6 Easter Breads from Around the World

Around the world, multitudes of people observe Easter each spring – and many of them honor this sacred holiday by baking and sharing delicious breads. If you’re a connoisseur of Easter bakes, you may have noticed that many of these breads share similar ingredients, flavors, and even techniques! This points to the idea of Christians sharing Easter bread with those around them, which in turn spread sacred baking traditions across the world. No matter how you commemorate Easter in your faith tradition, Easter is a great time to meet God with your hands in dough.

Baking can actually be a form of prayer and a significant spiritual practice in our lives. If encountering God in your everyday kitchen rhythm calls to you, you’ll find many of these Easter bread recipes (and many more) in Bake and Pray. 

1. Paska

Paska, or Ukrainian Easter Bread, is similar to a brioche. Made with enriched dough and often braided in elaborate designs, this bread is enjoyed by many in the Eastern Christian tradition. Some varieties add dried fruit, while others simply glaze and bake their braided masterpiece. 

2. Tsoureki

Tsoureki is a kind of Greek brioche that holds sacred meaning for Greek Christians. After braiding the enriched dough, bakers press dyed red Easter eggs into their creation. The red adornment symbolizes the blood of Jesus. 

3. Defo Dabo

Defo dabo is also known as Ethiopian Milk and Honey Bread. This bread is also created with enriched dough, but when baked traditionally, it’s wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over an open fire! The result is a bread that’s not overly savory or sweet — a perfectly balanced slice. 

4. Italian Easter Bread

Italy’s take on Easter baking includes a bright surprise smack in the middle! This enriched dough wreath features a dyed egg in the center, making it the perfect festive centerpiece for a sacred holiday meal. 

5. Pinca

The rich, buttery dough of pinka bread is made even more flavorful by adding citrus zest and sometimes candied fruit. This Croatian tradition yields a fluffy, tasty loaf that’s enjoyed by Christians in Slovenia, Austria, and (of course) Croatia. 

6. Choreg

In Armenian culture, traditional brioche is made even sweeter for Easter. The added sugar content in choreg makes it a perfect breakfast offering — it pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee in the morning. 

If you’re ready to get your hands in dough as Easter approaches, Bake and Pray is here for you! Within its pages, you’ll journey through bread baking, but you’ll also receive a deeper appreciation for the ways God can shape you in the process.