Braided Bread Wreath (2025)

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Homemade Easter Bread Wreaths – A Family Favorite!

Easter is a time for togetherness, joy, and of course, delicious treats! And what could be more festive than these adorable little Braided Bread Wreaths—tiny, golden circles of soft, fluffy dough that look just as delightful as they taste.

Whether you enjoy them simply with butter and jam or go for a savory twist with ham and horseradish, these charming Easter Bread Wreaths will be the highlight of your Easter brunch table. Pair them with a refreshing Aperol Mimosa or a Blackberry Raspberry White Wine, and you’ve got yourself an Easter feast worth celebrating!

But what makes these little Easter Bread Braided wreaths so special?

For me, Easter has always been about cherished traditions and family gatherings, and ever since my daughter was born, we’ve been celebrating in Carinthia with my mother-in-law, where Easter morning starts with a hearty brunch and the much-anticipated Consecrated Easter Ham. And, of course, no Carinthian Easter table is complete without a slice of Reindling—a sweet, spiraled yeast cake filled with cinnamon, sugar, and raisins, baked to golden perfection.

The best part? These Braided Bread Wreaths are incredibly easy to make, and you can prepare them the day before for a stress-free holiday morning. So, let’s get baking and bring a little extra joy to your Easter celebration! 💛🐣✨

🥘 Ingredients

Lemon (zest)
Milk
Fresh yeast or active dry yeast (check the tips below)
Granulated sugar
Cake flour
Salt
Eggs (size M)
Butter, soft
Nib sugar for sprinkling
Egg wash

See the recipe card for quantities.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Lemon 🍋
Give your lemon a hot water bath, pat it dry, and finely grate the zest. Set it aside—it’s going to add that perfect hint of citrusy magic!

Step 2: Warm the Milk 🥛
Gently heat the milk in a saucepan or zap it in the microwave until it’s warm (but not hot). This helps activate the yeast for the fluffiest Easter bread wreaths!

Step 3: Make the Starter Dough (Steam Dough / Pre-Dough / Poolish / Tangzhong!) 🌟
In a mixing bowl, crumble the fresh yeast into the warm milk. Stir in a pinch of sugar and three tablespoons of flour, then mix until smooth. Let this mixture rest until it doubles in size!

Step 4: Combine Dry Ingredients 🌿
Sift the remaining flour into a separate bowl and whisk in the caster sugar, salt, and that fragrant lemon zest.

Step 5: Mix & Knead the Dough 🏋️‍♀️
Once the starter dough has doubled in size, add it to the dry mixture. Briefly mix with a dough hook, then add the eggs and butter. Knead on high speed until the dough is smooth and starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

Step 6: Let It Rise ⏳
Cover the dough and let it rise for 50 minutes in a warm, cozy spot. It should double in size and get all puffy!

Step 7: Divide & Rest 🔪
On a lightly floured surface, punch down the dough and divide it into three equal pieces. Then, divide each piece into three more pieces, so you end up with 9 equal parts. Cover and let them rest for another 10-15 minutes.

Step 8: Shape the Wreaths 🌸
Roll each piece into a 30 cm (11.8 inch) strand, then braid three strands together into a plait. Form it into a wreath shape and press the ends together so they hold!

Step 9: Final Rise & Topping ✨
Place your three beautiful wreaths on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them. Beat the remaining egg, brush it over the wreaths, and sprinkle them with sugar nibs for that extra sparkle. Let them rise for another 30 minutes.

Step 10: Bake to Golden Perfection 🔥
Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F, convection) and bake for about 25 minutes until the wreaths turn a gorgeous golden brown.

Step 11: Serve & Enjoy! 🎉
Your Easter bread wreaths are ready to be devoured immediately after baking! Serve them warm and watch them disappear in minutes.

🐰 Variations

Instead of nib sugar (or additionally), you can sprinkle the wreaths with flaked almonds prior baking.

🍽 Equipment

Microplane zester for zesting the lemon
Hand or stand mixer with dough hook attachment
Mixing bowls
Baking tray lined with parchment paper
Saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
Sieve

Yeast Note for International Bakers 🇦🇹🇺🇸

In Austria and much of Europe, we use fresh yeast cubes for baking, which are commonly sold in 42g (1.5 oz) portions.

