Diana's Desserts - www.dianasdesserts.com

Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread)

in Diana's Recipe Book

Average Rating: 
(total ratings: 3)
[Read reviews] [Post a review]
Servings: Makes 3 loafs
 
Comments:
This braided bread can be shaped either into a circle or into two large braids and sprinkled with sesame seeds (sesame seeds are not always used and are not used in this recipe. You may add them if you like). The loaves are often adorned with beautiful red Easter eggs and sometimes red rosebuds for decorations. The Easter eggs are dyed deep red to represent the blood of Christ, the eggs also represent new life and springtime. It is traditionally eaten during the Resurrection Meal. After 40 days of fasting - as is dictated by the Greek Orthodox Church (but rarely followed as strictly by the general population any longer) - the Easter feast has to begin slowly, with a light meal after the midnight liturgy on Saturday night. The fast is generally broken with Magiritsa, an offal-based soup flavored with avgolemono sauce; Tsoureki, the fluffy, egg-laden Easter bread, salad and a bowl of red dyed eggs. Greeks have a custom when it comes to the eggs: they crack them one-to-one. Whomever's egg remains in tact, supposedly has good luck in the ensuing year.

This bread recipe was traditionally prepared with an essence drawn from the seeds of Mediterranean wild cherries, called Makhlepi, which makes the kitchen smell delicious. The kernels of the Makhlepi cherry spice are loved for specialties like Tsoureki, but some people at times may elect to prepare this beautiful bread without the seed essence. Besides mahaleb kernels, the bread can be flavored with Mastic, the resin from Pistacia lentiscus, var. chia which is used in Greek cuisine. In more recent years, vanilla-scented Tsoureki has also become quite popular. Sometime Tsoureki is used as gifts for special occasion, for instance, it can be given as an Easter gift from children to their godparents.

This braided, sweet bread is found in all Greek shops and homes during the Easter Holiday.

Ingredients:
2 envelopes (1/2 oz./14 grams/4 1/2 tsp.) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup (2 sticks/8 oz./226g) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar PLUS 1 tablespoon
5 eggs
2 cups warm milk
10 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground mastic OR mahlepi (also spelled makhlepi)* (See Notes Below)

Optional:
Red dyed hard boiled Easter Eggs

Instructions:
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water with 1 tbsp. sugar, set it aside to ferment and proof, about 10 minutes.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until it is light. Beat in four of the eggs, one at a time, beating with each addition. On low speed, slowly pour in the warm milk. Add 1 cup of the flour and the mahlepi and mix into the other ingredients. Then add the dissolved yeast and slowly start adding the remaining flour.

When the mixture gets too thick to stir, remove it from the mixer. Dip both your hands into flour so they don’t get sticky, and start kneading the dough by hand, until all the flour is incorporated. It should be pliable and smooth, not stiff.

Cover the dough with a smooth cloth towel and set it in a warm place to rise, about 1 hour, until it is double in bulk. Knead it again for 1 minute and then set it aside to rise once more.

Knead the dough again for 1 minute, and then divide it into 12 balls (each ball being the size of an orange). This will yield you 4 loaves. Roll each ball on a floured board into a rope 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick and 15 to 20 inches long.

Take three ropes, and press the edges of the ropes together and tuck the end under the loaf. Braid the length of the ropes and when finished, press the other end together and tuck under the loaf. Set each loaf on a well-greased sheet and cover so they rise again and are doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F/135 degrees C. Beat the last egg lightly and brush the tops of the braided loaves with it. Bake the loaves for 15 minutes then lower the heat to 250 degrees F/120 degrees C and continue baking until they are golden brown, about 30 minutes. They can be stored in airtight bags or even frozen to enjoy on another day.

Makes 3 loafs.

*Notes:
Mastic can be purchased online at Parthenon Foods. Mastic can also be found at most Middle Eastern markets or Greek food markets.

Mahlepi can be purchased at most Greek food markets or online at: greekolivewarehouse.com or at greekshops.com.

Variation:
For a little variation, you can add pieces of dried orange peel and mix it into the dough. If you would like to get more decorative with your Tsoureki, you can push hard-boiled, dyed eggs into the loaf right before it is baked. They make the loaves that much more festive.

Date: March 5, 2007

Reviews

Reviewer: Jen
Rating: 
Review:
Fantastic Easter Bread! We really enjoyed it.

 
Reviewer: Diane
Rating: 
Review:
A wonderful Greek bread, just in time for Easter.

 
Reviewer: Sofia K
Rating: 
Review:
my first attempt at making this and it turned out excellent. Recipe was easy to follow. I'm not afraid of yeast anymore!

