Greek Easter Bread Recipes

EASY GREEK EASTER BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/3 cup hot water (about 110 degrees F) with the yeast, 1 tbsp of the flour, and 1 tbsp of the sugar. Whisk gently. Cover with a towel and leave aside for 10 minutes until bubbly.
• In the meantime, heat the milk in a small sauce pan until the edges begin to bubble, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, remaining sugar and salt. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
• Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, stir the milk mixture into the yeast mixture. While paddle is stirring, add the 2 beaten eggs. Gradually mix in the flour, anise seed, and vanilla extract. Beat unit a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium (or medium-high if needed) until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface (dough will be sticky at this point.) Kneed by hand until very smooth (about 5 minutes), then place dough into a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover and place in a warm, closed space for 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size. (I had heated my oven to lowest temperature, then turned it off a few minutes before placing my covered dough in.)
• Punch dough down, and transfer to floured surface again. Cut dough into 3 equal parts, and gently roll each to form a long 16-inch rope. Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press ropes together at one end and braid fairly loosely. Form into a circle and press together on the other side. Stretch the circle to about 10 inches across and the hole in the middle about 3 1/2 inches wide.
• Cover with a clean towel and place back in warm space for 1 hour until doubled in size.
• Rub the dyed eggs with olive oil, and buff with paper towel. Select three spots in the dough, evenly spaced, and gently insert the eggs. Cover and return to warm space. Let rise 1 more hour until dough doubles in size.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the bread with the egg wash and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Bake about 45 minutes until braided loaf turns a nice deep golden brown (should sound hallow when you tap on it.)
• Let cool for about 30 minutes before serving. Serve with more boiled eggs, honey or other breakfast items. Enjoy!

TSOUREKI RECIPE (TRADITIONAL GREEK EASTER BREAD)

Steps:

• To prepare this tsoureki recipe (Greek Easter Bread), add in a bowl the lukewarm water, a pinch of sugar and yeast and stir. Wrap well with plastic wrap and set aside for about 6-7 minutes, until the yeast rises and starts bubbling. Be careful not do add hot water, as it will kill the yeast, nor cold, as it will take forever for the Greek Easter bread to rise. The water should be at the same temperature as your finger, so check it out sticking one finger in; you should feel no difference in temperature.
• Use a pestle or a blender to ground the masticha and mahlepi, along with a pinch of sugar and set aside. These aromatic spices will give Greek Easter bread its distinctive taste and amazing smell. But be careful not to add any more mastic than this tsoureki recipe calls for, as it will leave a slightly bitter taste to your Greek Easter bread.
• In a saucepan add the butter, sugar and milk. Place over very low heat and stir the mixture, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. The key is to melt the butter at very low heat, so that the temperature doesn't 'kill' the yeast. Remove the pan from the stove and check the temperature. The mixture should be lukewarm - the same temperature as your finger. If it is warmer, leave to cool down for a few minutes and check again.
• Pour the butter mixture in a large bowl and whisk in the eggs. Add the yeast mixture and whisk to combine.
• In the mixer's bowl add the flour, the ground mastic and mahlepi, orange zest and the butter-egg-yeast mixture from step 4. Using the dough hook mix at first at low speed, until the ingredients start to combine and then mix at medium-high speed for about 15 minutes, until the dough doesn't stick on the sides of the bowl. At this point the dough should be really soft, like seen in the picture and a little sticky. (Be careful not to add any more flour than this tsoureki recipe calls for, as the dough should be really soft and not firm).
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in a warm environment, until at least it doubles in size (about 3-4 hours). If the environment is cold, preheat the oven at 30C/85F, turn it off and place the bowl inside.
• Gently deflate the tsoureki dough with your hands and cut in 6 equal portions (three for each Greek Easter bread). Take one piece of the dough (do not flour the working surface!) and roll it a little with your hands. Hold with your hands from the edges and shake to stretch the dough into a rope. This technique will help the Greek Easter bread (tsoureki) form the characteristic stringy texture, as seen in the picture.
• Form the Greek Easter bread into a braid and transfer on a large baking tray layered with parchment paper. Repeat the same procedure with the second tsoureki. Let the Greek Easter bread rise for about 1 more hour at room temperature or in the oven, until it puffs up and almost doubles in size, like in the pictures.
• In a small bowl add the egg and 1 tbsp water and whisk with a fork. Brush the top of each Greek Easter bread with the egg, being careful not to deflate it, garnish with almond slivers and bake in preheated oven at 150C / 310F fan for about 30-40 minutes, until nicely browned and fluffy. If its getting too brown too quickly cover with some parchment paper and continue baking.
• Although the traditional tsoureki recipe doesn't call for syrup, garnishing Greek Easter bread with just a little syrup, always gives a little something! So it's up to you to decide! Prepare the syrup for the Greek Easter bread just right before you turn the tsoureki out of the oven. In a small pot add the sugar and water and bring to the boil. As soon as the sugar dissolves, remove the pot from the stove and ladle the hot syrup over the hot tsoureki.
• Let the Greek Easter bread cool down and wrap well with plastic wrap, so that it doesn't become hard and dry. Store for up to a 5-6 days at room temperature or up to a couple of months in the freezer.

