We bake this once a year for Orthodox Easter. It is a sweet bread in the brioche family that everyone looks forward to. There are a couple of variations of aromatics. This is how yiayia Anneta made it, with a couple of additions from me.
If you are Greek, then this is something that you should definitely learn how to make! It’s not hard. It’s takes time. But you can do it.
I have recently learned that in some of the Aegean islands they make an aromatic water using bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, anise seeds and lemon.
You can also roll it out flat and stuff it with Nutella or chocolate or a tahini/honey blend & then roll it back up, cut the strands, and then braid it. You can get creative if you like!
Bread flour is a non negotiable in this bread, so please get it. Eggs & butter at room temperature.
The longer you knead this, the better this bread becomes. You want to achieve the fibers that Greeks call “ines”. I highly recommend a mixer with a dough hook, but you can do this like our grandmothers by hand. It’s just faster with the mixer.
This dough has the consistency of chewing gum. It’s very elastic and a bit sticky. A little olive oil or sunflower seed oil will keep it nice and slippery,
Wishing you all a Happy Easter. Καλό Πάσχα!!!
Ingredients:
Starter
1/2 cup luke warm milk (4 oz)
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp active yeast
4 1/2 cup bread flour
3/4 cups warm milk (6 oz)
2 large eggs (room temp)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Zest of 1 orange
1 tsp ground mahlepi
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp mastiha
1/2 stick of unsalted butter (room temp)
Egg wash
1 tbsp milk
1 beaten egg
Garnish with sliced almonds or same seeds or leave plain
Directions:
Warm the milk & mix it into the sugar & flour. If the milk is too hot, let it cool down a little before you add the yeast. You don’t want to kill the yeast with milk that is too hot.
Set aside for 10 minutes or until it is foamy.
With a mortar & pestle grind the mastiha pearls with a little of the sugar & the salt till a fine powder. This is important otherwise mastiha gum sticks. It comes in little pearls.
In a large mixing bowl add in all of the other ingredients except for the butter & eggs.
Add the yeast mixture and using a dough hook, start mixing on low to incorporate & speed up to medium. When it starts to come together, add the eggs one at a time & beat for 6 minutes. Add the softened butter a little at a time & beat on low till incorporated. Then beat it on medium for 8 minutes. The longer it kneads, the better.
Letting the dough hook knead the dough for a longer time allows for a great texture in the tsoureki. You want to achieve these stringy fibers called “ines”.
When the dough has come together, you will let it rise in a well oiled large bowl, in a warm place for 2 hours. It will double in size. Use a large bowl for this so that there is space for the dough to rise.
Divide the dough in half. Then divide each half into three pieces. Roll out each piece and braid them together, tucking in the ends. Place them on a pan and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let them rise for another 40 minutes to an hour in a warm place.
They won’t double in size, but they will puff up.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Apply the egg wash & add flaked almonds or sesame seeds. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Let it cool down on a rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it.
My husband loves to eat this with butter and jam. I love to toast a slice and enjoy the savory sweet combination of salted butter and graviera cheese.
It also makes fantastic French toast!!!
Let me know if you make this.
Kali Oreksi everyone!
on xenia street 