 

Add Your Review

  YOUR NAME (required)
  YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS (required)
 (Excellent)
 (Very Good)
 (Good)
 (Could be Better)
 (Poor)
  RATING (required)
YOUR REVIEW:

More Recipes in this Section

Viennese Topfenstrudel with Vanilla Sauce Aguas Frescas Alfajores (Caramel Sandwich Cookies) Alfajores-South Amercian Sandwich Cookies Almond Tuiles Amaretti Apfelkuchen-Spicy Apple Cake Aqua Fresca de Sandia (Watermelon) Arroz Doce-Portugues Rice Pudding Bakewell Tart Banana Hazelnut Empanadas Banoffi Pie Barbara's Baklava Basic Crêpes Berry-Apple Empanadas Bienenstich Cake (Bee Sting Cake) Blancmange with Orange Sauce Bonet Bugia Buñuelos Cajeta (dulce de leche) Calabaza en Tacha Cannoli Cassata Cake Champurrado (Mexican Hot Chocolate Drink) Cherry Bakewell Tartlets Chocolate Chip Cannoli Chocolate Panna Cotta Chocolate Tres Leches Cake Chocolate-Orange Biscotti Churros Cigarettes Russes (Piroulines) Classic Vanilla Pots de Creme Cornish Saffron Cake Crema Catalana Crème Brûlée Crêpes Suzette Crostata della Nonna Danish Aebleskiver Danish Flødeboller Danish Kringle Dobos Torte Dutch Stroopwafels Easy Dulce de Leche Easy Norwegian Lefse Empanadas de Guayaba (Guava Turnovers) England's Victoria Sponge Cake French Almond Macaroons French Madeleines Fresh Berry Tiramisu German Style Cheesecake (Kaesekuchen) Grand Marnier Creme Caramel Greek Kourambiedes Cookies Gur Cake for St. Patrick's Day Harry's Bar Torta di Zabaglione Horchata Hungry Monk Banoffi Pie Irish Apple Crumble Irish Porter Cake Jammie Dodgers (Clone) Biscuit Sandwich Käsekuchen - German Cheesecake Kasutera-Japanese Sponge Cake Kuih Lapis or Kueh Lapis Lamington's Lemon Taralli Lemon Walnut Biscotti Limonada Madeira Cake Ma'moul (Date Patries from Syria) Mango Pudding Mascarpone Filled Bougatsa Mexican Brownies Mexican Chocolate Cake Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies Mexican Chocolate Layer Cake Mexican Chocolate Pie-Pastel de Chocolate Mexicano Mexican Coffee (Café de Olla) Mexican Hot Chocolate Mexican Raspadas (snow cones) Mexican Wedding Cakes (Cookies) Milk Chocolate Cannoli with Pistaschios Milk Chocolate Semifreddo Miniature Baklava Bites Moravian Sugar Cake Muah Chee Nanaimo Bars Old English Trifle Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) Pan di Spagna Pan Di Spagna (Italian Sponge Cake) Pandan Chiffon Cake Pandan Layer Cake Pandoro di Verona Panettone Panna Cotta Panna Cotta with Berries Paris-Brest Pasta Ciotti or Pasticiotti (Little Custard Tarts) Pasta Frolla - Italian Sweet Pastry Dough Pastéis de Nata-Portuguese Egg Custard Tarts Petits Pots de Crème à l'Orange Picarones Pierre Herme's Chocolate Macaroons Pikelets Pine Nut Amaretti Pithiviers Princess Cake Quick and Easy Buñuelos Ris ala mande with Cherry Sauce Rosettes and Timbales Sachertorte Savarin (French Ring Cake) Savoiardi (Ladyfingers) Scandinavian Christmas Gløgg Scottish Petticoat Tails Shortbread Smoutebollen-From Belgium Sopapillas Spiced Apple Cake with Guava Cream Cheese Spiced Citrus Pikelets Steamed Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao) Sticky Toffee Pudding Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar Swedish Apple-Lingonberry Cake Swedish Pancakes Sweet Rice Flour and Coconut Cake (Butter Mochi) Sweet Rice with Mangoes Sweet Tamales Swiss Zopf Bread Syllabub with Berries Taralli from Puglia The Dairymaid's Wafers (Seterjentas Rømmebrod) The Italian Bellini Tiger Cake-Finland Tiramisu Torta alle Banane (Banana Cake) Torta della nocciola e del cioccolato Torta di Amore Torta di semifreddo del limone Torta Prugna Treacle Toffee Tres Leches Cake with Whipped Cream Topping Tropical Fruit Salad in Jelly Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread) Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Apricot Coulis Walnut & Rum Raisin Crêpes with Chocolate Sauce Yorkshire Pudding Zuccotto Alla Cioccolato