Hearty Easter bread? Yes, that is exactly what is missing on your Easter table

Everyone knows sweet Easter bread - but have you already tried the hearty variant? Crispy, spicy, with cheese, herbs and a touch of Italy: inspired by CasatiLo Napoletano, this Easter bread brings variety to your Easter table. With tips, variations and ideas for modification!

Easter without Easter bread? Hardly imaginable! But who actually says that it always has to be cute? If you feel like something hearty - without raisins and icing - then this hearty Easter bread is just the thing. Crispy on the outside, fluffy, nice and spicy and perfect for the brunch, to the soup or just with a glass of wine. In this article I will show you how you can easily bake it yourself - including tips, variants and ideas for modifying.

Maybe you have never tried the “hearty” Easter bread, and that's completely okay - but it's definitely the time to change it! In contrast to the usual sweet variants, which are often overloaded with raisins or sugar, the hearty prepared Easter bread brings a spicy freshness to the Easter board.

In Italy you know a similar specialty: the CasatiLO Napoletano - a traditional, hearty Easter bread from Naples, which is baked in the dough with salami, cheese and cooked eggs. It is a festive classic and shows that love for spicy Easter pastries goes far beyond our borders.

You also discover interestingRecipes for baking without sugar for Easter.

Recipe for a hearty Easter bread with cheese and herbs

Ingredients (for a bread - approx. 10/12 slices):

• 500 g wheat flour (preferably Type 550, which results in a loose dough)
• 1 cube fresh yeast (42 g) or 1 packet of dry yeast
• 250 ml of lukewarm milk
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 2 TL salt
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 50 g soft butter
• 100 g grated cheese (e.g. Emmentaler, Gouda or mountain cheese, or mix different varieties)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped herbs (e.g. chives, parsley, thyme)
• Optional: 1 small onion (finely diced) or 100 g diced ham or bacon (for an extra hearty note)

Tipp:If you like it a little more rustic, you can replace part of the wheat flour with spelled flour or mix in roasted sunflower seeds.

Inspired by Italy:If you feel like a special eye -catcher, you can - like the CasatiLo Napoletano - press in one or two whole cooked eggs in the dough before the bread is baked. It not only looks great, but also makes your Easter bread a real topic of conversation!

Preparation:

1. Activate yeast:Loosen the yeast with the sugar in the lukewarm milk and let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes until blisters form.
2. Knead the dough:Put the flour, salt, eggs, butter and yeast milk in a large bowl and process it into a smooth dough with the dough hooks or hands. This can take 7–10 minutes - the longer, the better the consistency.
3. Fold in the cheese and herbs:Now the grated cheese, the fresh herbs are coming and - if they like - onions or bacon cubes. Mix in everything well.
4. Let the dough go:Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough go in a warm place for about 1 hour until it has doubled.
5. Forms and let it rest again:Form the dough on a floured area into a round or oval bread loaf. Alternatively, you can also make small rolls out of it. Place on a sheet lined with baking paper and let it rest for another 20-30 minutes.
6. Bake:Preheat the oven to 180 ° C top/bottom heat. Bake the bread on a medium shelf for about 35–40 minutes until it is golden brown. If you are unsure: knock on the underside - it sounds hollow, it's done.

Discover tooHow you can bake yeast braids yourself for Easter.

Thermomix-Version (TM5/TM6)

1. Heat the milk, yeast and sugar for 2 min. / 37 ° C / level 2.
2. Add flour, salt, eggs, butter - 3 min. / Knead the dough.
3. Fold the cheese, herbs & other ingredients for 30 seconds / left -wing skating / level 4.
4. Let the dough rest for 1 hour, then process it as above.

Airfryer version (e.g. for small Easter rolls)

1. Form small rolls out of the dough (approx. 6–8 pieces).
2. Bake in the Airfryer at 160 ° C for about 15–18 minutes.
3. Do not forget to forget! Be sure to check in between - every airfry is a little different!
4. For a golden crust, brush the surface with whisked egg.

Tips & variants for the perfect hearty Easter bread

If you want to vary something, here are a few inspirations:

• Mediterranean variant:With dried tomatoes, olives and feta.
• Bavarian:With coarse mustard, leek and a shot wheat beer in the dough.
• Low carb / gluten -free:With almond flour and curd.
• With nuts & herbs:For a rustic aroma - e.g. B. walnuts & rosemary.
• Mini-Easter bread:Baked in a muffin form - ideal as a gift or for the buffet.
• With wild garlic:Perfect for spring time!
• Vegan? No problem:Replace the eggs with 2 tablespoons of soy light + 4 tablespoons of water, use butter through margarine and herbal cheese.
• Back carefully:If the bread tanned too quickly, you can cover it with aluminum foil to prevent browning.
• Keep fresh longer:If you want to bake the bread in advance, let it cool completely and then wrap it into cling film. So it stays fresh for a few days.
• Freezing is also possible:Cut into slices, freeze and briefly opened if necessary.

I love serving the hearty Easter bread slightly warm, with a little salted butter or cream cheese. It also fits perfectly with smoked salmon or an egg spread. For the Easter brunch, it is now a must - and usually eaten faster than anything else on the table. Happy Easter and a lot of fun baking!