Italian Easter Cheese Bread

The texture of this golden-plaited Italian Easter Cheese Bread is incredibly light and airy, but the crust is crisp and crunchy thanks to all that delicious Italian cheese!

Hello, bread lovers! If you adore baking homemade bread, or if you've always wanted to but have been intimidated by the process, let me calm your fears and encourage you to make this Italian Easter Cheese Bread. I promise you; you won't be sorry!

The ingredient list:

**Note - The following lists of ingredients plus kitchen tools and equipment contain affiliate links (highlighted in blue) for your consideration and shopping convenience. #CommissionsEarned

• All-Purpose Unbleached Flour
• Active Dry Yeast
•  Eggs
• Milk
• Salt and Pepper
• Parmesan Cheese, shredded
• Romano Cheese, shredded 
• Asiago Cheese, shredded

Kitchen tools and equipment needed:

• A stand mixer (or large bowl with a wooden spoon)
• measuring cups and spoons
• cheese grater
• small bowls
• whisk
• loaf pans
• baking sheet
• plastic wrap

About this recipe:

**This post is being updated from the original publication in 2015. The recipe has remained completely unchanged from the original post but now includes a printable recipe card along with the specific calorie count and nutritional information.

This is what I wrote about this Easter cheese bread in 2015:

I am a member of a bread baking group called Twelve Loaves, and the name of the group pretty much sums up the premise.

Twelve loaves of bread, one for each month of the year. Every month a new theme or ingredient is chosen to be featured, and all participating bread (quick or yeasted) must fall within the parameters of the theme and/or ingredient.

The theme for this month (March 2015) is Italian bread.

Memories

In all honesty, it's been a few months since I've been able to participate with the #TwelveLoaves bakers. It was back in December of 2014 with this recipe for Cranberry Kringle (pictured below) with the theme being holiday bread.

Since then, I've missed participating, and I've especially missed baking bread. The two themes I missed were January's: New Year Challenge and February's: Olives

Now that I'm back, I'm thrilled to be able to share this recipe for Italian Easter Cheese Bread with you that I found on the King Arthur Flour website.

I just love King Arthur Flour, don't you?

A small tweak or two

The only changes I made to the original Easter cheese bread recipe were that I increased the ingredient quantities to make two large loaves instead of the one loaf that King Arthur's recipe made.

I was planning on serving the bread for a small Valentine's celebration we were having with friends and then serving the second loaf the next night for when my son was coming over for a long-overdue spaghetti dinner.

My call in making two loaves was spot on! Everyone around our Valentine's dinner table went crazy for the light, crispy crust and texture of this bread. So much so that the four of us ate almost an entire loaf... all by ourselves! Crazy!  

Can this bread be frozen?

*Note - This bread freezes beautifully, so even if you don't need two loaves right away, wrap one cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and tuck it in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

This bread slices beautifully making it perfect for toasting, and also for dipping in eggs and milk before frying in a skillet for French toast. This Italian Easter Cheese Bread truly is a multicultural wonder!

Just look at that texture!!!

Bad timing

If you're a regular visitor of my blog, then you know that I typically like to share step-by-step photos with you during the making and completing of recipes.

The purpose is to be helpful to those of you who might be novices in the kitchen, and to those of you who just enjoy seeing the process.

Unfortunately, my kitchen camera bit the dust while I was preparing this recipe, so I don't have those to share with you today. Having said that, my "finishing camera" works great so at least I'm getting to share all these other "beauty shots" with you that I wouldn't normally. Well, at least not this many anyway!

The instructions:

• Combine all of the dough ingredients (except the cheese) listed in the recipe card, in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed for 10 minutes or until the dough becomes shiny and satiny.
• It will be very sticky.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically during mixing.
• Add the cheese to the dough and continue to mix until it is totally combined.
• Scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
• Allow the dough to rest in a warm, draft-free place (approximately 1 hour).
• No need to worry that it didn't rise much. It won't at this point.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll the dough out into a log shape.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal portions.
• Set three portions aside while you shape the first loaf.
• Roll three portions of dough into approximately 9" ropes.
• Braid the three ropes together, pinching the ends.
• Place the braid into a greased loaf pan, making sure to tuck the ends under if needed.
• Continue the same process with the second loaf.
• Allow the braided loaves to rise until considerably larger (this will take approximately 3½ - 4 hours). 
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

• Brush the top of the risen loaves with the reserved egg whites and sprinkle with additional shredded cheese.
• Bake the bread in a preheated oven for 15 minutes then reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30-35 minutes until the loaves are a deep, golden brown.
• Remove and allow to cool completely before slicing.

How to braid (plait) a 3 strand loaf of bread:

But enough of my going on and on about the wonderful qualities of this homemade cheese bread. It's time for the recipe, don't you think?

**Note - All good things come to those who wait. The second rise time for this bread is 3-4 hours, so please plan accordingly and start this bread early in the morning if you want fresh bread for dinner.

Printable Recipe Card

Italian Easter Cheese Bread

Renee Goerger

The texture of this golden plaited Italian Easter Cheese Bread is incredibly light and airy, but the crust is crisp and crunchy thanks to all that delicious Italian cheese!

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

proofing time 5 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course bread, Yeast Bread

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2 loaves

Calories 1826 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 5 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2½ teaspoons active dry yeast
• ▢ 6 large eggs at room temperature
• ▢ 2 large egg yolks whites reserved
• ▢ ½ cup lukewarm milk, plus 3 tablespoons
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese plus additional for topping
• ▢ ½ cup shredded Asiago cheese plus additional for topping
• ▢ ½ cup shredded Romano cheese plus additional for topping

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Instructions

 

• Combine all of the dough ingredients (except the cheese) in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed for 10 minutes or until the dough becomes shiny and satiny. It will be very sticky. Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically during mixing.
• Add the cheese to the dough and continue to mix until it is totally combined.
• Scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm, draft-free place (approximately 1 hour). No need to worry that it didn't rise much. It won't at this point.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll the dough out into a log shape. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Set three portions aside while you shape the first loaf.
• Roll three portions of dough into approximate 9" ropes. Braid the three ropes together, pinching the ends. Place the braid into a greased loaf pan, making sure to tick the ends under if needed. Continue the same process with the second loaf.
• Allow the braided loaves to rise until considerably larger (this will take approximately 3½ - 4 hours).
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Brush the top of the risen loaves with the reserved egg whites and sprinkle with additional shredded cheese.
• Bake the bread in a preheated oven for 15 minutes then reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30-35 minutes until the loaves are a deep, golden brown.
• Remove and allow to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Note - the calorie count listed is for one entire loaf of bread. For the calorie count per slice, divide the total (per loaf) by the number of slices.

 

**Note - All good things come to those who wait. The second rise time for this bread is 3-4 hours, so please plan accordingly and start this bread early in the morning if you want fresh bread for dinner.

Nutrition

Serving: 1loafCalories: 1826kcalCarbohydrates: 252gProtein: 90gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 888mgSodium: 3698mgPotassium: 887mgFiber: 12gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1780IUCalcium: 1072mgIron: 19mg

I sincerely hope you've enjoyed today's recipe for Italian Easter Cheese Bread as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you.

Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!