Easter is the time of braided loaves. Be it large Greek style tsuoreki, little Armenian choreg or anything in between. This recipe is inspired by the classic Armenian Easter bakes. I’ve changed a few things here. Instead of mahlab I decided to add ground anise seed and some extra lemon zest. The juice from that lemon is used for making a sweet syrup that is brushed over the bread once it comes out the oven making is shiny, extra sweet, and lemony.

It’s a great little example of a braided bread. Very easy to handle, so it’s perfect for a beginner. But even if you are experienced you will enjoy this bake as it is effortless. You can flavour the dough with other ingredients. Swap the ground seeds for mixed spice or cinnamon. Swap the lemon zest for orange or leave it out altogether. You can leave the seeds off the top to show the braids a little better too.

This recipe makes 4 braids. To make more simply multiply all the ingredients.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

50g (1.75oz) milk

2 medium eggs (100g; 3.5oz)

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.13oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast

6g (0.21oz) salt

3g (0.1oz) fennel seed

3g (0.1oz) anise seed

30g (1oz) sugar

50g (1.75oz) butter

1 lemon worth of zest

300g (10.6oz) white bread flour

For topping –

1 egg

Black and white sesame seeds

For the syrup –

30g sugar

30g lemon juice

Combine in a small pan and bring up to a boil just before the bread come out the oven.

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Pour the milk in a large bowl. Add the eggs, yeast, salt, ground seeds, sugar, butter, and lemon zest. Mix well to dissolve the salt, yeast, and sugar. Add the flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 24C (75F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
2. Cover and ferment for 1 hour.
3. Fold.
4. Ferment for 1 hour.
5. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Pre-shape into balls. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
6. Roll the dough balls into strands with tapered ends around 20cm (8in) long.
7. Braid three strands together to make one little loaf.
8. Place the braided dough onto a non-stick paper lined baking tray.
9. Cover and leave for the final proof for around 1.5 hours.
10. Brush the dough with egg, leave it to dry for 5 minutes and then brush it again. Sprinkle with seeds and press them in gently to make them stick.
11. Bake at 170C (340F) fan on or 190C (375F) fan off for 20 minutes.
12. Brush the breads with the hot sugar syrup as soon as they come out the oven.

Leave to cool down and enjoy!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Hot cross buns are an Easter Classic here in the UK. They are so popular that they’re being sold two months ahead of time. Sweet buns filled with plump raisins and candied citrus peel, flavoured with mixed spice – no wonder they’re so beloved.

Mixed Spice is a powdered spice mix which contains cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, caraway, ginger, and cloves. Candied peel is a mix of lemon and orange peel that is cooked in sugar syrup. Both ingredients are commonly sold in supermarkets here in the UK.

I’ve posted a couple versions of this recipe over the years. Now I’ve decided to adapt it to my current no-knead baking style. And to make them extra soft and moist I decided to use the scalding method. It resulted in an extremely soft and squishy bun that will stay softer for longer.

This recipe is a combination of my previous hot cross loaf recipe, my latest slider recipe, and the topping paste is from my cocktail bun recipe. These are my ultimate hot cross buns. Forget the other ones.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the scald –

60g (2.1oz) white bread flour

6g (0.21oz) salt

30g (1oz) sugar

9g (0.32oz) mixed spice

210g (7.4oz) boiling water

30g (1oz) butter

70g (2.45oz) raisins

40g (1.4oz) candied peel

For the main dough –

5g (0.17oz) instant dry yeast or 6g (0.21oz) active dry yeast or 15g (0.53oz) fresh yeast

240g (8.45oz) white bread flour

For the decorative paste –

40g (1.4oz) butter

25g (0.9oz) flour

15g (0.53oz) icing sugar

For the sugar syrup –

30g (1oz) sugar

30g (1oz) water

Mix the two ingredients in a small pan and bring up to a boil just before the buns come out the oven.