If you're baking in the USA or elsewhere and can’t find fresh yeast, you can substitute it with:

Active Dry Yeast: Use half the amount of fresh yeast. (For 42g fresh yeast, use 21g active dry yeast ≈ 2 ½ teaspoons.) Dissolve in warm milk before use.
Instant Yeast (Rapid-Rise / Bread Machine Yeast): Use ⅓ of the fresh yeast amount. (For 42g fresh yeast, use 14g instant yeast ≈ 2 teaspoons.) This type can be mixed directly with the flour.

If you can find cake yeast in the refrigerated section of a US grocery store, that’s the closest match to fresh yeast!

Our recipe calls for ½ cube, 21g (0.75 oz).

Other Easter Recipes for You to Try

VeganEasterCookies with Apricot Jam
EasterCut Out Cookies with Pistachio Ganache
Chocolate Chip Vanilla Ice Cream
Aperol Mimosa
Classic Mimosa Recipe
Pistachio Rolls
Simple Layered Eggnog Vanilla Pudding Dessert
Potato Flour Cake with Eggnog
Delicious Linzer Cookies with Egg Liqueur
Stracciatella egg liqueur milkshake recipe

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📖 Recipe

Easter Bread Wreath

Nora

Soft, golden, and lightly sweet, these Braided Easter Bread Wreaths are a beautiful and delicious addition to any Easter celebration. Whether you serve them with butter and jam or enjoy them savory with ham and horseradish, they bring festive charm to your brunch table. Best of all? They’re easy to make ahead, so you can enjoy a stress-free holiday morning!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Rising Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine Austrian

Servings 3 Wreath

Calories 844 kcal

Equipment

Microplane zester
Hand or stand mixer with dough hook attachment
Mixing bowls
Baking tray lined with parchment paper
Saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
Sieve

Ingredients

1 Lemon
⅔ cup Milk
½ cube Fresh yeast or active dry yeast
½ cup Granulated sugar
3 ¼ cup Cake flour + flour for the counter top
¼ teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs size M
4 ¼ tablespoon Butter soft
Nib sugar for sprinkling
1 Egg for brushing on

Instructions

Wash 1 Lemon with hot water, dry it, and finely grate the zest. Set aside.
1 Lemon
Warm ⅔ cup Milk in a saucepan or microwave until just warm (not hot).
⅔ cup Milk
Prepare the starter dough (pre-dough, poolish, Tangzhong): Crumble ½ cube Fresh yeast (or 1.25 oz active dry yeast) into a mixing bowl, and dissolve it in warm milk with a pinch of sugar and 3 tablespoons of flour. Let it rest until it doubles in size.
½ cube Fresh yeast
Sift the remaining 3 ¼ cup Cake flour into a large bowl and whisk in the ½ cup Granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon Salt, and lemon zest.
½ cup Granulated sugar, 3 ¼ cup Cake flour, ¼ teaspoon Salt
Once the starter dough has doubled in size, add it to the dry mixture and mix briefly.
Add 2 Eggs and 4 ¼ tablespoon Butter, then knead on high speed until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
2 Eggs, 4 ¼ tablespoon Butter
Cover and let the dough rise for 50 minutes in a warm spot.
On a lightly floured surface, punch down the dough and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Then, divide each piece into 3 more pieces (for a total of 9). Cover and let them rest for 10-15 minutes.
Roll each piece into 30 cm (11.8 inch) strands and braid them into three plaits. Form each plait into a wreath, pressing the ends together firmly.
Place the braided bread wreaths on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them.
Beat 1 Egg and brush it over the wreaths. Sprinkle with Nib sugar and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
Nib sugar, 1 Egg
Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F, convection) and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve immediately after baking, warm, or on the next day!

Notes

Active Dry Yeast: Use half the amount of fresh yeast. (For 42g fresh yeast, use 21g active dry yeast ≈ 2 ½ teaspoons.) Dissolve in warm milk before use.
Instant Yeast (Rapid-Rise / Bread Machine Yeast): Use ⅓ of the fresh yeast amount. (For 42g fresh yeast, use 14g instant yeast ≈ 2 teaspoons.) This type can be mixed directly with the flour.

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Keyword Braided bread wreath, Easter bread braided, easter bread wreath

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Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

⛑️ Food Safety

Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
Wash hands after touching raw meat
Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
Never leave cooking food unattended
Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

For further information, check Safe Food Handling - FDA.