🐣✨ Grandma’s Giant Easter Sweet Bread (Rosca de Pascua) – Soft, Fluffy & Traditional

This Grandma’s Giant Easter Sweet Bread (Rosca de Pascua) is a classic homemade recipe—soft, aromatic, and beautifully finished with pastry cream and quince paste 💛

A traditional Easter dessert that brings back memories of family gatherings and homemade baking.

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🛒 Ingredients

For the Dough

• 400 g all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs 🥚
• 100 ml warm milk 🥛
• 80 g sugar
• 10 g dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 40 ml oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 orange 🍊

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🥣 For the Pastry Cream

• 500 ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 150 g sugar
• 45 g cornstarch
• 35 g all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

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✨ For Finishing

• Quince paste (cut into small pieces)
• Simple syrup (for brushing)

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👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

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1. Activate the Yeast

In a small bowl, mix:

• Warm milk
• Dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Let sit for 10 minutes until foamy.

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2. Prepare the Dough

In a large bowl, add:

• Flour
• Eggs
• Sugar
• Honey
• Oil
• Vanilla
• Orange zest
• Activated yeast

Mix with a spoon, then knead with your hands until a dough forms.

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3. Knead

Transfer to a work surface and knead for 10–15 minutes until:

• Smooth
• Soft
• Elastic

👉 Slight stickiness is normal.

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4. First Rise

Form into a ball, place in a bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

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5. Shape the Ring

• Gently deflate the dough
• Shape into a ring with a hole in the center
• Place in a greased 24 cm mold

Cover and let rise again for 30–40 minutes.

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6. First Bake

Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes.

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🥣 Make the Pastry Cream

7. Prepare the Cream

• Heat the milk (do not boil)
• In another bowl, mix eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and flour
• Slowly add hot milk while stirring

Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thick.
Remove from heat, add vanilla, and let cool.

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🍰 Decoration & Final Bake

8. Decorate the Bread

Remove the bread from the oven.
Add pastry cream on top using a piping bag or spoon.
Sprinkle with quince paste pieces.

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9. Second Bake

Return to the oven for 20 more minutes, until golden and fully baked.

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10. Final Touch

Brush with simple syrup while warm for a shiny, bakery-style finish ✨

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💡 Pro Tip

Baking the dough first and adding the pastry cream later:
✔ Prevents the cream from burning
✔ Keeps the decoration neat
✔ Gives a more professional look

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🌟 Final Result

A soft, fluffy, and fragrant Easter bread topped with creamy custard and sweet quince—
a true homemade classic full of tradition and flavor 💛🐣