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

Method

1. Make the decorative paste. Combine the flour, icing sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and leave on the side for later.
2. Make the scald. Combine the flour, salt, sugar, and mixed spice. Pour the boiling water over the ingredients and then mix together. Add the butter, raisins, and mixed peel. Mix until combined. Cover and leave to cool down.
3. Make the dough. Add the yeast to the scald, mix it in. Add the flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
4. Cover and ferment for 1 hour.
5. Fold.
6. Ferment for 1 hour.
7. Divide the dough 12 equal pieces and shape into balls. Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
8. Shape again and place on a non-stick paper lined baking tray. Brush the sides of the buns with butter to prevent them from sticking together.
9. Cover and proof for 1.5 hours.
10. Pipe on the paste and mist the buns with water.
11. Bake at 170C (340F) fan on or 190C (375F) fan off for 25 minutes.
12. Glaze the buns with the hot sugar syrup as soon as they come out the oven.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Tarte au soleil is a French appetizer made of puff pastry and sweet or savoury fillings. It is made by sandwiching the filling in between two discs or pastry. The pastry is then sliced and twisted to create a unique design that resembles the Sun. Hence the name ‘sun tart’. It is usually made with store bought puff pastry because it’s super quick and easy, but you already know that we’re making our own as it will turn out that much better.

You can use any fillings you like as long as they’re not too wet. Pesto and mozzarella, tomato sauce and cheese, peanut butter or Nutella. It’s all up to your taste. The tart can be served with a dip too.

This recipe makes one giant tart (24cm; 10in) and another smaller one which can be made from the trimmings.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the pastry –

250g (8.8oz) white bread flour

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.13oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast

4g (0.14oz) salt

20g (0.7oz) soft butter

150g (5.3oz) water

For the layers –

2 x 100g (3.5oz) frozen butter sticks

1 egg for glazing

Seeds to sprinkle on top. I used linseeds.

For the filling –

150g (5.3oz) soft goat’s cheese

50g (1.75oz) olives

50g (1.75oz) sun-dried tomatoes

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

Method

1. Make the filling. Chop the olives and the sun-dried tomatoes and mix with the goat’s cheese. Leave in the fridge until needed.
2. Make the dough. Combine the water, yeast, salt, and butter. Mix well to dissolve the salt and yeast. Add the flour and mix to a dough. Desired dough temperature around 24C (75F).
3. Cover and ferment for 20 minutes.
4. Fold #1.
5. Ferment for 20 minutes.
6. Fold #2.
7. Ferment for 20 minutes.
8. Roll the dough out to a large rectangle. Grate one of the butter pieces evenly over 2/3 of the surface. Fold the dough into three layers.
9. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
10. Roll the dough out to a large rectangle once again. Grate the second piece of butter and repeat the same fold as previously. Repeat the rolling and folding two more times.
11. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. I left mine in the fridge overnight.
12. Shape the tart. Roll the dough out to slightly more than 48cm x 24cm (20in x 10in). Cut two 24cm (10in) discs out of it.
13. Spread ¾ of the filling on one of the discs. Place the second disc on top. Cut the sides of the dough into 16 strips and give each strip a full twist. Repeat the same with the trimmings.
14. Final proof 1.5 hours.
15. Brush the tart with egg, leave to dry for 5 minutes, and brush again. Sprinkle with seeds.
16. Bake at 190C (375F) fan on or 210C (410F) fan off for 25 minutes.

Leave to cool down and tuck in!

If you love cinnamon rolls, then you’re bound to love sticky buns. The way they’re made is by baking cinnamon rolls on top of a bed of caramel and nuts. Once cooled down after baking the tray is inverted revealing a delicious caramel layer on top.

I’ve made sticky buns in the past using walnuts and regular cinnamon rolls. It being pumpkin season I thought I’d try something new and unique by using pureed pumpkin as the liquid in the dough and toasted pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts for the topping.

My modifications resulted in an incredibly delicious creation. You can modify this recipe even further. Use pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon in the filling. Use other seeds or nuts instead of the pumpkin seeds for the topping.

