Osterbrot (German Easter Bread)

Nov 7, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Quick breads Medium

A round, golden Easter loaf of rich, lightly sweet yeast dough studded with raisins and chopped almonds and scented with lemon. A cross is cut into the top before baking, and sliced almonds and pearl sugar give it a crunchy, shiny crust. Makes 1 loaf in about 4 hr 30 min.

Prep 35 min

Cook 40 min

Cooling 1 hr

Total 4 hr 30 min

Servings 14

Ingredients

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servings

4 cups (500 g)all-purpose flour, plus a little for shaping
¼ oz (9 g)instant yeast
⅓ cup (70 g)granulated sugar
¾ tsp (5 g)salt
1 ½ tsp (3 g)lemon zest, finely grated
14 tbsp (210 ml)whole milk, lukewarm
1 (50 g)egg, room temperature
½ cup (100 g)unsalted butter, very soft
1 cup (150 g)raisins, soaked 15 minutes in warm water, drained and patted dry
½ cup (60 g)blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
1 (18 g)egg yolk
1 tbsp (15 ml)milk
2 ½ tbsp (15 g)sliced almonds
½ oz (15 g)pearl sugar

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Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, instant yeast, granulated sugar, salt and lemon zest. Add the lukewarm whole milk and the egg and knead for 5 minutes.
Add the unsalted butter in small pieces and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic and pulls cleanly from the bowl, 8 to 10 minutes more. Add the raisins and chopped blanched almonds and knead just until evenly mixed, 1 to 2 minutes.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 75 to 90 minutes.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a tight, smooth ball by tucking the edges underneath, pushing any surface raisins inside. Set it seam side down on the lined baking sheet.
Cover loosely and let rise until puffy and about 1 1/2 times its size, 40 to 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) during this rise.
Whisk the egg yolk with the milk and brush the loaf all over. With a sharp knife or razor, cut a cross about 1/2 inch (1 cm) deep across the top, then sprinkle with the sliced almonds and pearl sugar.
Bake until deep golden brown, hollow-sounding when tapped underneath and 190°F (88°C) in the center, 35 to 40 minutes; cover loosely with foil after 20 minutes if the top darkens quickly.
Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing into wedges.

Tips

Soak and dry the raisins so they stay plump without making the dough wet.
A taut surface when shaping gives a high, round loaf that does not spread.
Serve sliced with butter, or toast day-old slices.
Good with coffee with butter.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make osterbrot (german easter bread)?

Plan on 35 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking, plus 3 hours 15 minutes to rise and rest. The recipe makes 1 loaf (14 servings).

How should I store osterbrot (german easter bread)?

Keep wrapped at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months.

Can I make osterbrot (german easter bread) ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Baked across Germany and especially in Franconia for Easter Sunday coffee, Osterbrot is a round, butter-rich yeast loaf with raisins and almonds, brushed with egg for shine; it marked the sweet end of the Lenten fast, and its round golden shape is said to stand for the sun. Serve it with coffee with butter.

Variations

Bite-size Easter buns: divide the dough into 12 balls, cut a small cross in each, and bake 18 to 22 minutes.
Saffron gold: steep a pinch (about 0.1 g) of saffron threads in the warm milk for 10 minutes before mixing, for the traditional yellow crumb.
Candied peel: replace 50 g (1/3 cup) of the raisins with finely diced candied lemon peel; baking time unchanged.
Nut-free: leave out the chopped and sliced almonds and add 50 g (1/3 cup) more raisins.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 14 servings this recipe makes.

289 Calories / serving

10.2g Fat

44.0g Carbs

6.5g Protein

13.6g Sugar

Whole recipe (14 servings): ~4046 cal · 143g fat · 616g carbs · 91g protein · 190g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.