TSOUREKI (GREEK EASTER BREAD)

Steps:

• Combine milk, sugar, and butter in a saucepan over low heat and warm to 112 degrees F (44 degrees C). Remove from heat. Stir in yeast and wait for mixture to bubble.
• Place flour in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture, whole eggs, egg white, chopped almonds, apricots, orange zest and juice, lemon zest, and mahlepi. Mix together. Knead dough until well mixed, adding extra flour if necessary until dough is only slightly sticky. Set dough aside until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Combine egg yolk and 1/4 cup milk in a bowl and place in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Knead risen dough to expel bubbles and divide into 2 equal parts. Divide each half into 3 equal balls. Roll each ball into a rope about 18 inches long. Braid 3 ropes to make a loaf and tuck the ends underneath and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining 3 ropes to form a second loaf. Brush egg yolk mixture on top of each loaf and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Brush again with egg yolk mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until loaves are brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 40 minutes.

GREEK EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Mix 2 cups flour and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Stir milk, butter, sugar, and salt together in a saucepan; heat and stir over medium-low heat until the mixture is smooth and the temperature is between 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) to 100 degrees F (37 degrees C).
• Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, add eggs, and beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and beat for 3 minutes more. Add 1 cup flour and 3 tablespoons orange juice to the mixture; mix on high for 3 minutes more.
• Fit the mixer with a dough hook. Add remaining flour to the mixture; beat with dough hook until the flour is completely incorporated.
• Grease a glass bowl. Put dough into the bowl. Let dough rise until doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Punch dough down. Divide the dough into two halves. Split each half into three even pieces, roll each piece into a cylinder, and braid into loaves. Put loaves onto a baking sheet. Let rise, about 1 hour.
• Bake in preheated oven until the middle is baked, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Stir confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon orange juice together in a bowl; brush onto the tops of the loaves.

TSOUREKI (TRADITIONAL GREEK EASTER BREAD)

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine 1 cup room temperature water and yeast; let stand until dissolved. Add flour, sugar, honey, orange zest, salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolks. Mix on low speed until the dough is smooth and stiff with a slight sheen, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead to make sure any loose bits are incorporated. Fold in the following manner: Fold the bottom third of the dough up, the top third down, and the right and left sides over, tapping the dough after each fold to release excess flour, and pressing down to seal. Gently gather the dough and flip it over, seam side down. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap (plastic wrap should be touching the surface of the dough), and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Brush an unrimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Return the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and divide into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into an 18-inch log, and place the logs parallel to one another; pinch the ends together at the top. Weave the three strands into a tight braid, tugging gently as you go. Press the ends together to seal. Place loaf on the prepared sheet. Loosely cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove plastic wrap. If baking bread without eggs, brush with egg wash and bake until loaf is deep golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Cover with foil if necessary. The bread should reach an internal temperature of 190 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and should produce a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before serving. If inserting red eggs, bake bread 10 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully push 5 eggs, larger side down, into the center of the loaf, spacing them evenly down the length. Brush with egg wash and immediately return to oven and proceed with baking directions.

