The Ultimate Italian Airy Easter Bunny Brioche
Yield: 8 bunnies | Prep: 45 min | Rise time: 6–8 hrs (or overnight) | Bake: 20–25 min at 180°C | Level: Intermediate
Pillowy, golden Italian brioche shaped into adorable bunnies — built on a slow-fermented biga and Molino Naldoni Manitoba Flour Tipo 0 for a crumb so soft it practically melts. This is the Easter brioche buns recipe your table has been waiting for.
Why Manitoba Flour Changes Everything
Most brioche doughs collapse under the weight of butter. Manitoba flour — a high-protein Tipo 0 Italian flour — doesn't. Its exceptional gluten strength lets the dough absorb every gram of butter and still rise tall, hold its shape, and bake into the kind of open, feathery crumb you'd find in a Milanese pasticceria.
We use Molino Naldoni Manitoba Flour Tipo 0, sourced directly from Italy — the same premium Italian flour that professional bakers rely on for panettone, colomba pasquale, and enriched Easter breads. It is what makes clean bunny ears possible through proofing and baking. Standard flour simply cannot do that.
What makes it different:
High Protein — Tipo 0 Classification. More protein means stronger gluten — critical for absorbing 200g of butter without the dough tearing or deflating during mixing or rising.
Built for Long Fermentation Manitoba flour thrives in overnight biga recipes. The slow rise develops a flavour complexity that quick-rise methods never achieve. This is what Manitoba flour is used for — enriched, long-fermentation doughs where structure and flavour both matter.
Holds Shaped Detail Ears, curves, definition — the dough stays exactly where you put it through proofing and baking. For a shaped Easter bread like this, that is everything.
Ingredients
Biga (Overnight Sponge)
• 150g Molino Naldoni Manitoba Flour Tipo 0
• 85ml lukewarm water
• 3g fresh yeast (or 1g active dry yeast)
Main Dough
• 350g Molino Naldoni Manitoba Flour Tipo 0
• 150g Tipo 00 flour (or all-purpose; or substitute with more Manitoba)
• 200g unsalted butter, softened to a spreadable consistency
• 120ml whole milk, lukewarm
• 100g granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 10g fresh yeast (or 4g active dry yeast)
• 10g honey
• 1 tbsp orange zest or vanilla bean paste
Finish and Topping
• 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk (egg wash)
• 24 dark chocolate chips (eyes and nose)
• 2 tbsp pearl sugar or sliced almonds (optional)
• Powdered sugar for dusting
Method
Step 1 — Build the Biga
Dissolve 3g fresh yeast in 85ml lukewarm water. Stir in 150g of Molino Naldoni Manitoba Flour Tipo 0 until a rough, shaggy dough forms — it does not need to be smooth. Cover and leave at room temperature for 3–4 hours until doubled and visibly bubbly.
Baker's tip: For the deepest, most complex flavour, refrigerate the biga overnight (12–16 hours). This slow fermentation is the step that makes homemade Easter bread taste like it came from an Italian bakery. It is also what separates a great Italian easter brioche bread recipe from an ordinary one.
Step 2 — Mix the Main Dough
In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 350g Manitoba Flour Tipo 0 and 150g Tipo 00 flour. Add the sugar, honey, orange zest or vanilla paste, and crumble in the fresh yeast. Add the biga, eggs, egg yolk, and lukewarm milk. Mix on low speed until everything comes together into a cohesive mass. Manitoba flour's high protein content works visibly fast — the dough turns smooth and elastic quickly.
Step 3 — Incorporate the Butter (Patience Pays Off)
With the mixer running on medium-low, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time. Do not rush this — wait until each piece is fully absorbed before adding the next. The whole process takes 15–20 minutes.
You are done when the dough is shiny, pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl, and passes the windowpane test: stretch a small piece between your fingers, and it should thin out enough to see light through without tearing.
Baker's tip: This is where Molino Naldoni Manitoba Flour earns its place as the best flour for brioche. Its protein strength is what allows the dough to absorb 200g of butter and remain elastic enough to shape. A standard brioche flour simply cannot do this.
