Tsoureki is a delicious Greek brioche, usually prepared and offered during Orthodox Easter. It is soft, fluffy and looks really tasty. It is presented in three braids which symbolize the Holy Trinity.
Ingredients
- 870g Bread flour (I used Bakalian strong bread flour)
- 260g Lukewarm milk
- 24g Dry yeast
- 3g Ground mastic
- 15g Ground mahleb*
- 135g Butter
- 230g sugar
- 4 eggs (room temperature)
- Lemon or orange zest
Preparation
Step 1:
Dissolve dry yeast in 100g of lukewarm water and add a bit of sugar, then wait for about 10 minutes. When you see bubbles, it means it is working.
Step 2:
– Heat the butter with the rest of the milk and sugar until sugar completely dissolves.
– Add the zest, mastic and mahleb, and let it cool down. Make sure that this mixture is not hot when you add it to the yeast mix.
– Add the eggs one at a time and whisk a bit.
– Add the yeast mix.
When this mixture is ready, add it to the bread flour and knead for about 15 minutes (or 10 minutes if using a machine at medium speed).
The dough is not supposed to stick to the sides of the bowl but if it does it is ok. Don’t add more flour! If it is too sticky, just put some oil on your hands and knead it again to remove what is left on the sides of the bowl.
Cover it with a damp cloth and keep it in a warm place for 3 to 4 hours.
Form the Tsoureki by doing breads (this recipe will give you 2 big ones) and then wait again for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat your oven at 165 degrees celsius (330 degrees Fahrenheit).
Brush the top of the Tsoureki with a beaten egg and you can add toppings if you want to (sesame, habbet el barake or even almonds).
Bake your Easter breads for around 40 minutes. They should become brown and fluffy.
Enjoy your Tsoureki with some coffee or milk!
*Mahleb or Mahalepi is an aromatic spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry, Prunus mahaleb.