YIA YIA'S TSOUREKI (GREEK EASTER BREAD)

Steps:

• Pour yeast into a small bowl; add warm water and 1/4 cup of flour. Stir, cover with two damp kitchen towels, and leave in a warm place until bubbly, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Combine butter, shortening, and mastic in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
• Stir milk and sugar together in another saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm. Remove from heat.
• Pour 2 cups flour into the butter mixture and stir well. Add salt, then stir in the yeast mixture. Add 2 more cups of flour and stir well. Stir in 3 beaten eggs. Slowly add the milk mixture and 1 cup of flour and stir well. Add the room-temperature water and the last cup of flour and stir until the dough is not sticky.
• Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 20 minutes with lightly floured hands. Form dough into a ball. Cover with damp towels and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two baking sheets.
• Divide dough into two pieces and separate each piece into three strands. Braid each of the 3 strands together to form 2 braided loaves. Place on the baking sheets. Nestle the red-dyed eggs between the strands. Brush the dough with the remaining beaten egg. Sprinkle the tops with almonds and sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

GREEK EASTER BREAD (TSOUREKI)

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, add the milk, water, sugar, and half the amount of butter (100 grams).
• Warm up the mixture over medium heat by whisking constantly. Remove from heat, once the butter and sugar have dissolved completely.
• Add the yeast (make sure the mixture is under 60° C before doing so), the vanilla extract, the orange zest, and the mahleb powder. Whisk until fully combined.
• Pour the mixture into the mixer's bowl, along with half the amount of flour.
• Beat over medium speed for 2 minutes (with the mixer's dough hook attached on).
• Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
• Add the remaining flour slowly.
• Once the dough is fully combined remove it from the mixer. It should all come out in one piece. Otherwise, add a bit more flour.
• Add the dough to a large mixing bowl and cove the bowl r with a dampened kitchen towel.
• Let the dough rest at room temperature for a few hours until it doubles in size. It takes about 2-3 hours at an average temperature of 20 to 25 ° C.
• Take the dough and press it down with your hand to remove the air.
• Melt the remaining 100 grams of butter and wait until it cools down a bit. Then start to pour the butter to the dough (small bits at a time) while kneading.
• Continue kneading until all the butter is incorporated into the dough. It may look a lot but don't worry it will absorb it all. Just keep kneading. You will feel the dough become very soft and airy.
• Preheat oven to 50 ° C for 10 minutes. Add a small pan with some water at the bottom of the oven.
• Cover the dough with a tea towel. Turn off the oven and add the bowl with the dough in the oven. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
• Once the dough has doubled in size once more remove from the oven.
• Squeeze the dough to remove the air and cut it in half. Then cut each piece to either 2, 3 or 4 pieces. Depending on how many pieces you want your braid to be made of.
• On a lightly floured surface, shape each piece into a long cord. Pinch the desired number of cords together at one end. Start making the braid. Once you're finished, pinch the other end together as well. Tuck it under the braid to secure it.
• Transfer each Tsoureki on a large baking pan or your ovens tray covered with parchment paper.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg with the one tablespoon of water. Brush the Tsoureki with the egg wash and add some flaked almonds on top.
• Preheat oven to 50 ° C once more for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven. Add the Tsoureki and let it rest for 20 minutes.
• Remove the Tsoureki from the oven. Preheat the oven to 150 ° C / 302°F. Bake the Tsoureki for approximately 40-45 minutes. Preferably one Tsoureki at a time and without removing the pan with the water from the bottom of the oven.

GREEK EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Pour 1/3 cup water that is hot to the touch (about 110 degrees F) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Gently whisk in the yeast, 1 tablespoon of the flour and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Cover with a towel and set aside until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes (depending on the temperature of the room).
• Meanwhile, heat the milk in small saucepan over medium heat until bubbles start to form around the edges, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, remaining sugar and salt. Set aside to cool, about 5 minutes.
• Using the paddle attachment, stir the milk mixture into the yeast mixture. Stir in the 2 beaten eggs. Gradually mix in the remaining flour, fennel seed and almond extract, and beat until a soft dough forms. Increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a ball, about 5 minutes (the dough will be sticky).
• Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is as smooth as a baby's bottom, about 5 minutes.
• Put in a lightly buttered bowl, cover and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down the dough.
• Lightly flour a work surface. Place the dough on the surface and cut into three equal parts. Gently roll out each piece into a 16-inch-long rope. Line a wide-lipped cookie sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the ropes to the prepared sheet. Press the ropes together at one end and braid loosely. Arrange the braid in a circle. Press the ends of the dough together. Gently stretch the circle to make it 10 inches across and the hole in the middle 3 1/2 inches across. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Rub the eggs with a little vegetable oil, and then buff with a paper towel. Gently press the eggs into the dough, evenly spaced. Cover and set aside until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the bread with the remaining beaten egg. Bake until the loaf is dark golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped, about 45 minutes. Cool about 30 minutes before slicing.