- Whole Wheat Flour: All my bakes are with whole wheat flour, so is this Easter bread. You may use it 1:1 ratio with all purpose flour if your wish.
- Yeast: Yeast is the leavening agent here, which helps the bread rise. I have used dry active yeast.
- Milk: I have used dairy milk. For a vegan version , you may use any plant based milk like, soy milk or almond milk.
- Sugar : This Easter bread is mildly sweet in taste. I have used sugar in the dough and sprinkled a bit over the bread prior to baking, as it is done in traditional version.
- Orange Zest : Orange Zest lends a refreshing citrus aroma and a wonderful flavor to the bread.
- Raisins and Apricots This Easter bread is studded with golden raisins and chopped dried apricots which makes it all the more rich and delectable.
- Butter : I have used butter while kneading the flour and also to brush the dough prior to baking. You may use olive oil instead for a vegan version.
- Toppings: Sesame seeds, shaved almonds and granulated sugar are some of the toppings for this braided Easter bread
This healthy and delicious Eggless Easter Bread recipe is featured in the Facebook Gourmet group, Shhhhhhhh Cooking Secretly challenge. Here participating members take turn to propose theme for each month. Renu who blogs at thoughtfully proposed Easter Breads as the theme for the month of March. We post the recipe towards month end which is just perfectly timed for the Easter festival which falls on 4th April , this year. Renu suggested that we bake any traditional Easter bread across the globe. Though we had the freedom to make an egg-less version , the recipe had to be close to its traditional version. Renu has a wonderful blog with many wonderful recipes both from Indian and International Cuisine. You might love to try out her cute looking super soft Easter Bunny Buns
In this group all participating members are divided into pairs and both partners exchange a set of secret ingredients, using which both have to cook a dish depending upon the theme for the particular month. Once the dish is ready only the pic of the dish is shared on the group and the other group members take turn in guessing the secret ingredients just by looking at the pic of the dish. The secret ingredients and the dish name are revealed at the end of the month when the recipe is published by the respective blogger.
My partner for the easter Bread theme was Seema who gave me Orange Zest and milk as my two secret ingredients and i made this Eggless Easter Bread using them. In return, i gave her rice flour and raisins and she prepared a traditional non baked Easter bread .
- Vegetarian Bread
- Egg-less
- Healthy Bake
- Refined flour free
- Yeast leavened bread
- Festive bake
- Kid Friendly
- Healthy and delicious
- Mildly Sweet
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 2-3 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon butter / oil
- 2 teaspoon dry active yeast
- 2 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon golden raisins
- 2 tablespoon chopped dried apricot
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Milk and butter for brushing the bread
- Almond flakes
- Granulated sugar
- Sesame Seeds
- In a bowl take 1/2 cup lukewarm milk. Add sugar and dry yeast to it. Stir well and keep aside for 10 minutes for the yeast to bloom.
- After 10 minutes the mixture will turn frothy. If it does not , it means the yeast you are using is old and of no use. Throw the mixture and make a fresh starter culture with new batch of yeast.
- In a mixing bowl take whole wheat flour. Add salt, butter or oil, orange zest, raisins, vanilla essence and chopped apricots and give a good mix. Now make a well into the flour and add the bloomed yeast culture into it. Mix well and knead the flour. Add around 1/2 cup warm milk and knead the flour to a soft dough. Knead the dough for around 5-7 minutes. Tug the dough and keep it in a greased bowl. Cover it with another bowl and keep it for proofing for about an hour.
- You can make this Easter bread using all purpose flour or in equal quantities with whole wheat flour. I have made it using only whole wheat flour.
- If the dry yeast does not bloom and your milk does not turn frothy, it means the yeast you are using is old and expired. You need to make a fresh starter culture using a new batch of yeast.
- Always add the dry yeast to lukewarm milk. If the milk is hot, it will kill the yeast. If it is cold, the yeast will not bloom either.
- For a vegan version use plant based milk and replace butter with olive oil.
- Adding apricot and raisins is optional but it gives a rich and festive look and taste.
- Orange zest gives a love aroma and flavor to the bread. I would recommend not skipping it.
- Usually and egg wash is used to brush the breads to get that shiny golden brown color. In this egg-less version, i have used milk and butter mixture for brushing the bread dough prior to baking. It not only makes the bread soft but also lends a lovely golden color to the bread. You may use milk alone.
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I hope you would
love trying out this healthy and delicious Easter Bread this Holiday Season. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with use in the
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See you soon with
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Poonam Bachhav
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The texture of the bread speaks for itself. Loved it and the way you have shaped the bread. Looks so good.
ReplyDeleteThis braided Easter bread looks super tempting. Mildly sweet and orange flavoured bread with raisins wow I can imagine the taste and flavour. I would love to have it itself, don't need jam butter or anything with this delicious bread.
ReplyDeletethe recipe and the braiding looks so good. No wonder you had to make a couple of batches, i am sure it vanished in no time.
ReplyDeleteSuch an aromatic, sweet and delicious looking Easter bread but without any eggs. Like how you've added chopped apricots and raisins. And its beautifully braided.
ReplyDeleteEggless Easter bread is baked to perfection Poonam. It sounds so flavourful and Delish. Best part is it is eggless. I liked the idea of adding apricots.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully baked bread with Whole Wheat flour..what a delicious bread it is with raisins, orange zest and apricots..Wonderful share..
ReplyDeleteThis braided Easter bread looks so good. I like how the texture of the bread has turned out and I am sure it tastes delicious with all the almond flakes, apricots and raisins.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully baked Easter bread looks so soft, light and fluffy. Love the way you braided the bread!
ReplyDeleteAmazing texture and no one would tell it is made with whole wheat flour. Love the step by step pictures which makes it easy to shape the bread. Dry fruits makes this bread even more delicious.
ReplyDelete