Osterzopf - A Traditional German Easter Bread
Doesn’t this look super yummy?
If you have seen enough of eggs this Easter and long for something to satisfy your kids’ and your own sweet tooth, then try out this traditional German recipe – the “Osterzopf” (from German Ostern – Easter, Zopf – braid). It’s a simple pastry with or without almonds and raisins and there are many ways to form the dough.
We went for the traditional braid and cute little Easter bunnies.
Braided Easter Egg Bread Recipe
- 500 g flour
- 21 g yeast
- 75 g sugar
- 125 ml milk (warm)
- 2 eggs
- 100 g soft butter
- vanilla sugar
- some salt
- egg yolk and a teaspoon of milk to smear on the pastry
- white sugar crystals
- raisins (optional)
- almonds (optional)
Step 1:
Make a little hollow into the flour.
Step 2:
Crumble the yeast in this hollow.
Step 3:
Add a teaspoon of sugar.
Step 4:
Add 4 tablespoons of warm (not hot!) milk.
Step 5:
Mix the pre-dough in the middle by adding some of the surrounding flour. Cover it and let it rest for 20 minutes in a warm place.
Step 6:
Add the eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt. Have your kids knead the dough with their hands.
Step 7:
Add the milk and mix it. Then form a smooth dough with your hands.
Step 8:
Let it rest again for 45 minutes. Then knead it again with your hands and form strings of dough. We made small ones but you could also use the whole dough on one single braid.
Step 9:
Together with your kids, braid the dough until it looks just like Rapunzel’s hair.
Step 10:
The little bunnies are made from one string of dough for the body and the ears are simply cut in. Add almonds and raisins as ears and eyes.
Step 11:
For the big bunny head we added raisins to the dough and cut into a piece of dough. The ears of the bunny you can form them until you are happy with it. Add raisins as eyes and almonds as teeth.
Step 12:
Preheat the oven to 200°C and let the pastries rest for another 30 minutes. Then put the mixture of egg yolk and milk onto all the pastries. Add the sugar crystals and almonds if you like. Put it in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until it’s golden and yummy.
Enjoy your Osterzopf with the whole family and some butter and jam.
