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As a holiday all about renewal, Easter has its share of well known images and foods associated with the springtime. When it comes to Easter, everyone thinks of treats that filled the Easter basket such as chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and marshmallow chicks, along with candy eggs that come in all shapes, sizes and fillings. At Easter time there are plenty of sweet treats to go around.
In my family, we almost always make a cake shaped as a bunny, and cupcakes decorated as Easter Eggs. My mother has passed the bunny cake pan along with cake making duties to me since I have made the reputation of being the baker within the family. Now that I have been celebrating Easter with my husband’s side of the family as well, the infamous bunny cake has joined as part of their tradition and I am requested to bring it each year. It’s a cute cake that everyone seems to enjoy.
But this year, in addition to the requisite bunny cake, I’d like to try making some traditional Easter sweet bread to start out our morning. Many countries across the world feature traditional breads at Easter – from British Hot Cross Buns to Polish Babka to Italian Pane di Pasqua.
Freshly made Easter Bread has become an annual custom in cultures across the globe. Secret recipes have passed down from generation to generation. Bread has come to symbolize life in general, and the symbolic significance of special Easter bread is that of rebirth.
It is most often a dense, slightly sweet egg bread and can be made in all different shapes such as braided, basket shaped, crosses or rings. Easter bread is closely related to challah and brioche bread, although less buttery and a bit sweeter. It’s often decorated with colored eggs baked right into the bread. Some cultures inscribe a cross into the bread, or decorate the top with a cross glaze, showing its religious significance. The outer sheen, derived from an egg wash, is symbolic of the light of Jesus. The eggs that are nested into the bread can mean renewal and new life.
Some Easter breads, such as those found in Poland and Russia are flavored with candied citrus, and the top is decorated with a sugar glaze. Others, such as the traditional Greek Easter bread, or Tsoureki are topped with colored, hard-cooked eggs. The red eggs in Greek Easter bread symbolize the blood of the crucifixion.
The Easter bread I’m most familiar with is Italian Easter bread. It’s a lightly sweet bread, sometimes flavored with anise and decorated with colored eggs and sprinkles. In the Catholic tradition, the bread signifies mother Mary, cradling the newborn infant Jesus, represented as the eggs in the circle of bread. The recipe below comes from the Sicilian Easter bread tradition, where it is shaped as a ring.
Another Easter bread favorite is the doughy and sweet hot cross bun. Specialty bakeries across Great Britain and the United States traditionally offer hot cross buns on Good Friday. These differ from other European Easter breads in that they are yeast leavened and studded with spices, decorated with an icing cross on the top. They are delicious eaten warm from the oven with a little butter.
So share some delicious and traditional Easter breads with your children this Easter! It’s the perfect way to fuel up for the big egg hunt.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
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https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/pamela-chester/1149-easter-foods/
Breaking Bread From Around The World For Easter
In my family, we almost always make a cake shaped as a bunny, and cupcakes decorated as Easter Eggs. My mother has passed the bunny cake pan along with cake making duties to me since I have made the reputation of being the baker within the family. Now that I have been celebrating Easter with my husband’s side of the family as well, the infamous bunny cake has joined as part of their tradition and I am requested to bring it each year. It’s a cute cake that everyone seems to enjoy.
But this year, in addition to the requisite bunny cake, I’d like to try making some traditional Easter sweet bread to start out our morning. Many countries across the world feature traditional breads at Easter – from British Hot Cross Buns to Polish Babka to Italian Pane di Pasqua.
Freshly made Easter Bread has become an annual custom in cultures across the globe. Secret recipes have passed down from generation to generation. Bread has come to symbolize life in general, and the symbolic significance of special Easter bread is that of rebirth.
It is most often a dense, slightly sweet egg bread and can be made in all different shapes such as braided, basket shaped, crosses or rings. Easter bread is closely related to challah and brioche bread, although less buttery and a bit sweeter. It’s often decorated with colored eggs baked right into the bread. Some cultures inscribe a cross into the bread, or decorate the top with a cross glaze, showing its religious significance. The outer sheen, derived from an egg wash, is symbolic of the light of Jesus. The eggs that are nested into the bread can mean renewal and new life.
Some Easter breads, such as those found in Poland and Russia are flavored with candied citrus, and the top is decorated with a sugar glaze. Others, such as the traditional Greek Easter bread, or Tsoureki are topped with colored, hard-cooked eggs. The red eggs in Greek Easter bread symbolize the blood of the crucifixion.
The Easter bread I’m most familiar with is Italian Easter bread. It’s a lightly sweet bread, sometimes flavored with anise and decorated with colored eggs and sprinkles. In the Catholic tradition, the bread signifies mother Mary, cradling the newborn infant Jesus, represented as the eggs in the circle of bread. The recipe below comes from the Sicilian Easter bread tradition, where it is shaped as a ring.
Another Easter bread favorite is the doughy and sweet hot cross bun. Specialty bakeries across Great Britain and the United States traditionally offer hot cross buns on Good Friday. These differ from other European Easter breads in that they are yeast leavened and studded with spices, decorated with an icing cross on the top. They are delicious eaten warm from the oven with a little butter.
So share some delicious and traditional Easter breads with your children this Easter! It’s the perfect way to fuel up for the big egg hunt.
Sicilian Easter Bread (Pastelli Di Pasqua)
Made with ground anise, salt, shortening, orange juice, sugar, eggs, egg, colored sprinkles or sliced almonds
Made with ground anise, salt, shortening, orange juice, sugar, eggs, egg, colored sprinkles or sliced almonds
Serves/Makes: 18
- 4 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground anise (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 hard-boiled, colored eggs
- 1 egg, beaten
***Topping***
- colored sprinkles or sliced almonds (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Sift flour, baking powder, anise and salt into mixing bowl. Cut in shortening. Add eggs, one at at a time and mix. Add orange juice and sugar. Mix until dough is soft. Knead 10 minutes, or until smooth and shiny. Place in covered bowl. Let rest for half an hour.
Roll dough under palms of hands on floured board; flatten slightly. Shape into large ring. Press colored eggs on top of ring. Brush dough with beaten egg, decorate with sprinkles or almonds, if desired. Bake 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/pamela-chester/1149-easter-foods/