Traditional Gluten Free Easter Bread

Use 4 glasses or deep bowls to color the eggs. Into glass one (pink egg), add 6 drops of red food coloring. Into glass two (yellow egg), add 8 drops of yellow food coloring. Into glass three (purple egg), add 5 drops of red and two drops of blue food coloring. Into glass four (green egg), add 6 drops of yellow and 2 drops of green food coloring.

Add 1 Tablespoon of vinegar each to the 4 cups or deep bowls. Pour ½ cup of the boiling water into each cup with the vinegar.

Gently lowered each egg into the egg dye and let sit for 5 minutes for a rich color. Less time for a paler shade.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs to dry on a wire baking rack.

In a measuring cup or small bowl, add the almond milk and the yeast. Stir to dissolve. Let proof for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add the white rice flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, xanthan gum and salt. Whisk until combined.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, egg yolks, vegetable oil and apple cider vinegar. Mix on low speed for 15 seconds.

Add the vanilla extract, granulated sugar and yeast mixture. Mix on low speed for 15 seconds.

Add the flour mixture to egg / yeast mixture in the stand mixer. Mix on low speed for 15 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl.

Turn mixer to medium and mix for 4 minutes on medium speed.

Scrape down the batter in the bowl. Cover with a tea towel and set aside to rise for 1 hour.

Toward the end of the rise time, arrange oven racks so that 2 cookie sheets can fit into the oven at one time. Preheat oven to 375F. Place parchment paper on the cookie sheets.

Place a large piece of parchment paper on your working surface. Place a generous spoonful or two of potato starch or tapioca starch on the paper.

Place the risen dough onto the starch. If it needs more starch to be workable and not overly sticky, add another spoonful or two.

Knead it a couple times to work the starch in.

Form dough into a square and slice it into 4 equal sections. Set 3 sections aside.

Working with the first section, slice it into 3 equal pieces.

Roll, or form with your hands, each section into a 12 inch long rope, keeping the ropes close together (about 1 inch apart) as you do this.

Take the tops of the ropes and mash them together to form the top of the braid.

“Braid” the dough by moving one rope on top the other. This does not have to be perfect as they will bake up beautiful.

Use your hands to push the braid together a bit.

Before bringing the dough together into a circle, use a metal spatula to ensure the bottom of the dough isn’t stuck, loosen the whole braid.

Take one end of the braid and bring it up to the other end of the braid, forming a circle. Pinch the dough together.

Using a metal spatula, gently move the bread to the prepared baking sheet, positioning it so there’s room for another bread.

Move on to the remaining 3 sections of dough, slicing and forming the ropes, then braiding, then forming the circle.

In a small bowl, mix the egg, melted vegan butter and honey together.

Gently brush over each braided loaf before baking.

Place an egg in the middle of the bread.

Bake the loaves at 375F for 28 – 34 minutes, checking for doneness with an instant read thermometer at 28 minutes.

Let the loaves cool for 30 minutes before serving.