German Easter bread (Osterkranz)
Easter bread is a favorite German tradition that we love celebrating in our family. We love it so much, it even made my 11 Favorite Easter Foods list! Osterkranz (translating to Easter wreath) is a beautifully braided and festive, wreath-shaped bread that will the most beautiful centerpiece on your Easter table. Slightly sweet, incredibly soft, and subtly buttery, this authentic German recipe is a must-bake for your Easter brunch.I like filling the middle of the wreath with dyed eggs, making it look like the prettiest bird's nest. Whether you enjoy it simply with butter and jam (that's my favorite!) or as part of a full German food spread, this easy Easter dessert brings both beauty and tradition into your home.
Servings: 18 servings
Calories: 169kcal
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer for kneading your dough! It's a big help and I use mine all the time.
- 1 Zester to zest lemon peel, if using
- 1 Pizza Baking Pan I prefer baking my Easter bread on a round pan like this, but a rimless cookie sheet will work great, too.
- 1 cooling rack to transfer the Easter bread to after baking
- 1 bread knife for slicing your Osterzopf
Ingredients
Bread
- 14 grams dry yeast 2 small pouches
- 200 milliliters milk I use whole or 2% milk
- 75 grams unsalted butter
- 500 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt the rock salt I linked it my favorite that I use for all of my baking and cooking
- 75 grams granulated sugar
- 2 eggs size US large
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest optional
Egg Wash & Topping
- 1 egg size US large
- 45 milliliters milk
- pearl sugar for sprinkling on top, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the yeast and lukewarm milk and set aside to activate, about 5 minutes. It should look bubbly and happy.200 milliliters milk, 14 grams dry yeast
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.75 grams unsalted butter
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, salt, and sugar; stir to combine. Add the bubbly yeast mixture, melted butter, 2 of the eggs and, if using, the vanilla or lemon zest. Mix at low speed until a smooth dough forms, about 8 minutes.500 grams all-purpose flour, 1 pinch salt, 75 grams granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid and set aside in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C) on the convection (Umluft) setting (see Note if your oven doesn’t have convection) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- On a lightly floured work surface, using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, shape three logs of even thickness around 30 to 35 inches (about 75 cm to 90 cm) long and start braiding by off-setting the length of the logs by just about an inch (2 cm). This is so you get a more seamless look by easily tucking the ends under without them meeting at exactly the same spot. I simply braid them all to the very end, then tuck the ends together.It’s best to look at the step-by-step images for this tip. If this is too complicated, just start braiding them perfectly parallel to each other. It will be pretty regardless!
- In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of milk. Brush on the egg-milk-mixture, sprinkle with pearl sugar (if using) and bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack.Then cover with aluminum foil and bake for 6 to 10 more minutes or until the bread springs back when you gently press on the thickest part of it.1 egg, 45 milliliters milk, pearl sugar
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool for about 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with dyed boiled eggs in the middle for a cute bird’s nest look for Easter! My favorite way to eat this bread is with a spread of good butter and delicious jam. So good!
Video
Notes
Oven Settings: If you don’t have a convection (Umluft) setting on your oven, use the conventional bake setting on American ovens ( Ober-/Unterhitze for German ovens) and set it to 345°F (175°C). Rotate the baking sheet from front to back (and top to bottom if baking with more than one sheet at a time) about midway through baking.
Storing Osterkranz: While an Osterkranz isn’t nearly as fluffy on the second day, you could freeze some directly after it cools down. To thaw, place at room temperature for 3 hours.
Nutrition
Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg