Vegan Paas Ontbyt — Easter Breakfast Pull-Apart Bread
A beloved South African Easter tradition — soft, pillowy rolls baked together in a beautiful round loaf, marked with spiced crosses and served warm for a joyful Easter breakfast. Each piece pulls apart effortlessly, revealing a light, tender crumb infused with warm aromatic spices like cinnamon, mixed spice, and ginger. The rich spiced glaze baked into the surface adds depth of flavour and a beautiful golden finish. Prepared entirely plant-based without eggs, dairy, or butter — yet every bit as soft, fragrant, and delicious as the traditional version. Perfect shared around the table on Easter morning.
Shared by semy
Time
180 min
Serves
8
Difficulty
medium
🛒 Ingredients
- #For the Sweet Spiced Dough;
- 500 g all-purpose flour.. 7 g instant dried yeast (1 sachet)
- 60 g cane sugar.. 1 tsp fine sea salt.. 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp mixed spice or allspice.. ½ tsp ground ginger
- 250–280 ml unsweetened plant-based milk (warm, approx. 37–40°C)
- 60 ml vegetable oil.. 1 tsp vanilla extract
- #For the Spiced Cross Glaze;
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour.. 2 tbsp cane sugar.. ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 4–5 tbsp water — enough to make a smooth pipeable paste
- #For the Sweet Syrup Finish;
- 2 tbsp apricot jam, maple syrup, or golden syrup (vegan suitable)
- 1 tbsp warm water
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and all the spices. Gradually pour in warm plant-based milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla, mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
- 2
Shape the rolls: Gently punch down the risen dough. Divide into 12–15 equal portions. Roll each into a smooth ball. Arrange them in a greased round cake pan or baking dish, placing them close together in a circular pattern. Cover loosely and let rise again for 1 hour until puffed up and touching.
- 3
Pipe the crosses: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth and thick yet pourable. Spoon into a piping bag or small plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe a cross over the top of each roll.
- 4
Bake to golden perfection: Bake for 25–30 minutes until the bread is beautifully golden and sounds hollow when tapped gently. If the tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil after 20 minutes.
- 5
Glaze and serve: While still warm, stir together the syrup and water, then brush generously over the entire loaf for a lovely shine and extra sweetness. Serve warm — let everyone pull apart their own piece for a wonderful Easter breakfast together.