Easter Sweet Pizza is an easy and very soft leavened dessert, typical of the inland areas of the Marche region, but also prepared in neighboring areas of central Italy.
The flavor is very reminiscent of brioche bread and, as you can see, it is a super scenic dessert, traditionally served on Easter breakfast.
You could say it’s the sweet version of the more well-known Cheese Easter Pizza (or Crescia di Pasqua) and every family has its own recipe; some prepare it with candied fruit, others with raisins, or both.
Here I give you the version I learned over the years, since I moved here to the Marche region.
Before I start describing the recipe in detail and the full VIDEO, I leave you here with other Easter recipes of mine that might interest you:

- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: servings for 8-inch mold
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter
Ingredients to make the EASTER SWEET PIZZA
- 2 1/2 cups Manitoba flour (with at least 14 g of protein)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs (whole)
- 1 egg yolk (the white will be used for the glaze)
- 3/4 cup milk (warm)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 packet dry yeast
- 1 packet vanillin
- 3/4 cup candied fruit (or raisins, or a mix of both)
- 1 oz egg white (use the leftover egg white for the recipe)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- to taste sugar sprinkles (rainbow)
Tools to make the EASTER SWEET PIZZA
- Mold aluminum for panettone
- Electric whisks
- Bowl large glass
Steps to make the EASTER SWEET PIZZA
In a glass bowl (the largest you have), break the two eggs; from the third egg, pour in the bowl the yolk, while keep the egg white in the fridge; you will need it for the glaze.
Beat for a few seconds with a fork, then add the sugar continuing to mix; then add the warm milk and vanillin.
Once all the liquid ingredients are well mixed, you can start adding the dry ingredients, which are the flours and dry yeast, which you should pre-mix in a separate bowl before starting to incorporate them into the liquids.
As you add the flours, a little at a time make sure to mix continuously with a fork until the dough becomes workable with your hands.
At this point, you can transfer it onto your work surface and continue to work it for about ten minutes, adding flour if it still feels a bit sticky.
Working it for about ten minutes is very important to achieve a smooth and elastic dough, which will allow you to get a super soft Easter sweet pizza!
After ten minutes, lightly flour the bottom of the bowl you used previously and place the dough in it; cover with plastic wrap and put the bowl in a preheated oven at 122°F. Turn off the oven leaving the light on and let it rise until the volume has doubled; at this temperature, it will take about an hour or slightly more.
At this point, pour the dough onto the work surface, gently flatten it and add the candied fruits (or raisins or both).
Knead the dough briefly to ensure these are evenly distributed, then form as regular a ball as possible and place it in the panettone mold greased and floured; cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for about another hour or until the dough has reached and slightly exceeded the rim of the mold.
Note: recreate the same oven conditions as the first rise for this second rise.
After the second rise, remove the mold from the oven, preheat it to 356°F in static mode, then remove the plastic wrap and bake your Easter sweet pizza for about 45-50 minutes ON THE LOWEST RACK OF THE OVEN.
While waiting for it to bake, you can make the sugar glaze, it will just take a few minutes:
in a not too large bowl, pour the 1 oz of egg white, add the teaspoon of lemon juice, and whip for a few seconds with the electric whisks until you see the first bubbles.
Add the powdered sugar gradually while continuing to whip with the whisks on medium-high power. You should achieve a nice white, shiny, and dense glaze.
Cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator until you use it.
Returning to the baking of the Easter sweet pizza: when you see the surface darkening too much, cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking. Always make sure to test for doneness with a skewer: it should come out completely dry when inserted into the center of your super leavened cake.
Let the Easter sweet pizza cool slightly, then gently remove it from the mold. Let it cool completely, then you can proceed to decorate it with the glaze and the colored sugar sprinkles.
Spread the glaze using a spoon, then immediately add the colored sugar sprinkles. Wait for the glaze to harden (it will take a few hours) then you can proceed to cut your Easter sweet pizza, tall and with a truly unique softness!
Storage and Variations
The Easter Sweet Pizza can be stored for a couple of days if you can keep it under a glass dome or well covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
If you don’t like candied fruits, you can replace them with raisins or even chocolate chips.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use chocolate chips instead of candied fruits?
Yes, definitely. Or raisins.
Can Easter Sweet Pizza be made gluten-free?
You can replace the flour (Manitoba and all-purpose) with a gluten-free flour mix for leavened products starting from the same total amount and adjusting during preparation based on the dough’s texture.
Is it possible to substitute milk with plant-based milk?
Yes, definitely. I would choose a drink with a fairly ‘neutral’ taste.