Best Vanilla Glazed Easter Bread

Every Easter, I love baking something that makes the house smell amazing and feels a little extra special.

And this vanilla glazed bread is simple but looks fancy enough for Easter dinner.

Soft inside with a golden crust that impressed even my mother-in-law!

Don’t worry if you’ve never made Italian bread before!

If I can pull this off while packing soccer bags and hunting for the oldest’s missing shin guards, anyone can.

Plus the vanilla glaze on top is easy to make and just sweet enough without being too much.

What are your Easter traditions?

Why not try this for your Easter tradition?

Vanilla Glazed Easter Bread: What You Need

All-purpose flour: nothing fancy for this.
Active dry yeast: The little packets work for this recipe.
Warm milk: Adds moisture helps activate the yeast
Granulated sugar: Just the white type is all you need.
Unsalted butter: Unsalted is best, but if all you have is salted, that’s fine.
Eggs
Vanilla extract: The “real” stuff is best, but what you have will work too.
Salt
Powdered sugar: The base for the glaze
Milk (for the glaze): Helps thin out the glaze so it’s easy to drizzle.
Vanilla extract (for the glaze): Gives the glaze a little extra flavor to tie it all together.
Colorful sprinkles

How to Make Vanilla Glazed Easter Bread

Step 1: Pour warm milk in a small bowl, sprinkle yeast on top and let it sit about 5 minutes until it gets foamy.

Step 2: While that’s happening, dump flour, sugar and salt in your biggest mixing bowl.

Step 3: Add melted butter (I microwave it), eggs, vanilla and that foamy yeast mixture to your dry stuff.

Step 4: Mix everything until it looks like dough, then knead it for like 8-10 minutes. If you have a mixer with dough hooks, even better.

Step 5: Grease a bowl, plop in your dough ball, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise somewhere warm for 1-2 hours.

Step 6: After it doubles in size, punch that dough down and shape it however you want. We usually braid it because it looks fancy with minimal effort.

Step 7: Put it on a baking sheet with parchment paper, cover again, and let it rise another 30-45 minutes.

Step 8: Heat your oven to 350°F and bake about 25-30 minutes until golden. You know its done when you tap the bottom and it sounds hollow.

Step 9: While it cools, mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla for the glaze.

Step 10: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bread and add your colorful sprinkles and let it set before slicing.

Vanilla Glazed Easter Bread Recipe

This Easter bread is seriously good.

It’s soft inside, just sweet enough, and makes the house smell amazing.

The vanilla glaze on top turns it from regular bread into something special enough for Easter dinner!

Every bit is soft, slightly sweet, and has that homemade charm that makes any spring gathering feel a little cozier.

And the glaze gives it just enough sweetness to make each slice feel like something special.

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
¾ cup warm milk
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
Colorful sprinkles

Steps:

Preheat oven at 350°F and mix yeast with warm milk, let sit 5 mins till foamy.
In big bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.
Add butter, eggs, vanilla and yeast mixture.
Mix and knead 8-10 mins until smooth.
Put in greased bowl, cover with towel, let rise 1-2 hours.
Punch down dough, shape into braid or round
Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, rise another 30-45 mins.
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 mins until golden and sounds hollow when tapped
Mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla for glaze while bread cools
Drizzle glaze over bread and add some colorful sprinkles, let set before slicing

Easter bread for Easter morning before! Everyone will enjoy this bread. Even my oldest asked for seconds.