Braided Bread Wreath
Homemade Easter Bread Wreaths – A Family Favorite!
Easter is a time for togetherness, joy, and of course, delicious treats! And what could be more festive than these adorable little Braided Bread Wreaths—tiny, golden circles of soft, fluffy dough that look just as delightful as they taste.
Whether you enjoy them simply with butter and jam or go for a savory twist with ham and horseradish, these charming Easter Bread Wreaths will be the highlight of your Easter brunch table. Pair them with a refreshing Aperol Mimosa or a Blackberry Raspberry White Wine, and you’ve got yourself an Easter feast worth celebrating!
But what makes these little Easter Bread Braided wreaths so special?
For me, Easter has always been about cherished traditions and family gatherings, and ever since my daughter was born, we’ve been celebrating in Carinthia with my mother-in-law, where Easter morning starts with a hearty brunch and the much-anticipated Consecrated Easter Ham. And, of course, no Carinthian Easter table is complete without a slice of Reindling—a sweet, spiraled yeast cake filled with cinnamon, sugar, and raisins, baked to golden perfection.
The best part? These Braided Bread Wreaths are incredibly easy to make, and you can prepare them the day before for a stress-free holiday morning. So, let’s get baking and bring a little extra joy to your Easter celebration! 💛🐣✨
🥘 Ingredients
- Lemon (zest)
- Milk
- Fresh yeast or active dry yeast (check the tips below)
- Granulated sugar
- Cake flour
- Salt
- Eggs (size M)
- Butter, soft
- Nib sugar for sprinkling
- Egg wash
See the recipe card for quantities.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Prep the Lemon 🍋
Give your lemon a hot water bath, pat it dry, and finely grate the zest. Set it aside—it’s going to add that perfect hint of citrusy magic!
Step 2: Warm the Milk 🥛
Gently heat the milk in a saucepan or zap it in the microwave until it’s warm (but not hot). This helps activate the yeast for the fluffiest Easter bread wreaths!
Step 3: Make the Starter Dough (Steam Dough / Pre-Dough / Poolish / Tangzhong!) 🌟
In a mixing bowl, crumble the fresh yeast into the warm milk. Stir in a pinch of sugar and three tablespoons of flour, then mix until smooth. Let this mixture rest until it doubles in size!
Step 4: Combine Dry Ingredients 🌿
Sift the remaining flour into a separate bowl and whisk in the caster sugar, salt, and that fragrant lemon zest.
Step 5: Mix & Knead the Dough 🏋️♀️
Once the starter dough has doubled in size, add it to the dry mixture. Briefly mix with a dough hook, then add the eggs and butter. Knead on high speed until the dough is smooth and starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
Step 6: Let It Rise ⏳
Cover the dough and let it rise for 50 minutes in a warm, cozy spot. It should double in size and get all puffy!
Step 7: Divide & Rest 🔪
On a lightly floured surface, punch down the dough and divide it into three equal pieces. Then, divide each piece into three more pieces, so you end up with 9 equal parts. Cover and let them rest for another 10-15 minutes.
Step 8: Shape the Wreaths 🌸
Roll each piece into a 30 cm (11.8 inch) strand, then braid three strands together into a plait. Form it into a wreath shape and press the ends together so they hold!
Step 9: Final Rise & Topping ✨
Place your three beautiful wreaths on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them. Beat the remaining egg, brush it over the wreaths, and sprinkle them with sugar nibs for that extra sparkle. Let them rise for another 30 minutes.
Step 10: Bake to Golden Perfection 🔥
Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F, convection) and bake for about 25 minutes until the wreaths turn a gorgeous golden brown.
Step 11: Serve & Enjoy! 🎉
Your Easter bread wreaths are ready to be devoured immediately after baking! Serve them warm and watch them disappear in minutes.
🐰 Variations
Instead of nib sugar (or additionally), you can sprinkle the wreaths with flaked almonds prior baking.
🍽 Equipment
- Microplane zester for zesting the lemon
- Hand or stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Mixing bowls
- Baking tray lined with parchment paper
- Saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
- Sieve
Yeast Note for International Bakers 🇦🇹🇺🇸
In Austria and much of Europe, we use fresh yeast cubes for baking, which are commonly sold in 42g (1.5 oz) portions.