If you want to make this recipe on the same day, then reduce the quantity of the pumpkin puree to 260g (9.2oz) and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature for 1.5 – 2 hours.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

280g (9.9oz) pumpkin puree or 190g (6.7oz) water

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.13oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast

6g (0.21oz) salt

15g (0.53oz) butter

15g (0.53oz) sugar

300g (10.6oz) white bread flour

For the filling –

80g (2.8oz) sugar

8g (0.28oz) cinnamon

60g (2.1oz) softened butter

For the topping –

100g (3.5oz) butter

100g (3.5oz) sugar

50g (1.75oz) double (heavy) cream

50g (1.75oz) maple syrup or honey

2g (0.07oz) salt

150g (5.3oz) pumpkin seeds

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

Method

1. Peel, dice, and cook the pumpkin until completely soft. Leave it to cool down and mash it into a smooth paste. You can use a food processor, but even a fork will do the job.
2. Make the caramel. Combine the butter, sugar, cream, syrup, and salt in a medium sized pan. Place on high heat and bring up to a boil. Cook for exactly one minute from the point when it starts boiling. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the caramel into a non-stick paper lined baking tray. Leave on the side.
3. Toast the seeds. Pour the seeds in a medium sized pan and toast on high heat for around 5 minutes. Pour the seeds evenly all over the caramel.
4. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree, yeast, salt, butter, and sugar. Mix well. Add the white bread flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature 24C – 26C (75F – 79F). If your dough is at the correct temperature range, then refrigerate it right away for 30 minutes. If it turns out cooler like mine did, then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
5. Fold the dough and place it in the fridge to cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours.
6. Roll the dough out to a large rectangle. Spread the filling evenly leaving a strip bare dough at the top. Brush the bare dough with water to make it sticky.
7. Roll the dough up and seal it. Brush the roll with butter. Cut it into 12 equal pieces. Arrange the rolls on top of the caramel.
8. Cover and final proof for 2 hours.
9. Bake at 160C (320F) for 35 – 40 minutes.
10. Leave to cool down to room temperature. Invert and carefully peel off the baking paper. If the caramel has set too hard for your taste, then you can place the rolls in a warm oven for a few minutes to soften it up.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Pumpkin and butternut squash-in their pure form-have never been some of my favourite vegetables. They are too sweet for me. Saying that, I must admit that I love sweet potato. But something about pumpkin and butternut just doesn’t sit well with my taste. I eat a lot of vegetables throughout the day both in cooked and raw form, and I will always give veggies a chance. So, even though I don’t love pumpkins I thought I’d use them in a bread dough recipe once again.

One of the first Halloween series videos was a sourdough bread made with pumpkin puree and shaped like a pumpkin much like the one you’re looking at right now. Things have changed since that time, so I decided to modify the old pumpkin bread recipe to fit my new style of baking. There is no kneading involved and the dough is cold fermented which makes the bread much more flavourful and also easier to handle.

All the water in this recipe comes from the pureed pumpkin. If you don’t want the hassle of making your own fruit puree you can use tinned pumpkin instead. But the freshly made version will be superior both in taste and colour.

You can divide this recipe into 4 and make little pumpkin buns.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

270g (9.5oz) white bread flour

30g (1oz) whole wheat bread flour

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.13oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast

6g (0.21oz) salt

15g (0.5oz) olive oil

280g (9.9oz) pumpkin puree

1 egg for glazing

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the pumpkin puree for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

