Easter is a special time of year for Greeks, and it typically involves lots of delicious food. One of the most popular traditional dishes is Tsoureki, a sweet and buttery bread that’s perfect for sharing with family and friends. Tsoureki is typically served at Easter, and its braided shape represents the Holy Trinity. This bread can be made with different variations of flavors and fillings, but the basics remain the same. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to make delicious Greek Easter Bread at home. Let’s get started!
Ingredients
- 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
- 1 cup warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground mahleb, optional
- 1/8 teaspoon ground mastic, optional
- 5-1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 hard-boiled large eggs, dyed red
- garnish:
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Directions
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, eggs, butter, orange zest, salt, mahleb and mastic if desired and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
- Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough into six portions. Shape each into a 12-in. rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining ropes. Tuck three hard-cooked eggs into the braid of each loaf. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Brush with egg; sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
Greek Easter Bread (Tsoureki) is a delicious, traditional Greek dish that can be enjoyed all year round. Making it at home is easier than you might think, and it’s a fun way to bring a little bit of Greek culture to your kitchen. With the recipe and tips provided in this blog post, you’ll be on your way to baking mouth-watering Tsoureki in no time!
Nutrition Facts
- 1 piece: 203 calories
- 7g fat (3g saturated fat)
- 89mg cholesterol
- 113mg sodium
- 27g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 1g fiber)
- 6g protein
