Chef and pastry expert Osvaldo Gross published on Mar. 30 a detailed recipe for a braided Easter bread, known as rosca de Pascua trenzada, designed especially for the festive season.
The recipe was shared by Gross on his social media accounts and features a soft dough created with an initial sponge, followed by folding techniques to achieve a flaky texture. The filling combines traditional Easter flavors such as almonds, chocolate, and fruit.
Gross’s method involves making a liquid starter with flour, milk, and yeast that is left to rise until doubled in volume. The rest of the ingredients are then kneaded together with the sponge to form a smooth dough. After letting it rise again and chilling it in the refrigerator for two hours, the dough is rolled out and layered with butter through several folds to create flakiness.
For the filling, chopped nuts are mixed with cake crumbs, sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, apricot jam, chocolate chips, cherries, and fondant to make a spreadable paste. The filled dough is shaped into a braid before being baked at 180°C for about 35-40 minutes.
Gross suggests brushing the finished bread with fruit jelly or shiny fondant once out of the oven. He also provides instructions for preparing an extra nut-based filling if desired.
The recipe offers home bakers an opportunity to prepare this traditional treat during Holy Week using step-by-step guidance from one of Argentina’s most well-known pastry chefs.