Method

1. Peel, dice, and cook the pumpkin until completely soft. Leave it to cool down and mash it into a smooth paste. You can use a food processor, but even a fork will do the job.
2. Add the yeast, salt, olive oil, and whole wheat flour to the cooled down pumpkin puree. Mix well to dissolve the salt and yeast. Add the white bread flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 26C (79F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Fold.
5. Place back into the fridge and cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours.
6. Lightly pre-shape the dough and leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
7. Prepare the strings by moistening them with water. Lay the strings on a piece of baking paper in a cross pattern with equal spaces in between. Shape the loaf and place it in the centre of the arranged strings.
8. Cover and proof for 1.5 hours. During this time pre-heat the oven to 180C (355F) fan on or 200C (390F) fan off. Also, pre-heat the baking vessel if you’re using one.
9. Once the loaf has proofed, brush it with egg and leave it to dry for 5 minutes and then give it a second coating. Tie the strings around the loaf leaving a little room accounting for the oven spring.
10. Place the loaf in the pre-heated pan, cover it with a lid, and place it in the oven. The initial bake will take 25 minutes. After the timer as rung, remove the pan from the oven and remove the lid from the pan. Place the loaf back into the oven for 10 more minutes of baking to finish off the crust.

Leave to cool down and enjoy.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

A jet-black bread can look quite strange to some. Every time I have given a bread made with charcoal to an unsuspecting bread lover they’ve given it a worried stare. We never see bread this way. It seems like it should never look like that. And that is exactly what I love about it. The best part is that it tastes no different from regular bread. Charcoal has no taste; it only adds a beautiful black colour.

You can find activated charcoal in my Amazon storefront, but even your local supermarket may stock it. It is generally used for alleviating a belly ache in the case of food poisonings and such. It is totally safe to consume for almost everyone.

This recipe contains a very small amount of it. Saying that, it can prevent some medicines from being absorbed by the stomach, so if you’re on medication I’d suggest consulting with your doctor just in case.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

200g (7oz) white bread flour

50g (1.75oz) whole wheat flour

180g (6.35oz) water

2.5g (0.09oz) instant dry yeast or 3g (0.1oz) active dry yeast or 7.5g (0.26oz) fresh yeast

4g (0.14oz) salt

4g (0.14oz) activated charcoal

20g (0.7oz) olive oil

To top –

Cherry tomatoes

Basil leaves

Olive oil

Salt

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

Method

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, salt, charcoal, and whole wheat flour. Mix well to dissolve the salt and hydrate the yeast. Add the white flour and mix to a dough.
2. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Fold.
4. Cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours.
5. On the next day when you’re ready to proceed take the dough out of the fridge, fold it and shape it into a tight ball. Place it in an oiled baking tray and cover it with more oil.
6. Final proof will take around 1.5 – 2 hours.
7. Stud the dough with toppings and press them in well. Pour on some more olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.
8. Bake for 20 minutes at 210C (410F) fan on or 230C (445F) fan off. The muffin shaped ones take only 15 minutes to bake.

Leave to cool down and tuck in!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

These beautiful black doughnuts will be a sure hit at Halloween. There’s nothing crazy here. It’s just a very quick and simple recipe with added activated charcoal. You can find activated charcoal in my Amazon storefront, but even your local supermarket may stock it. It is generally used for alleviating a belly ache in the case of food poisonings and such. It is totally safe to consume for almost everyone.

This recipe contains a very small amount of it. Less than half of a gram per doughnut. Saying that, it can prevent some medicines from being absorbed by the stomach, so if you’re on medication I’d suggest consulting with your doctor just in case.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

300g (10.6oz) white bread flour

6g (0.21oz) vanilla paste

6g (0.21oz) salt

30g (1oz) sugar

50g (1.75oz) melted butter

5g (0.17oz) instant dry yeast or 6g (0.21oz) active dry yeast or 15g (0.53oz) fresh yeast

5g (0.17oz) activated charcoal

1 medium egg (50g; 1.75oz)

