Greek Bread Bread Machine Recipes

BREAD MACHINE SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• In your bread machine basket, pour in your sourdough starter then the flour
• Add in the sugar/honey, salt and the butter
• Pour in your water around the edges of the baking basket
• Set your bread machine to the kneading cycle for 30 minutes or if it has a sourdough dough cycle use that. For the Panasonic SD-ZX2522 use menu 29. For the Panasonic SD-ZB2512 use menu 26.
• Once your sourdough bread has finished kneading, let your dough rest and proof for 3-4 hours or until it has risen by about 50% of its original size. For the Panasonic SD-ZX2522, use menu 30 for about 2 hours and 30 minutes to accelerate the proofing or let it rest with the machine switched off for about 4 hours for a more sour flavour. For the Panasonic SD-ZB2512KXE use menu 27 for the same amount of time (2h 30mins). Note that proofing time will depend on how active your sourdough starter is so adjust accordingly until your bread has risen the right amount.
• Once proofed, sprinkle some flour on top and score lengthwise with a sharp knife or a blade. Pop any large bubbles that may have appeared on the surface.
• Set your bread machine to the bake programme and set its timer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. For the Panasonic SD-ZX2522 and the Panasonic SD-ZB2512, use menu 18.
• Once done, remove the basket and tip the bread over to an airing rack. Let it cool down for about an hour before cutting it.
• If you want to prepare your bread overnight and own a Panasonic bread machine use menu 10 for the Panasonic SD-ZB2512 and menu 11 for the Panasonic SD-ZX2522. The loaf will be slightly denser so I recommend going with the 75% Hydration - Lighter dough recipe above.

GREEK BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Add all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer's instructions.
• Set crust on medium and program for the Basic cycle; press Start.
• When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack; let cool to room temperature before slicing.

BEST BREAD MACHINE BREAD

Steps:

• Place the water, sugar and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes. Add the oil, flour and salt to the yeast. Select Basic or White Bread setting, and press Start.

TSOUREKI - GREEK EASTER BREAD (BREAD MACHINE RECIPE)

Steps:

• Place the milk, 2 cups of flour, and yeast in the bread machine pan and process on the dough setting. (Mine takes around 1.5 hours).
• While the machine is working (no rush here - you have plenty of time) mix the other 2 cups of flour with the sugar, salt, orange zest, and the anise seed. (I couldn't find ground anise seed so I ground some up in my blender. A coffee grinder would work as well).
• Once the dough cycle is completed, add the flour mixture, olive oil, and eggs. Process again on the dough setting. (Another 1.5 hours! But for me, this is preferable to doing it by hand. My handmade dough ends up like a brick).
• Once the second cycle is completed, remove the dough to a well-floured surface. Punch down and form into a ball. (This is easy! I was scared because this is where I get into trouble - I tend to overwork things. Look it up on YouTube if you don't know how: http://youtu.be/5HW38Bn-hnI).
• Cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. (I left it on the counter top and covered it with paper towels).
• Now, divide the dough into three parts. Roll each piece into a rope and braid, working from the center to the ends. Pinch the ends together and turn under. (Once again, if you don't know how: http://youtu.be/YR6aIAh2Vt8 And if you don't feel like braiding it at all - I won't tell. It tastes wonderful no matter what the shape).
• Embed the dyed eggs (optional) in the folds of the braid. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk - about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. (Note: Mine came out a little dark on top so I'm gonna try 350 degrees next time.) Once the dough has risen, brush it lightly with the egg wash. (I sprinkled some whole anise seeds on top, but you don't have to do that. Some people use slivered almonds, but my family has allergies).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. (I slid the parchment paper directly onto a preheated pizza stone. My bread came out a little dark on the top, next time I'll drape some foil paper over it around 15 minutes in).
• Cool on a rack. Store in a brown bag for up to 3 days. (When it starts getting stale - if it lasts that long - you can make french toast with it. I recommend this recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/dennys-style-french-toast-90674 So good!).