German Easter Bread | Osterkranz Braided Wreath
This delicious German Easter bread is made of three braided strands of dough and shaped into a wreath. The bread is soft and filled with raisins, sliced almonds, and orange zest. Packed with flavor and pillowy soft, this is the perfect festive loaf for Easter brunch!
Ingredients
- ½ cup raisins
- 1¼ cups milk (warmed in the microwave for 1 minute to a lukewarm temperature)
- 2¼ tsps active dry yeast (one packet)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon orange zest (from one medium to large orange)
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 4½ cups all purpose flour (plus extra for kneading)
- ½ cup sliced or chopped almonds
- apricot jam, for brushing on top (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, cover the raisins with an inch of hot water. Set aside so the raisins can soak up the liquid for 30 minutes.
- In another small bowl, mix the warm milk, active dry yeast and granulated sugar. Set aside for about 10 minutes, until it becomes frothy on top.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the yeast mixture, eggs, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, and softened butter.
- Add the flour, and mix with a large spoon until there’s no visible dry flour, and it forms a very sticky dough.
- Thoroughly drain the raisins and add them to the dough along with the sliced almonds. Knead in the bowl until the raisins and almonds are distributed.
- On a generously floured surface, knead the dough by hand for about 8 minutes, until the dough is mostly smooth and springs back to its original shape when you indent it with your finger. Add a sprinkle of flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter as you knead it. Shape the dough into a ball.
- Place the dough back into the same mixing bowl, and cover with a kitchen towel. Let it rest and rise in a warm place (like an empty oven with the light turned on) for about 1 to 2 hours, until it doubles in size.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Divide the dough into three even balls. Roll each ball with your hands into a log that’s 24 inches in length. Press the tops of the three strands together, then braid them. Press the bottoms of the strands together.
- Carefully transfer the braid to the prepared baking sheet line, then shape the braid into a circle, and press the ends together. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the bread is golden.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool for at least 20 minutes. Optional: Brush the warm loaf with apricot jam and sprinkle extra sliced almonds on top. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Milk: The ideal temperature of the milk should be between 105°F and 115°F.
- Yeast: If the milk, yeast, and sugar don’t become frothy after 10 minutes, your yeast might be expired or the milk was too hot or too cold.
- Dough: This dough is sticky at first. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of flour at a time as needed onto the counter to prevent the dough from sticking. And I usually wash my hands after about three minutes, because I find the dough doesn’t stick to my hands as much when my hands aren’t covered in sticky dough.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 322kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 121mgPotassium: 187mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 261IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 3mg
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