Italian Easter Orange Bread
Experience the delightful flavors of fragrant Valencia orange and savory Romano cheese in this traditional Italian Easter bread, perfect for a special holiday breakfast.
190 min
easy
16 slices
285kcal
calories
43g
carbohydrates
55mg
cholesterol
9g
fat
2g
fiber
8g
protein
5g
saturated fat
294mg
sodium
14g
sugar
0g
unsaturated fat
Ingredients
600g bread flour, plus extra for dusting
200g white sugar
33g white sugar
160g grated Romano cheese
15ml ground cinnamon
9g salt
240ml warm water
30g active dry yeast
1 medium orange
120g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
15ml vanilla extract
Directions
Step 1
In a large bowl, combine 600g flour, 200g + 33g sugar, Romano cheese, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2
In a small bowl, stir together warm water and yeast. Set aside until dissolved and bubbly, for 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 3
Zest and juice the orange into a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the yeast mixture and gradually incorporate the flour mixture, stirring as you go.
Step 4
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding up to 120g of extra flour as needed to keep the dough manageable. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise until almost doubled in size, about 30 to 60 minutes.
Step 5
Punch the dough down, cover, and let it rise again until almost doubled in size, for 30 to 60 minutes.
Step 6
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Grease two 20cm (8-inch) round loaf pans.
Step 7
Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape them into loaves. Place the loaves in the prepared pans, cover, and let them rise again until almost doubled in size, for 30 to 60 minutes.
Step 8
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the loaves cool on a wire rack.