Step 4 — First Rise with Stretch and Fold
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and rest in a warm spot (24–26°C) for 3–4 hours until doubled. After the first hour, do one round of stretch and folds: wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat four times. This builds the gluten structure that will hold your bunny shapes through the final proof.
Step 5 — Portion the Dough
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. For each Easter bunny, divide the dough into three parts:
Easter Bunny Shaping Guide — per bunny (makes 8)
Part Weight How to shape
Body 80g Roll into a smooth ball. Place first on the tray.
Head 40g Smooth ball. Press gently above the body so they touch.
Ears × 2 15g each Roll into 10cm ropes, tapered at one end. Angle outward.
Weigh and pre-shape all portions before assembling so you can work through them consistently.
Step 6 — Assemble and Final Proof
On a parchment-lined baking tray, place the body ball first. Set the head ball just above it, pressing gently so they touch. For each ear, press the flat (untapered) end firmly against the top of the head and angle them slightly outward. Pinch lightly at each join to secure. Leave 5–6cm between bunnies to allow for the final proof.
Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and proof at room temperature for 2–3 hours until visibly puffed and pillowy. The(Bunnies) brioche buns should look rounded and soft, not tight or smooth on the surface.
Baker's tip: If the dough becomes sticky mid-shaping, refrigerate it for 20 minutes. Cold dough holds detail better and is much easier to work with.
Step 7 — Egg Wash and Faces
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Mix one egg with one tablespoon of milk to make the egg wash. Brush each bunny generously — covering the ears well for an even golden colour. Press three chocolate chips into position on each bunny: two for eyes on the head ball, one for the nose just below. Press firmly so they do not roll off during baking.
Step 8 — Bake and Finish
Bake at 180°C for 20–25 minutes until deep golden and the internal temperature reaches 90°C (195°F). If the ears are browning faster than the body, lay a small strip of foil loosely over them for the last 8–10 minutes. The base of each bunny should sound hollow when tapped.
Transfer to a wire rack and rest for at least 15 minutes before moving — the crumb needs time to set. Dust generously with powdered sugar just before serving.
Make ahead: Bake the day before, cool completely, and store in an airtight container. Warm gently at 150°C for 8 minutes before serving.
Overnight biga: The longer the biga rests, the more flavour it develops. 12–16 hours in the fridge is the sweet spot.
Butter temperature: Butter must be genuinely soft — spreadable like cream cheese. Cold butter tears the dough. Melted butter breaks the emulsion.
Leftover dough: Shape any remaining dough into classic brioche buns and bake alongside the bunnies at the same temperature.
How to Serve at Easter Day Brunch
These Easter bunny brioche buns are made for a proper Easter morning table. This easter day recipe turns your brunch into a celebration. Arrange them as the centrepiece and serve alongside:
• Fresh strawberries and whipped mascarpone
• Good jam and clotted cream (classic Easter breakfast idea)
• Lemon curd for drizzling
• Sliced and toasted with butter the next morning
• French toast if any survive until day two
• Icing pens for children to decorate their own bunnies
Whether you are building a full spread of Easter brunch recipes or simply want a beautiful Easter treat that doubles as edible table decor, these bunnies do the job beautifully.
About Molino Naldoni Manitoba Flour — Available at Damati Foods
Molino Naldoni is one of Italy's most respected mills, producing premium Tipo 0 Manitoba flour used by professional pastry chefs for panettone, colomba pasquale, and enriched breads across Italy. Manitoba flour (what is manitoba flour? — a high-protein Tipo 0 Italian flour originally named after Canadian hard wheat, perfected by Italian millers) is considered the best flour for artisan bread and the best flour for brioche bread precisely because of its protein strength and fermentation tolerance.
Damati Foods imports Molino Naldoni Manitoba Flour directly from Italy, making authentic imported Italian flour available in India. If you have been searching for where to buy Italian Manitoba flour in India, or wondering how to use Manitoba flour in your home baking — this is your starting point.
Buona Pasqua from the Damati Foods team. Tag us when you bake yours.
