Braided Easter Bread
Braided yeast loaf has always been one of our family favorites (not just) for Easter brunch. When I stopped using butter, eggs, sugar and regular white flour, things started to become a little difficult. I still remember my first attempts to re-create our beloved Easter bread with different kinds of flours and various, not very satisfying results. I’m glad that didn’t keep me from exploring even more. I finally rewarded myself by finding the perfect combination of ingredients. This bread is perfectly moist with just the right sweetness, deliciously flavorful, and the texture is exactly what I have been looking for. Enjoy!
Ingredients: (about 20 slices)
- 3½ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup (240 ml) plant milk, lukewarm (I used soy milk)
- 5 Tbsp (75 ml) maple syrup
- 1 cup (150 g) raisins
- 4 cups (500 g) all purpose einkorn flour, plus more to dust
- 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
- zest of ½ organic lemon (rinse lemon with hot water first)
- ¼ cup (50 g) vegan butter or margarine, softened
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
brush with:
- 2 Tbsp plant milk
- 1 tsp maple syrup
top with:
- sliced almonds
after baking (optional):
- 1 – 2 tsp coconut oil
Preparation:
Place active dry yeast, lukewarm plant milk, and maple syrup into a small bowl and stir until well combined. Let sit for about 10 minutes until frothy.
Place raisins into a small bowl and soak in hot water for about 10 minutes, then strain and pat dry.
Place einkorn flour, Celtic sea salt, and lemon zest into the bowl of your stand mixer and stir well. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a large mixing bowl.
Add yeast mix with softened vegan butter (or margarine) and vanilla extract to the flour mix. Either use the kneading hook of your mixer on medium speed or your hands to work everything into a sticky dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This takes about 10 minutes.
Add the raisins and knead briefly until they are worked into the dough.
Cover with a damp, clean kitchen towel, and let the dough rise at room temperature for about 2 hours.
After 2 hours, when the dough has at least doubled in size, press it down with your hands and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Divide into 3 equal portions. Roll each dough portion into 16 inch (40 cm) long ropes. Place them parallel to each other and braid. Secure the ends by tucking them under.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone liner. Carefully transfer the braid onto the lined baking sheet.
Cover again with damp kitchen towel, and let rise for another 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400° F (200° C).
In a small bowl, blend plant milk with maple syrup, brush onto the dough, and sprinkle almond slices on top.
Bake for 25 – 35 minutes. Remove the braid from the oven and, very thinly, brush on some coconut oil. This will give a nice shine and color. Let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes:
- You can keep the bread refrigerated in a sealed container for 3 days. As all yeast breads, it’s best when fresh. That’s why I prefer to slice mine after the first day and keep it in the freezer. The slices are fairly easy to separate. Simply pop them into the toaster and enjoy warm.
- Braided Easter bread goes very well with vegan butter and jam.
