue mixing until you get a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Step 4) - Once the dough is mostly formed, add the raisins and knead the dough by hand for about 5–7 minutes. Work it until it becomes smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl.
Cover the bowl with cling film and a clean tea towel. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
TIP: To speed up the rising process, you can place the bowl in your oven turned off with the oven light on to create a warm environment.
Shape the Dough into a Braid
Step 5) - After the first rise, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into three equal parts and roll each piece into a rope about 16 inches (40 cm) long. Try to make the strands as even as possible to ensure a neat braid.
Now, gently braid the three strands together, starting from one end and working your way down. Don’t braid too tightly—leave a bit of room for the dough to expand during the second rise. Tuck the ends underneath slightly to seal the shape.
Step 6) - Place the braided dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover it again with a cloth and let it rise for another 30 minutes. This second rise will help the braid become light and fluffy when baked.
In a small bowl, whisk together one egg yolk with a splash of milk. Brush this mixture over the entire surface of the braid. This will give your Easter bread a beautiful golden color when baked.
Bake and Serve
Step 7) - Then decorate with pearl sugar and rainbow sprinkles. The slightly moistened surface will help the decorations stick nicely, creating a festive and joyful look.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake the braided bread for about 45 minutes, until it is golden brown and cooked through.
TIP: If you notice the bread is browning too quickly on top, loosely cover it with aluminum foil after the first 30 minutes to prevent it from burning.
Once baked, remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- Easter Egg Dessert with Chocolate Cream Filling
- Crescia al Formaggio (Italian Easter Cheese Bread)
- Torta Pasqualina ai Carciofi (Italian Easter Pie with Artichokes)
- Traditional Torta Pasqualina (Italian Savory Easter Pie)
- Authentic Pastiera Napoletana Recipe
Storage
You can store the Treccia di Pasqua (Sweet Italian Easter Bread) in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. It will stay soft and fluffy for 2 to 3 days at room temperature.
If it starts to lose a bit of freshness, simply warm it up in the oven for a few minutes - it will become soft and fragrant again, just like it was freshly baked.
This bread also freezes very well. You can prepare it in advance and freeze it whole or sliced, depending on your needs. Just be sure to wrap it well to preserve its texture and flavor.
Tips and Variations
In this recipe, I used just raisins and orange zest to flavor the dough, but you can make your Sweet Italian Easter Bread even more delicious by adding your own personal touch.
Try mixing in some chopped candied fruit or chocolate chips for extra sweetness and texture.
It’s also common in Italy to include chopped nuts like almonds or hazelnuts, either in the dough or sprinkled on top before baking. These add a lovely crunch and a rich, nutty flavor.
For an extra festive look, you can decorate the bread with colorful sugar-coated chocolate eggs or even nestle dyed hard-boiled eggs into the dough before baking—just like in many traditional Italian Easter breads.
A fun idea is to place the Treccia di Pasqua at the center of your Easter table as a beautiful edible centerpiece. Once the meal is over, slice and share it as a final dessert, along with the other classic Italian sweets of the holiday.
History
Treccia di Pasqua is more than just a delicious holiday treat—it's a deeply symbolic part of Easter traditions in Italy. This soft, braided bread is a symbol of unity, family, and togetherness. The intertwined strands of the braid represent the bond of love and connection between people, making it a meaningful dish to share with loved ones during Easter celebrations.
In many Italian homes, this beautiful braided bread is placed at the center of the Easter table, often as part of a festive breakfast or Easter Sunday brunch. It’s not just admired for its flavor and soft texture, but also for the message it carries.
In some regions of Italy, especially in the south, colored hard-boiled eggs are nestled between the strands of the braid before baking. These vibrant eggs aren’t just decorative—they symbolize rebirth, fertility, and the arrival of spring. They also carry a deeper spiritual meaning, representing the Resurrection of Christ, which lies at the heart of the Easter celebration.
Recipe Card
Treccia di Pasqua (Sweet Italian Easter Bread)
Ingredients
- 500 g all-purpose flour - 4 cups
- 300 ml milk - 1 ¼ cups , at room temperature
- 7 g active dry yeast - 2 ¼ teaspoons
- Grated zest of 1 medium orange
- 50 g raisins - ⅓ cup
- 100 g granulated sugar - ½ cup
- 70 ml sunflower oil or corn oil - ⅓ cup
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk - for decoration
- Pearl sugar - for decoration
- Rainbow sprinkles - for decoration
Instructions
- Start by placing the all-purpose flour, the dry yeast and the granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir them together with a spoon or whisk to ensure the yeast and sugar are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
- Next, add the sunflower oil (or corn oil), and the eggs to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients well, using a spoon or your hands, until they begin to come together into a rough dough. The mixture will start to feel sticky, but that’s totally normal at this stage.
- Now add the milk, which should be at room temperature, and the grated orange zest for a lovely citrus aroma. Continue mixing until you get a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- Once the dough is mostly formed, add the raisins and knead the dough by hand for about 5–7 minutes. Work it until it becomes smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and a clean tea towel. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.TIP: To speed up the rising process, you can place the bowl in your oven turned off with the oven light on to create a warm environment.
- After the first rise, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into three equal parts and roll each piece into a rope about 16 inches (40 cm) long. Try to make the strands as even as possible to ensure a neat braid.
- Now, gently braid the three strands together, starting from one end and working your way down. Don’t braid too tightly—leave a bit of room for the dough to expand during the second rise. Tuck the ends underneath slightly to seal the shape.
- Place the braided dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover it again with a cloth and let it rise for another 30 minutes. This second rise will help the braid become light and fluffy when baked.
- In a small bowl, whisk together one egg yolk with a splash of milk. Brush this mixture over the entire surface of the braid. This will give your Easter bread a beautiful golden color when baked.
- Then decorate with pearl sugar and rainbow sprinkles. The slightly moistened surface will help the decorations stick nicely, creating a festive and joyful look.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake the braided bread for about 45 minutes, until it is golden brown and cooked through.TIP: If you notice the bread is browning too quickly on top, loosely cover it with aluminum foil after the first 30 minutes to prevent it from burning.Once baked, remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Leave a Reply