No-Knead Easter Bread: An Easy Recipe

April 10, 2023 By Olga Babitskaya

Prep Time: 3H

Cook Time: 40M

Cuisine: Eastern European

This delightful Easter bread recipe is perfect for anyone new to working with yeast dough who still wants to experience the joy of baking a homemade holiday treat. It is an ideal starting point for beginners. Just remember to ensure all your ingredients are at room temperature for the best results.

For this homemade version, you will need two 13 cm round pans, an egg yolk for glazing, and some sugar and nuts for sprinkling. The entire process takes about 3.5 hours, but don’t worry—much of that is hands-off rising time, making it a very manageable recipe for the holidays.

Ingredients

• 140 ml milk
• 170g sugar
• Vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 60g sour cream
• 10g instant yeast
• 400g all-purpose flour
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 70g butter, melted
• 130g raisins

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, sour cream, and yeast with half of the flour. Stir until the mixture is well-combined and smooth. At this stage, you can let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.

2. Add the second half of the flour and knead until smooth.

3. Finally, incorporate the melted butter and salt.

4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 - 1.5 hours.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the raisins: soak them in hot water or orange juice for 2-3 minutes, then pat them completely dry with a paper towel.

6. Add the raisins to the risen dough, give it a quick knead to distribute them, and let it rest for another 1 - 1.5 hours.

7. Divide the dough into two equal parts (about 540g each) and place them in the pans. Let them proof for a final 1.5 hours.

8. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Brush the tops of the loaves with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar and nuts.
9. Bake for about 40 minutes. To check if it’s done, insert a wooden skewer into the center of the bread; it should come out clean.