Grandma's Easter Bread

Traditionally served for Easter breakfast in Italy, this "Pizza di Pasqua" recipe with Valencia orange and Romano cheese is a lovely combination of sweet, savory, and tart flavors.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins
• Calories: 285 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 5 cups bread flour, or more as needed
• 3 large eggs, beaten slightly
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 0.5 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 0.66666668653488 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1 medium serrano pepper, halved, seeded and stemmed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine 5 cups flour, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, Romano cheese, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; stir well and set aside.

Step 2

Stir warm water and yeast together in a small bowl. Set aside until dissolved and bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 3

Zest and juice orange into a large bowl. Stir in melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in yeast mixture. Add flour mixture gradually, stirring as you go.

Step 4

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding up to 1 extra cup of flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 30 to 60 minutes.

Step 5

Punch dough down, cover and let rise again until almost doubled in size, 30 to 60 minutes.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease two 8-inch round loaf pans.

Step 7

Cut dough into 2 equal pieces and shape into loaves. Place in the prepared pans, cover, and let rise again until almost doubled in size, 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 cook on a wire rack.