Italian Easter Bread

1. Gently warm the milk (it shouldn't be hot) and melt butter separately.
2. Add the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest to a bowl of a stand mixer and mix to combine.
3. Add the yeast, mix to combine then make a well in the center of the bowl. Add the whisked eggs (2 large), warm milk, melted butter and 1 tsp of vanilla.
4. Using a paddle attachment mix everything for a few seconds then swap to a dough hook attachment and knead the dough for 10 minutes on a medium/low speed. The dough will be very sticky but shouldn’t stick to your hands when touched.
5. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let is rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Colouring the eggs

1. Paint raw, uncooked eggs with any food coloring of your choice. I find that gel food coloring works best. Let them dry completely then give them a gentle rinse under cold water to stop the colour running onto the dough. Pat them dry with kitchen paper.
2. Note: It’s best to use white shelled eggs rather than brown.

Assembling the Easter bread

1. Once risen, knock the air out of the dough and place it on a clean work surface very lightly dusted with flour (don’t add too much or it’ll be too difficult to roll).
2. Cut the dough into 8 then cut each piece in half so you have 16 pieces. Roll two pieces of dough to roughly 10 inch long strands. Pinch the strands together at the top and weave them together to create a braid. Join the top and bottom ends together to create a wreath then place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and place a colored egg in the middle of the wreath. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
3. Cover the baking tray with plastic wrap and leave to rise again for 1 hour.
4. Once risen, pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C.
5. Gently brush the Easter bread with a beaten egg and top with sprinkles. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top.
6. Remove from the oven, let cool and serve. Best eaten the same day.