Toña Alicantina Recipe: Soft Spanish Easter Sweet Bread 2026

Toña alicantina is a soft, fluffy sweet roll from Spain's Levante region, especially popular around Easter and Holy Week. It is simple to make at home and the result is truly impressive.

The main difference in this toña is that it can be made with butter or lard; butter gives a more neutral flavor, which is why we chose it here. It is ideal for breakfast or an afternoon snack, and although traditionally eaten at Easter, it is perfect any time of year.

Enjoy it once cooled or the next day at the latest, since homemade sweet bread tends to dry out; even then, you can moisten it with a little milk and it will still be delicious.

Ingredients for Toña Alicantina

Serves 8

• 50 g warm whole milk
• 12 g fresh yeast (or 4 g dry baker's yeast)
• 70 g white sugar (50 g for the dough + 20 g for decorating)
• 2 medium eggs
• 250 g bread flour
• 2 g salt
• Zest of half a lemon
• 40 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• Beaten egg for brushing the toña

How to Make Toña Alicantina Step by Step

1. Mix milk, yeast and sugar

Mix 50 grams of warm whole milk with 12 grams of fresh yeast and 50 grams of white sugar until the yeast is completely dissolved.

2. Add eggs and set aside

Add the 2 medium eggs to the yeast mixture, mix well and set aside.

3. Combine dry ingredients and knead

In the bowl of a stand mixer, place 250 grams of bread flour, 2 grams of salt and the zest of half a lemon. Add the previous mixture with the eggs and knead for 5 minutes until you get a homogeneous dough.

4. Add butter and knead until smooth

Next, add 40 grams of unsalted butter at room temperature and knead for 10-15 minutes or until you have a smooth and elastic dough.

5. Let the dough rise

Shape the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until it doubles in volume.

6. Degas and shape

Degas the dough and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and let it double in volume again.

7. Brush, decorate and bake

Preheat the oven to 220 °C with top and bottom heat. Carefully brush the toña with beaten egg. Decorate with 20 grams of white sugar and bake for 5 minutes at 220 °C with top and bottom heat. Then lower the temperature to 200 °C and bake for 10 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

8. Cool the toña

Remove from the oven, let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes and then let cool completely on a wire rack.

9. Serve

Serve the toña alicantina once cooled or the next day at the latest, as homemade sweet bread tends to dry out; you can moisten it with a little milk and it will still be delicious.

Tips for the Best Toña Alicantina

Choose butter for a neutral flavor

This toña can be made with butter or lard, but butter gives a more neutral flavor, which is why we chose it for this recipe.

Enjoy it fresh

It is ideal for breakfast or an afternoon snack, and although traditionally eaten at Easter and Holy Week, it is perfect any time of year because who can resist such a fluffy roll?

Store it properly

Consume it once cooled or the next day at the latest, since homemade sweet bread tends to dry out; even then, you can moisten it with a little milk and it will still be delicious.

30 Top Recipes I Keep Coming Back to at Home

Like a lot of home cooks, I like having a go-to rotation that covers cozy comfort plates, well-known dishes from around the world, and sweets that please a crowd.

When a rich, indulgent treat is what I'm after, my picks are usually this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this refined Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a luscious Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And on days when I want something fruity and cozy, this timeless French Tarte Tatin recipe is the one I reach for.

Mornings and lighter plates call for these airy Oatmeal and Banana Pancakes recipe, a hearty Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe, or these bright Eggs Stuffed with Avocado and Salmon recipe. And for a gluten-free staple I can keep on hand, this no-fuss Gluten-Free Rice Flour recipe does the job.

Tapas and Mediterranean cooking are a mood I return to often, and I tend to cycle through this punchy Basque Tuna with Tomato recipe, these crackly Patatas Bravas Air Fryer recipe, a velvety Tirokafteri Greek Dip Sauce recipe, and a cool Burrata Salad with Tomato and Pesto recipe. This chilled Italian Vitello Tonnato recipe also makes the table when I feel like something a bit more elevated.

Come lunch or a slow dinner at home, I'm quick to suggest this warming Meatballs in Spanish Sauce recipe, a time-honored Meatballs in Almond Sauce recipe, a deep-flavored Italian Bolognese Sauce recipe, and silky Chicken Croquettes in Thermomix recipe. When hunger runs bigger, I'll bake this Greek Pastitsio Pie recipe, a homey Potatoes and Squid Stew recipe, or the deeply comforting French Boeuf Bourguignon recipe.

Street-food cravings and party spreads usually mean this saucy Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab recipe, golden Salchipapas recipe, a punchy Mexican Pork Carnitas recipe, or these crisp Korean Hobak Jeon recipe. These simple Air Fryer Zucchini Rings recipe also work nicely as a light starter or snack.

And when guests are coming and drinks are part of the plan, dinner often gets paired with a cool Original Cuban Mojito recipe, a strong Long Island Iced Tea recipe, or a jug of this fruity Bleeding Spanish Sangria recipe. To fill out the spread, I like setting out this zesty French Remoulade Sauce recipe alongside, or ending with this eye-catching Mediterranean Black Rice with Squid recipe.

Even More Tasty Recipes the Whole Family Will Enjoy

After years of trying, tweaking, and remaking dishes in my own kitchen, I've come to see that the ones that stick around are built on straightforward steps, methods you can trust, and serious flavor.

What follows is the set of recipes I keep circling back to—whether it's a fast plate just for me or a bigger spread for the people I love.

On the sweet side, the rich, silky Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is one I turn to when I want something that feels fancy without much fuss. Another dessert I adore is the caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled on the well-known Central European chimney cake. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better texture in desserts comes in handy, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

For something light and uncomplicated, I'll usually reach for the timeless Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a flawlessly cooked Simple Poached Egg Recipe. And for heavier comfort plates, my usual picks are the filling Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the velvety Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the speedy weeknight go-to One Pot Pasta Recipe.

I'm just as happy sharing dishes with roots in other countries, like the genuine Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, crunchy Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and Spain's own Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is another area I use all the time, since it cuts down on effort while still giving you excellent results. The ones I make most are Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for those steering clear of wheat, my cozy Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a baked pasta classic can still be creamy, cheesy, and completely satisfying without any gluten.

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