Mona de Pascua
Mona de Pascua is a traditional Spanish Easter cake, often decorated with hard-boiled eggs and colorful toppings. This sweet, brioche-like bread is a delightful treat for spring celebrations. It's perfect for sharing with family and friends.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 4 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 437 kcal
Allergen information: may contain eggs, gluten, and milk. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
dough
- 500 gall-purpose flour
- 100 ggranulated sugar
- 25 gfresh yeast
- 120 mlmilk, lukewarm
- 2 pcslarge egg
- 80 gbutter, softened
- 1 tsplemon zest
- 1 tsporange zest
- 0.5 tspsalt
topping
- 1 pcslarge egg, for egg wash
- 4 pcshard-boiled egg, for decoration
- 2 tbspcolorful sprinkles(optional)
- 2 tbsppearl sugar(optional)
Equipment
wire rack · baking sheet · parchment paper · small bowl · large mixing bowl · stand mixer
The method
Step by step
- 1
In a small bowl, dissolve the fresh yeast in the lukewarm milk and add a pinch of the granulated sugar. Let it sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Ensure the milk is lukewarm, not hot, to activate the yeast effectively.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, remaining granulated sugar, salt, lemon zest, and orange zest.
About 2 min
- 3
Add the two large eggs and the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Mix with a spoon or in a stand mixer with a dough hook until a shaggy dough forms.
About 5 min
- 4
Add the softened butter, piece by piece, incorporating each addition before adding the next. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes until it is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
About 15 min
Cook’s note: If kneading by hand, flour your surface lightly if necessary, but try to avoid adding too much extra flour.
- 5
Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
About 2 hr
Cook’s note: A slightly warm oven (turned off) or a sunny spot can help the dough rise faster.
- 6
Gently punch down the risen dough to release the air. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a round or oval loaf.
About 5 min
- 7
Place the shaped loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently press one hard-boiled egg into the center of each loaf, or arrange them decoratively.
About 3 min
- 8
Cover the loaves loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let them rise again for another 45-60 minutes, or until visibly puffy.
About 1 hr
- 9
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
About 15 min
- 10
Whisk the remaining large egg for the egg wash. Gently brush the tops of the risen loaves with the egg wash.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: Be careful not to deflate the dough when brushing with the egg wash.
- 11
Sprinkle with colorful sprinkles and/or pearl sugar, if using.
About 1 min
- 12
Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. If the tops are browning too quickly, you can loosely tent them with aluminum foil.
About 30 min
Cook’s note: A wooden skewer inserted into the center of the bread should come out clean when it's fully baked.
- 13
Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
About 30 min
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 437kcal
- Protein
- 12.6g
- Carbs
- 65.2g
- Fat
- 13.7g
- Fibre
- 1.8g
- Sugar
- 17.8g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store Mona de Pascua in an airtight container at room temperature.
Mona de Pascua is best eaten at room temperature; reheating is not recommended as it may dry out the bread.