Name: Easy German Easter Bread with Marzipan (Osterkranz)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: 1 egg (medium size, at room temperature ); 250 ml milk (lukewarm); 2 teaspoon instant yeast; 60 g granulated sugar; 500 g all-purpose flour (UK plain flour, Germany type 505); 1/2 tsp salt; 80 g butter (room temperature ); 3 tbsp sliced almonds (to decorate (optional)); 200 g marzipan (see how to make homemade marzipan here); 200 g ground almonds; 50 g granulated sugar; 50 g butter; 6 tbsp milk; 3 tsbp sliced almonds; 3 tbsp powdered sugar (optional)

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If you've ever made a plain braided Easter bread and thought "this is nice, but it needs something more" - this is the recipe you've been waiting for. This German Easter bread (Osterkranz) is filled with a rich marzipan and almond paste, braided into the folds of soft yeast dough and shaped into a showstopping edible Easter wreath.

Growing up near Frankfurt, this is the Easter bread my family made every year. As children, we'd burst in from our Easter egg hunt - always started much too early for my poor parents - to find it sitting proudly on the table, still warm from the oven, its sweet almond smell tickling our noses before our bellies had even started to rumble.

Let me show you how to make this easy German Easter bread, and tell you about the tradition and symbolism behind it along the way.

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German Easter Bread: Meaning, Shapes and Tradition
How to Make German Easter Bread
Pro Tips: How to Make Your Yeast Dough Rise Every Time
One Dough, Four Variations - Something for Everyone
How to Serve It Like a German
Storage Instructions
More German Easter Recipes
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Recipe

German Easter Bread: Meaning, Shapes and Tradition

German Easter bread has been baked for centuries, originally to break the Lenten fast - the 40-day period before Easter when many Germans would give up rich foods like butter, eggs and sugar. Baking this sweet, enriched bread on Easter Saturday (Karsamstag) and serving it at Sunday breakfast was the delicious reward at the end of a long wait.

The bread comes in three traditional shapes, each with its own name and meaning:

German Name	English Translation	Shape	Symbolism
Osterbrot	Easter bread	Round loaf	The sun; Jesus as the light of the world
Osterzopf	Easter braid	Long braided loaf	The Holy Trinity - three strands, one bread
Osterkranz	Easter wreath	Braided wreath	Eternity and renewal; no beginning, no end

This recipe makes an Osterkranz - the wreath - which is the most festive of the three shapes and the one most commonly found in German bakeries at Easter. The circular shape is no accident. A wreath has no beginning and no end, representing eternal life and the promise of spring returning year after year.

The golden colour of the bread is symbolic too. Traditionally, dough was made with saffron or brushed generously with egg yolk before baking, giving it a warm, sun-like glow - a nod to the return of light after the long winter months.

A hand picking at a German Easter Wreath Bread.

How to Make German Easter Bread

This Easter bread recipe is not complicated. Don't be intimidated by the yeast dough - I'll share my best tips so it works every time. I'll also show you how to make your own marzipan, in case it's difficult to get hold of where you live. The only thing you need to factor in is enough time for the dough to rise.

Ingredients You'll Need

For the detailed instructions and exact measurements, please jump to the printable recipe card

The recipe starts with a simple yeast dough. All you need is instant yeast, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, one egg and butter. Nothing fancy - these are everyday pantry staples you almost certainly already have at home.

The star of the show is the marzipan almond filling. Don't worry if you can't find marzipan where you live - you can use my easy homemade marzipan recipe instead. I'd actually recommend it, because German marzipan is higher quality than most marzipan sold in the UK or USA. In Germany, marzipan must contain at least 50% almonds by law, giving it a richer, more intense flavour than the sweeter, pastier versions you'll find on American store shelves. The filling itself is beautifully simple - marzipan, ground almonds (affiliate link) and sugar mixed with melted butter and a splash of milk to create a crumbly, fragrant paste that melts into the dough as it bakes.

