Traditional German Easter Bread - Sweet Treat With Raisins And Almonds
If you click on my affiliates/advertisers’ links, I will receive a tiny commission. I only advertise products that I believe in. As the Easter season approaches, many seek to embrace cherished traditions and indulge in delightful culinary creations. One such treat that stands out is the sweet German Easter bread with raisins and almonds. This blog post will share a simple recipe to recreate this festive bread in your kitchen. Preparing this delightful, sweet German Easter bread will surely add a touch of warmth and joy to your Easter festivities. Easter Breakfast is the most crucial meal during the Easter Holiday, so we want it to be extra fancy. For me, this means baking my boys’ favourite breads and pastries. Nothing tastes better than a loaf of fresh bread, right? Our family loves sweet breakfasts, so German Easter Bread (along with traditional Yeast Bun Hefezopf) is one of our favourite treats! What is Sweet German Easter Bread? Sweet German Easter Bread is a fluffy bread with yeast filled with all the goodies: dried fruit and chopped nuts. The bread can be topped with butter, but I could eat it straight from the baking tray! Essential Ingredients Flour – use all-purpose flour or a mixture of different flours. Milk – use full fat milk. Butter – use unsalted butter. Yeast – use 21 grams of fresh or 7 grams of dry yeast. Sugar – use caster sugar. We like our sweet bread and buns sweet. But if you feel that the sweetness of the fruits might be enough, reduce the sugar content by half. Vanillin – use to add a little aroma. If you don’t have vanilla sugar, you have a few options: Add one teaspoon of vanilla bean pasteScrape one vanilla bean seedsAdd three drops of vanilla extract Add one teaspoon of vanilla bean paste Scrape one vanilla bean seeds Add three drops of vanilla extract Salt – use pinch of table salt. Chopped Almonds – use peeled chopped or slivered almonds Raisins – use sultanas, black or golden raisins. Chopped candied lemon peel — In Germany, candied lemon and orange peels, called Orangeat and Zitronat, can be bought in any supermarket. However, you can substitute them with fresh lemon or orange peel if you like. Decorative Sugar — We use coarse decorative sugar (Hagelzucker) to decorate baked goods before baking; if you can access it, that’s great. Suppose you can’t use pearl sugar to decorate this bread. Decorative sugar gives it extra crunch— you don’t want to skip it! Variations: Adding Your Favourite Flavours Although the traditional version of German Easter bread calls for lemon peel and raisins, you can add your favourite ingredients. You can experiment by adding chopped apricots, cranberries, golden raisins, dried sour cherries, chopped hazelnuts, or walnuts. Don’t you like dried fruits? Go for fresh once! Apple or pear cubes will bring the bread a more moist and fresh aroma. Balancing Flavours and Textures As the German sweet bread is very moist and fluffy, I always add a bit of crunch to it by sprinkling it with decorative sugar (Hagelzucker). Hagelzucker resembles hailstones, and it doesn’t dissolve easily in the oven. It is similar to pearl or coarse decorative sugar. What to do with the leftovers? Unlike other German sweet loaves of bread and buns, the Eater Bread stays fresh for up to three days if stored properly. I would be shocked if you had leftovers, but I have a few ideas for you if you do. Storage & Reheating Store the Easter Bread in a paper bag for up to 3 days. Freeze the Easter Bread for up to 6 months. Sweet German Easter Bread Recipe Try this fluffy German Easter Bread with Raisins and Almond! This is one of my favorite treats at German Easter Table! No ratings yet Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 35 minutes Resting 1 hour 30 minutes Course Breakfast Cuisine German Servings 4 people INGREDIENTS 250 Milliliter milk80 gram butter21 gram fresh yeast or 7g dry yeast500 gram all-purpose flour100 gram caster sugar1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 13g vanillin or three drops vanilla extract1 pinch salt100 g chopped almonds100 g raisins100 g chopped candied lemon peel or dry lemon peel 250 Milliliter milk 80 gram butter 21 gram fresh yeast or 7g dry yeast 500 gram all-purpose flour 100 gram caster sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 13g vanillin or three drops vanilla extract 1 pinch salt 100 g chopped almonds 100 g raisins 100 g chopped candied lemon peel or dry lemon peel Coating 3 tablespoons milk2 tablespoons decorating sugar 3 tablespoons milk 2 tablespoons decorating sugar INSTRUCTIONS Make the dough Warm up the milk in a small pot and melt butter. Ensure the temperature is not warmer than 45°C (110°F). Add the yeast and let it melt with the whisk. Warm up the milk in a small pot and melt butter. Warm up the milk in a small pot and melt butter. Ensure the temperature is not warmer than 45°C (110°F). Add the yeast and let it melt with the whisk. Ensure the temperature is not warmer than 45°C (110°F). Add the yeast and let it melt with the whisk. Let the dough rest Take a large mixing bowl (if using a kitchen machine, use the bowl from your kitchen machine) and mix the flour, sugar, vanilla paste, and salt with a spoon.Pour the milk-butter-yeast mixture into the large bowl and knead with a dough hook for at least 5 minutes. Add raisins, almonds, and lemon peel, and knead the dough with your hand for 3 minutes until all ingredients combine.Set the dough aside for 1 hour. Make sure the place is warm. If you don't have a warm place, let the dough rest in the oven at 30°C (86°F) Take a large mixing bowl (if using a kitchen machine, use the bowl from your kitchen machine) and mix the flour, sugar, vanilla paste, and salt with a spoon. Take a large mixing bowl (if using a kitchen machine, use the bowl from your kitchen machine) and mix the flour, sugar, vanilla paste, and salt with a spoon. Pour the milk-butter-yeast mixture into the large bowl and knead with a dough hook for at least 5 minutes. Pour the milk-butter-yeast mixture into the large bowl and knead with a dough hook for at least 5 minutes. Add raisins, almonds, and lemon peel, and knead the dough with your hand for 3 minutes until all ingredients combine. Add raisins, almonds, and lemon peel, and knead the dough with your hand for 3 minutes until all ingredients combine. Set the dough aside for 1 hour. Make sure the place is warm. If you don't have a warm place, let the dough rest in the oven at 30°C (86°F) Set the dough aside for 1 hour. Make sure the place is warm. If you don't have a warm place, let the dough rest in the oven at 30°C (86°F) Let the dough rest Take the dough out and shape it into a round cake. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for the second time. Take the dough out and shape it into a round cake. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for the second time. Take the dough out and shape it into a round cake. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for the second time. Bake the Bread Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).Make a big cross with a knife at the top of the bread. Brush the beard top with milk,Sprinkle the bread with decoration sugar.Bake the bread for 35 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Make a big cross with a knife at the top of the bread. Make a big cross with a knife at the top of the bread. Brush the beard top with milk, Brush the beard top with milk, Sprinkle the bread with decoration sugar. Sprinkle the bread with decoration sugar. Bake the bread for 35 minutes. Bake the bread for 35 minutes. NOTES You can store the bread in a paper bag for up to three days or freeze it for up to three months. Keep in mind that the bread is freshest when eaten the same day or the day after baking. Baking for Easter Easter without delicious Baked Goods wouldn’t be Easter. If you are looking for fluffy Easter Breads and Buns or buttery cookies, you are in the right place. German Braided Yeast Bread Fluffy, moist and sweet German Braided Yeast Bread that we eat for breakfast, with coffee and Easter. Check out this recipe German Eggnog Cake for Easter One of our favorite ways to celebrate Easter German way is to bake Eggnog cake. The simple cake batter combined with eggnog makes incredibly flavorful and moist baked good! Below you will find a short video that shows all steps of making this delicious cake! Check out this recipe German Mini Easter Lamb Decorate your Easter table with this fluffy and delicious Easter Lamb. For this recipe I am using 600ml Baking Lamb Mould. Check out this recipe