Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread) is a traditional Greek recipe for a sweet, plaited, leavened bread flavoured with almonds and fruit that's typically eaten at Easter. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Greek version of: Greek Easter Bread (Tsoureki).
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Tsoureki is a traditional Greek sweet bread that's most commonly served at Easter (ie to break the Lenten fast). It is traditionally braided, with a red-dyed hard-boiled egg inserted at one end.
Ingredients:
475ml milk
2 sachets active, dried, yeast
1.8–2.2kg strong white bread flour
400g sugar
225g finely-chopped almonds (optional)
1 tsp salt
grated zest of 1 orange
2 tsp finely-ground aniseed or 1 tbsp malhepi
1½ tsp ground mastic
60ml (4 tbsp) molten butter
5 eggs, very well beaten
1 egg yolk and 2 tbsp milk for egg wash
slivered almonds as topping
Method:
Warm the milk to body temperature add the yeast, 250g of flour and 60g of sugar. Cover and allow to prove for one hour. Meanwhile combine 1.5 kg of flour, the chopped almonds, salt, the remaining sugar, orange zest, aniseed (or malhepi) and mastic together in a large bowl. Once the yeast mixture is nicely frothy make a well in the centre of the flour mix, add the eggs, yeast mixture and molten butter. Mix the flour into the wet ingredients and work into a dough. Add more flour if necessary until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to your hands. Tip out onto a floured surface and begin to knead. If the dough is still sticky add a little more flour. Continue kneading for about a quarter of an hour.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and set aside in a warm place until it has risen and doubled in volume (about 2.5 hours). Punch down the dough, tip onto a floured surface and divide into six equal-sized balls. Roll each ball into strips about 30cm long and 5cm in diameter. Take three of these strips, lay side by side and join at one end by pinching down. Plait the strands together. When you reach the end you can either insert a red-dyed boiled egg or you can simply press down the strands to make them stick. Repeat the process to make a second loaf. Place the loaves on a well-oiled baking tray, cover with a cloth and allow to rise for at least 2.5 hours (until just about doubled in volume). Meanwhile pre-heat an oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) and beat together an egg yolk and a little milk and brush over the Tsoureki loaves before sprinkling with slivered almonds.
Place in the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown in colour. When done the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the base. Remove from the baking tray and allow to cool on wire racks.
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