140g (4.9oz) milk

Oil for frying

To fill and top –

300g (10.6oz) raspberry jam or any other jam that you like

Icing sugar

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. In a large bowl combine the milk, yeast, salt, sugar, vanilla, egg, charcoal, and melted butter. Mix well to dissolve the salt and sugar completely. Add the flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 24C (75F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
2. Cover and ferment for 30 minutes.
3. Fold #1.
4. Ferment for 30 minutes.
5. Fold #2.
6. Ferment for 30 minutes.
7. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into balls. Place on an oiled tray.
8. Cover and proof for 1 hour.
9. Fry the doughnuts at 170C (340F) for around 5 minutes flipping each minute.
10. Leave to drain and cool.
11. Poke a hole in each doughnut and fill with jam. Stencil and serve.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

This type of cheese is quite common in some Eastern European countries. We have made something similar in the past when I showed you the unique midsummer cheese from my country, Latvia. As it turns out, this type of cheese is also traditionally eaten during Easter in countries like Ukraine and Slovakia. Usually, served with sweet, enriched bread and slices of cold cuts.

This is the fourth cheese and bread project on the channel, and I just love doing them because they are so fun. What I like the most is that I can use the leftover liquid from the cheese making process to then make the bread dough with.

You can customize both the cheese and the bread to your taste. Add some herbs or roasted vegetables to the cheese, or some seeds perhaps. Skip the saffron in the bread and flavour it with cinnamon or clove instead. As long as you stick to the base recipes and the given quantities you can modify them as you wish.

Ingredients

For the cheese –

12 medium eggs (600g; 1.3lb)

1l (0.25gal) full fat milk (3.7%)

6g (0.21oz) salt

3g (0.1oz) ground black pepper

For the bread –

300g (10.6oz) white bread flour

1 medium egg (50g; 1.75oz)

6g (0.21oz) salt

6g (0.21oz) vanilla paste

5g (0.17oz) instant dry yeast or 6g (0.21oz) active dry yeast or 15g (0.53oz) fresh yeast

0.5g (0.017oz) saffron

30g (1oz) butter

25g (0.9oz) honey

115g (4oz) whey

60g (2.1oz) raisins

1 egg for glazing

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and honey, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Make the cheese. Drop the eggs in a large pot and whisk. Add the salt, pepper, and milk. Whisk until combined. Place the pot on medium-high heat and cook for around 10 – 12 minutes until the curds separate and start resembling scrambled eggs.
2. Pour the contents of the pot into a cheesecloth lined colander placed over a bowl. Drain the curd, wrap it up, press it with something heavy, and leave to cool down at room temperature. Reserve the whey.
3. After weighing out the required amount of whey add the raisins and saffron to it and leave to soak while the liquid is cooling down.
4. Once the whey has cooled down add the yeast, salt, honey, vanilla paste, melted butter, and egg to it. Mix until well combined. Add the flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature 25C – 26C (77F – 79F). Now you can either refrigerate it for cold fermentation or leave it out to bulk ferment at room temperature. Bulk fermentation at room temperature will take around 2 – 2.5 hours. Let the dough grow to double its size before diving.
5. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Fold.
7. Cover and cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours.
8. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and pre-shape into little cylinder shapes. Cover and rest for 45 minutes. When bulk fermenting at room temperature let the dough rest for around 20 – 30 minutes.
9. Roll the cylinders out to long strands around 30cm (1ft) long. Braid the loaf.
10. Pace in a round cake tin or leave it as a freestanding loaf on a non-stick paper lined baking tray.
11. Cover and proof for 3.5 – 4 hours or until it has doubled in size. To make it rise quicker place it in a warmer area. When bulk fermenting at room temperature the final proof should take significantly less time. Around 2 hours should do it.
12. Brush the loaf with egg and bake at 150C (300F) for around 45 minutes.

Leave to cool down and enjoy delicious sandwiches of homemade bread and cheese!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Easter is the time of the braided loaf, and you can find a few good examples of this in the Breads of Easter playlist on my channel. This loaf is inspired by the Greek tsoureki. A sweet rich white bread flavoured with orange, mahlab, mastic, and topped with almond slices. My version does not contain mastic as I could not find it anywhere. But it still contains mahlab which is a powder made from cherry stones.

