Make Tsoureki with us - Traditional Greek Easter Bread

Easter in Greece is synonymous with mouth-watering delicacies that bring families together around the table. One of the stars of the show is Tsoureki, a braided sweet bread scented with aromatic spices like mahleb and mastiha.

While every bakery in Greece will be busy crafting tsourekia for Easter, those of us living abroad have to take a crack at making it ourselves. Traditional tsoureki recipes often appear daunting with their many steps. However, we're sharing a simplified version of this beloved recipe, which has proven successful on numerous occasions. Plus, here's a bonus: no need to dust off your mixer!

Enjoy it dipped in milk (it makes a killer baked French toast after Easter!) or as a sweetly-savory snack, topped with feta cheese and Citrus marmalades, especially the Mandarin one!

 

INGREDIENTS FOR TSOUREKI

The recipe makes 4 tsourekia. We usually end up eating two over Easter and freezing two for later. 

3 1/4 pounds of flour

5 eggs + 1 for the coating

2 cups sugar

1 cup whole milk

4 teaspoons dry yeast

10 ounces of fresh butter

3 teaspoons whole Mahleb seeds, also known as mahlap, mahlepi or St. Lucie cherry kernels

1/2 teaspoon Mastiha powder

(Mahleb is a sweet, cherry-flavored spice used in Mediterranean baking, while mastiha, with its pine-like flavor, is a resin from Chios, popular in Greek cuisine, often found in desserts and liqueurs. You can often find them in Middle Eastern groceries & specialty shops)

A pinch of salt

Sliced almonds for topping

HOW TO MAKE TSOUREKIA

Preparation steps

Before you get started, a little prep first!

• Melt your butter.
• Boil the mahleb seeds in water and keep one cup of the liquid.
• Slightly warm the milk and mix in the powdered yeast.
• If you have mastiha tears (the resin), crush them into powder with a mortar & pestle.

Mixing everything together

In a medium bowl, combine the milk & yeast mixture, sugar, 5 eggs and the melted butter.

Add in the lukewarm mahleb liquid, the crushed mastiha and salt and mix until well-blended.

In a separate large bowl, place 2 pounds of your flour and make a crater in the middle.

Slowly add your liquid mixture into the crater and lightly mix by hand.

Add the remaining flour, little by little, mixing to get an elastic dough. You might not need all the flour, it'll depend on your ingredients.

Cover the dough with a cloth and place the bowl in a warm (not hot!) oven for the dough to rise.

When the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead it by hand until all the air is removed. Divide the dough into four pieces and shape your loaves - try this video straight from Greece for fun tips on how to braid (don't worry, there's no dialogue!).

Cover the loaves with a cloth and let them rise for another 30 minutes.

Warm up your oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Beat the 6th egg and brush each tsoureki with the mixture. Then sprinkle the sliced almonds on top. 

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown and enjoy the smell that will fill your entire house!