Herb & Cheese “Egg in a Nest” Savory Italian Easter Bread
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for more information.
With delicious herbs, parmesan, and cheddar cheese, these savory Italian Easter breads are the perfect treat to enjoy! The tender braided wreaths are baked around colorful eggs, like sweet little birds' nests. Traditionally, this is a sweet bread and decorated with colorful sprinkles and dyed eggs. However, you can also make them savory with sun-dried tomatoes, cheese, and other additions.
This bread recipe is soft and fluffy, perfect for dunking into a soft boiled egg. You will love this refreshing take on the traditional Italian Easter bread!
what is italian easter bread?
This bread is a traditional recipe from Italy made in the shape of a wreath or “nest” and generally has a shelled egg baked in the center. Traditionally, this recipe is made sweet. It is made with an enriched sweet dough, similar to challah, and is decorated with colorful sprinkles. Some people even place their dyed eggs in the middle!
While this is typically the style of bread many associate with the Italian sweet treat, there are various versions of this bread, including savory recipes, all across the regions of Italy and beyond.
Gathering ingredients to make herb & cheese Italian Easter Bread:
To make this recipe for Savory Italian Easter Bread, you will need to gather a few key ingredients. These little tender bread wreaths are seasoned with Italian herbs and delicious sharp cheese!
Flour. For this recipe, all-purpose flour is the perfect choice for making this tender and soft bread. If you want a more structured final bread, you can use bread flour instead. You can even substitute about half of the flour with whole wheat flour if you prefer.
Olive Oil. To make traditional Italian bread, you will want to include olive oil into the dough! Any olive oil will work, but I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil.
Flaky Sea Salt. For decorating the tops of the wreaths, I used flaky sea salt so that the crystals would stand out beautifully. It also adds just the right little kick to the final bake!
Italian Seasoning. If it’s easier for you to use a pre-made Italian seasoning, then I say go for it! If you prefer to make your own, I would suggest using equal amounts of parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and a bit of fennel seeds.
Cheddar & Parmesan Cheese. For this bread, I used a combination of sharp cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. You can choose between using white or yellow sharp cheddar, depending on the final look that you want!
Eggs. This recipe definitely needs eggs! Uncooked eggs are baked along with the bread for about 15 to 20 minutes, resulting in tender soft bread and a soft “boiled” egg.
shaping the dough:
Shaping these traditional Italian Easter breads into wreaths can be a little tricky to understand at first. I promise that they become easier to shape the more that you make them!
Step One: Divide the dough into 12 equal sized pieces. It’s easiest to determine this more precisely by using a food scale. Weigh your entire mass of dough, then divide that number by 12 to figure out how much each individual piece should weigh.
Step Two: Begin with 2 equal sized pieces of dough. Roll each piece into a 14-inch (35-mm) long rope. It is best to not use any extra flour, if possible, when rolling and shaping the dough. The dough should be a bit tacky, sticking to the counter, but not enough to completely tear apart.
Step Three: With the two ropes, pinch the ends together on one side. Then, wrap the ropes around each other like a braid. Do not roll them together on the countertop, or else they will blend together and you will lose the definition of the wreath. Pinch the opposite ends closed.
Step Four: Bring the two ends together and pinch the seam closed. Then, tuck the seam a bit underneath the wreath to hide it, if necessary.
recipe notes:
Over-Proving. This bread dough rises really quickly! You can easily overproof the dough, so make sure that you keep an eye on it from rising too much. For each rise, I suggest a 30 to 45 minute proving time. To check if your dough has finished proving, gently press on it with the tip of your finger. If the indent remains and does not begin to bounce back, it’s finished proving and is ready for the next step. If it bounces back, it needs a bit more time.
Over-Baking the Eggs. The eggs can be really difficult to time out right! Because they are baked rather than boiled, they can easily become a hard-boiled egg inside. This recipe should bake for around 15 to 20 minutes, which can result in a more doughy bread. If you prefer, you can remove the eggs when they are baked to the stage that you prefer and continue baking the bread until it is a bit more cooked through.
final thoughts:
This little side dish is super simple to make and works wonderfully with my recipe for Extremely Easy Italian Bread. I love the little spicy kick of the Italian seasoning and the flaky sea salt paired with the cheese and salty egg. Yum! This fun and savory take on the traditional Italian Easter bread is perfect to enjoy for brunch, lunch, or even as a savory roll for a supper!
xoxo Kayla
Italian Herb & Cheese "Egg in a Nest" Savory Italian Easter Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp (7 g) active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp (14 g) brown sugar or honey
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp (7 g) olive oil
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg + 1 tbsp (30 ml) water, for egg wash
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 2 tsp (2 g) Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup (28 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup (50 g) parmesan cheese, shredded
- 6 large eggs
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk together the water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes or until the yeast has bloomed, growing larger and becoming bubbly.
- Stir in the salt and olive oil. Slowly begin incorporating the flour, 1 cup (125 g) at a time, until a soft dough forms that no longer clings to the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. It will still be a bit sticky.
- Lightly grease a large bowl. Shape the dough into a tight ball and place the dough into the greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let rise until doubled, about 35 to 45 minutes.
- Gently deflate the dough with your hands. Divide the dough into 12 equal sized pieces. Roll each piece into a 14-inch (35-cm) long rope. Taking two ropes, braid them together by wrapping them around each other - do not roll them together! Press the ends together to connect into a braided wreath. Repeat with remaining ropes until you have 6 wreaths.
- Place the wreaths on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375° F (191° C).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water to make the egg wash. Brush the wreaths with the egg wash.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flaky sea salt, Italian seasoning, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle this mixture over the wreaths, dividing evenly between each bread. Then, place a whole uncooked egg in the center of each wreath, pressing down a bit to indent the bread.
- Bake the breads for 25 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the egg is cooked through. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
450Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