Recipe Steps

Step 1 - Make the Dough

Set your oven to its lowest setting (around 50°C/122°F). Whisk your egg and set aside 2 tablespoons mixed with a splash of milk - this is your egg wash for later, so pop it in the fridge. Add the yeast and sugar to the lukewarm milk, stir, and leave for 10 minutes until frothy and bubbling. Then combine the flour, butter, salt and remaining egg in a large bowl, pour in the yeast mixture and knead for 10 minutes until smooth. Cover with a damp tea towel, turn the oven off and let the dough rise inside for 1 hour until doubled in size.

yeast dough rolled out topped with Marzipan past.

Step 2 - Add the Marzipan Filling

While the dough rises, mix together the marzipan, ground almonds (affiliate link), sugar, melted butter and milk until you have a crumbly paste. Once the dough has doubled, roll it out on a floured surface into a rectangle roughly 12 x 16 inches/ 30 x 40 cm. Spread the marzipan filling evenly over the dough, then roll it up tightly from the long edge to form a log.

the yeast roll beig separated into two parts

Step 3 - Shape the Wreath

Place the log on a parchment-lined baking tray. Using a sharp knife, cut it lengthwise into two strands - don't be nervous, this is the fun part! Twist the two strands around each other and bring the ends together to form a wreath. Cover and rest for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).

Step 4 - Brush and Bake

Brush the wreath with your reserved egg wash and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake for 45 minutes - it's ready when golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool before dusting with powdered sugar if you like, and serve with butter and jam.

Pro Tips: How to Make Your Yeast Dough Rise Every Time

Baking with yeast isn't rocket science, but getting a perfect rise does require attention to a few key details. Follow these pro tips to ensure fluffy, beautiful bread every single time:

Get the water temperature right. Yeast loves warmth and sugar! Aim for lukewarm water between 86-95°F (30-35°C)-it should feel like a warm bath on your wrist. Too hot (above 113°F/45°C) and you'll kill the yeast. Too cold and it won't activate.
Check your yeast's expiration date. Expired yeast is the #1 reason dough fails to rise. Always check the date, and when in doubt, proof your yeast first-it should get foamy within 10 minutes.
Create the perfect rising spot. Yeast dough loves to rise at around 95°F (35°C), but anything over 104°F (40°C) is too hot. If your kitchen is chilly, try this trick: preheat your oven to the lowest setting, turn it off, then place your covered bowl inside. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel to keep it from drying out.
Knead for light, airy buns. Don't skip the kneading! A good 10-minute knead develops the gluten that makes your bread soft and fluffy. Your dough should feel smooth, elastic, and just slightly sticky when it's ready.

One Dough, Four Variations - Something for Everyone

Nutella Easter Bread - swap the marzipan filling for a generous layer of Nutella spread over the rolled-out dough. Kids absolutely love this version and it couldn't be simpler.
Poppy Seed Easter Bread - replace the marzipan filling with a traditional German poppy seed filling for an even more authentic bakery-style result. I use the same filling from my [German Poppy Seed Bread (Mohnstriezel)](your link here) - it works beautifully in this wreath shape.
Pearl Sugar (affiliate link) Topping - swap the slivered almonds for pearl sugar (affiliate link) (Hagelzucker in German) for a traditional German bakery finish with a delicate sparkle and subtle crunch. You can find it on Amazon if your local store doesn't carry it.
Powdered Sugar Finish - skip the topping altogether and simply dust with powdered sugar once cooled for a clean, elegant look.

How to Serve It Like a German

This Easter bread is just as at home on an Easter brunch table as it is as a cake substitute for Kaffee und Kuchen - the beloved German tradition of coffee and cake at around 3pm. You can eat it fresh out of the oven just as it is, or spread with butter and jam for breakfast. Personally, I love it with British marmalade - the slight bitterness and citrus tang is a wonderful contrast to the sweet marzipan filling.

Storage Instructions

Store your Easter bread in an airtight container at room temperature - never in the fridge, as this actually dries bread out faster. It will stay fresh and delicious for up to three days, though in my experience it rarely lasts that long!

If you want to make it ahead, this bread freezes beautifully. Once completely cooled, wrap it tightly and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours and it tastes almost freshly baked.

This post was first posted in April 2015. I updated the recipe and updated this post in February 2021. The easter bread changed from a fruit and nut recipe to a marzipan and almond recipe. You can download the old recipe for German Easter Bread with Fruit and Nuts here.