If you’re baking in the USA or elsewhere and can’t find fresh yeast, you can substitute it with:
- Active Dry Yeast: Use half the amount of fresh yeast. (For 42g fresh yeast, use 21g active dry yeast ≈ 2 ½ teaspoons.) Dissolve in warm milk before use.
- Instant Yeast (Rapid-Rise / Bread Machine Yeast): Use ⅓ of the fresh yeast amount. (For 42g fresh yeast, use 14g instant yeast ≈ 2 teaspoons.) This type can be mixed directly with the flour.
If you can find cake yeast in the refrigerated section of a US grocery store, that’s the closest match to fresh yeast!
Our recipe calls for ½ cube, 21g (0.75 oz).
Other Easter Recipes for You to Try
- Vegan Easter Cookies with Apricot Jam
- Easter Cut Out Cookies with Pistachio Ganache
- Chocolate Chip Vanilla Ice Cream
- Aperol Mimosa
- Classic Mimosa Recipe
- Pistachio Rolls
- Simple Layered Eggnog Vanilla Pudding Dessert
- Potato Flour Cake with Eggnog
- Delicious Linzer Cookies with Egg Liqueur
- Stracciatella egg liqueur milkshake recipe
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Easter Bread Wreath
Equipment
- Hand or stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Baking tray lined with parchment paper
- Saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
- Sieve
Ingredients
- 1 Lemon
- ⅔ cup Milk
- ½ cube Fresh yeast or active dry yeast
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- 3 ¼ cup Cake flour + flour for the counter top
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 Eggs size M
- 4 ¼ tbsp Butter soft
- Nib sugar for sprinkling
- 1 Egg for brushing on
Instructions
- Wash 1 Lemon with hot water, dry it, and finely grate the zest. Set aside.1 Lemon
- Warm ⅔ cup Milk in a saucepan or microwave until just warm (not hot).⅔ cup Milk
- Prepare the starter dough (pre-dough, poolish, Tangzhong): Crumble ½ cube Fresh yeast (or 1.25 oz active dry yeast) into a mixing bowl, and dissolve it in warm milk with a pinch of sugar and 3 tablespoons of flour. Let it rest until it doubles in size.½ cube Fresh yeast
- Sift the remaining 3 ¼ cup Cake flour into a large bowl and whisk in the ½ cup Granulated sugar, ¼ tsp Salt, and lemon zest.½ cup Granulated sugar, 3 ¼ cup Cake flour, ¼ tsp Salt
- Once the starter dough has doubled in size, add it to the dry mixture and mix briefly.
- Add 2 Eggs and 4 ¼ tbsp Butter, then knead on high speed until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.2 Eggs, 4 ¼ tbsp Butter
- Cover and let the dough rise for 50 minutes in a warm spot.
- On a lightly floured surface, punch down the dough and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Then, divide each piece into 3 more pieces (for a total of 9). Cover and let them rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Roll each piece into 30 cm (11.8 inch) strands and braid them into three plaits. Form each plait into a wreath, pressing the ends together firmly.
- Place the braided bread wreaths on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them.
- Beat 1 Egg and brush it over the wreaths. Sprinkle with Nib sugar and let them rise for another 30 minutes.Nib sugar, 1 Egg
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F, convection) and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve immediately after baking, warm, or on the next day!
Notes
Instant Yeast (Rapid-Rise / Bread Machine Yeast): Use ⅓ of the fresh yeast amount. (For 42g fresh yeast, use 14g instant yeast ≈ 2 teaspoons.) This type can be mixed directly with the flour.
Nutrition
⛑️ Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For further information, check Safe Food Handling – FDA.
I love this bread. It’s so lovely on the outside and soft on the inside. I love how easy it is to make, too.
Made these for brunch, and they turned out so soft and golden! The hint of lemon was perfect, and we loved them warm with butter.
I love baking breads and this braided wreath bread is fun to make. My kids loved to help me with this bread. The bread was amazing to pair with some homemade jam.
Turned out really soft and fluffy – great bread. And I can see it making a delicious French Toast too!
Easter Bread wreath is delicious and beautiful. I am going to make it again.