Easy Rainbow Easter Bread
Pane di Pasqua
Pane di Pasqua is a traditional Italian Easter bread, with roots across Southern and Central Italy, where variations of braided, enriched loaves are baked to mark the end of Lent. Often shaped into wreaths or braids and finished with whole eggs baked directly into the dough, it carries the symbolism of renewal and rebirth — a return to richness after a season of restraint.
In many regions, these breads are made at home and shared — women exchanging loaves between households and bringing them to church gatherings, each one slightly different, each family with their own version of the dough.
The bread itself sits somewhere between enriched dough and celebration loaf — lightly sweet, scented with citrus, and meant to mark the shift into spring.
This version leans soft and stretchy, with a fluffy, tender crumb from a blend of all-purpose and Sonora flour. It comes together in a couple of hours, and the dough can be made easily by hand or in a mixer — the melted butter helping everything come together smoothly without much work.
While it’s tied to Easter, this is a dough worth keeping in rotation. Shape it into braids, knots, or simple rounds and skip the eggs entirely — it holds beautifully across seasons.
I recently demoed this on CBS Los Angeles and had so much fun walking the anchors through the dough — stretching, twisting, and shaping together just like play doh! If you have kids, recruit them to help dye the eggs and twist some wreaths. My toddler enjoyed all the colors!
You can watch the segment below. My version has some whole grain, loads of zest and is lightly sweetened. The recipe is available for paid subscribers below. I hope you give it a try. Happy Easter!
Listening to: Have you caught up on Kitchen Tape Pod? We’ve had some incredible guests recently covering every aspect of cookbook making. Check out the latest episodes with Aran Goyoaga, author of The Art of Gluten Free Bread and beloved Cannelle et Vanille, and current America’s Test Kitchen Editor in Residence.
Obsessed with: The Half Marathon LA Bakery Walk. Incredible.
