The Craftiest Workshop

When I was growing up, my mom used to make Easter Bread. It was a heavier sweet bread with orange and cinnamon flavours in it. She would make it during Holy Week and take some to church to be blessed.
I made the recipe a few times when our kids were small but haven’t made it in years. I decided to give a try this week.

My first batch didn’t work out so well. The dough didn’t rise like it should have and the loaves didn’t cook all the way through. I decided to make it again using a half recipe, warming everything to room temperature before mixing and then just making buns with the dough. I increased the temperature and used the same amount of time that I usually bake my white buns for. This time the buns were cooked through and tasted like I remember. I will share it as buns only because I don’t think I have the temp/time correct for loaves.

Easter Buns (Half the original recipe)

Combine:

2 1/4 tsp of yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 cup warm water

Stir and let sit in a 2 cup till foam rises.

In a greased stainless steel bowl combine:

1/4 cup margarine (melted)

1/4 cup oil

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs + 1 yolk (room temp and beaten)

1.5 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Zest of half an orange.

Whisk the ingredients together.

Stir foamy yeast mixture into wet ingredients.
Add 3-4 cups of flour stirring after each cup then kneading after 3 cups. You want the dough incorporated and just till it doesn’t stick to your hands. I used 3 3/4 cups.

Cover the dough in the stainless steel bowl with a dry tea towel. Place in the sun or in the oven with the light on.

Let rise 2 hours. Punch down.

Let rise 2 hours. Make buns with the dough. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Cover with towel.

Let rise 1 hour.

Bake at 375° for 12 min.

The buns turned out as good as any other I have made. I am unsure why the dough didn’t rise that much. I tried both placing it in the sun and in the oven. Perhaps using more yeast is the trick. I am also considering using my bread maker to make this dough next time and use bread machine yeast. It is well worth experimenting to get it right because I so enjoy the taste.

My mom couldn’t locate her Easter bread recipe to double check what I had written down. She did find another Easter bread recipe in one of her books. This other recipe has a lot more yeast and less flour, a lighter bread. Perhaps the next time I am wanting that sweet bread flavour, I will give this recipe a try.

As for right now, I can warm up one of these bins slightly or toast it in the oven, slather it with butter or margarine and enjoy the taste I remember from my childhood. If anyone has any bread baking advice for getting the dough to rise, please comment!!