All the ingredients work together to create an ultra-soft and flavourful Easter loaf perfect for slathering a thick layer of jam on top and taking a big bite out of. Or you could be nice and gift it to someone.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

400g (14.1oz) white bread flour

100g (3.5oz) egg (2 medium eggs)

5g (0.17oz) mahlab or 3g (0.1oz) cinnamon

6g (0.21oz) vanilla paste or 2g (0.07oz) mastic

120g (4.25oz) milk

60g (2.1oz) butter

5g (0.17oz) instant dry yeast or 6g (0.21oz) active dry yeast or 15g (0.53oz) fresh yeast

1 orange worth of zest

40g (1.4oz) sugar

8g (0.28oz) salt

To top –

1 egg for glazing

Sliced almonds to decorate

For the syrup –

30g (1oz) sugar

20g (0.7oz) orange juice

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. In a large bowl combine the milk, egg, yeast, salt, sugar, mahlab, vanilla, orange zest, and melted butter. Mix well to dissolve the salt and sugar completely. Add the flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
2. Cover and ferment for 30 minutes.
3. Fold #1.
4. Ferment for 30 minutes.
5. Fold #2.
6. Ferment for 30 minutes.
7. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and pre-shape. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
8. Roll the dough into long strands. Braid the loaf.
9. Place on a non-stick paper lined baking tray. Cover and final proof for 1 hour.
10. Brush the loaf with beaten egg. Leave to dry for 5 minutes and brush again before applying the sliced almonds.
11. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 150C (300F) fan on for 35 – 40 minutes.

Leave to cool down and enjoy!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

There are various versions of citrus flavoured bread-cakes that are made in Italy for different occasions. Panettone and pandoro for Christmas and colomba di pasqua for Easter being the main ones. This recipe is inspired by all of them. This is a simple yeast leavened cake made without kneading, baked on the same day and totally beginner friendly. It looks beautiful and tastes great full of orange, vanilla, and rich with butter and honey. And the crispy almond and cocoa topping is something very special.

You can even adjust the ingredients to your taste. Swap some of the candied citrus peel with chopped nuts. Change the orange to lemon or lime, use different alcohol for soaking or don’t use any alcohol at all. Bake it in a loaf tin instead of a round cake tin.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

300g (10.6oz) white bread flour

1 medium egg (50g; 1.75oz)

1 egg yolk

5g (0.17oz) instant dry yeast or 6g (0.21oz) active dry yeast or 15g (0.53oz) fresh yeast

40g (1.4oz) melted butter

5g (0.17oz) vanilla paste

5g (0.17oz) orange oil

5g (0.17oz) salt

20g (0.7oz) honey

120g (4.25oz) milk

1 orange worth of zest

For the soaker –

150g (5.3oz) candied citrus peel

20g (0.7oz) rum or orange juice

For the topping –

1 egg white

20g (0.7oz) sugar

20g (0.7oz) ground almonds

4g (0.14oz) flour

2g (0.07oz) cocoa powder

Blanched almonds and pearl sugar for decoration.

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Make the soaker. Combine the citrus peel and rum. Mix well and leave to soak for a couple hours mixing at least once again to ensure that all the rum is absorbed.
2. Make the topping. Whisk together all the ingredients and leave on the side for later.
3. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the milk, yeast, salt, honey, vanilla, orange oil, orange zest, butter, egg, and egg yolk. Mix well to dissolve and disperse all the ingredients.
4. Add the flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature 24C (75F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
5. Cover and ferment for 30 minutes.
6. Fold #1.
7. Ferment for 30 minutes.
8. Fold #2.
9. Ferment for 30 minutes.
10. Shape/fold and place in a non-stick paper lined 16cm (6.5in) cake tin.
11. Final proof for 2 hours.
12. Brush the topping paste on to the loaf and decorate with almonds and pearl sugar.
13. Bake at 160C (320F) fan on for 50 minutes.

Leave to cool down and serve.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.