Name: Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread) Recipe
Prep time: 5 h
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 5 h 35 min
Yield: 30
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1⅝ tbsp dry yeast; ½ cup water; ¾ tsp ground mastic; 2¼ tsp ground mahleb; ⅔ cup butter; 1⅛ cups sugar; ½ cup milk; 4 eggs; 7 cups flour; orange zest; 1 egg; 1 tbsp water; almond slivers; 1 cup sugar; ¾ cup water

Photos of Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread) Recipe

How To Make Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread)

Take a slice of this tsoureki (Greek Easter bread) recipe. An aromatic and fluffy bread, beautifully braided and topped with slivers of almonds and sweet syrup.

Prep: 5 hrs

Cook: 35 mins

Total: 5 hrs 35 mins

Makes:

Ingredients

For the dough

1⅝ tbsp dry yeast
½ cup water, lukewarm
¾ tsp ground mastic
2¼ tsp ground mahleb
⅔ cup butter, from cow’s milk, at room temperature
1⅛ cups sugar
½ cup milk, at room temperature
4 eggs, medium, at room temperature
7 cups flour, strong white
orange zest, from 1 orange

To Garnish:

1 egg
1 tbsp water
almond slivers

For Syrup:

1 cup sugar
¾ cup water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 310 degrees F with the fan on.
In a bowl, add lukewarm water, a pinch of sugar, and yeast. Stir to combine. Wrap with a plastic sheet and rest for 6 to 7 minutes until yeast rises and starts bubbling. Water should be as warm as a finger. Do not add hot water as it kills the yeast.
Ground the masticha, mahleb, and a pinch of sugar with a food processor or mortar and pestle.
In a saucepan, add butter, sugar, and milk. Place over low heat and stir until butter melts and sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool. Temperature should be the same as a finger.
Pour the butter mixture into a large bowl and mix in the eggs with a whisk. Add the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
In a mixer bowl, add flour, ground mastic and mahleb, orange zest, and butter and egg mixture. Use the dough hook on low speed, until combined. Change speed to medium high for 15 minutes until dough doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl.
Cover dough with a plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for about 3 to 4 hours until it doubles in size.
Deflate dough by hand and cut into 6 equal portions. Take a piece of dough and roll it on an even surface by hand. Do not flour the surface. Stretch the dough into a rope by hand to achieve a stringy texture.
Form dough into a braid and transfer to a large baking tray layered with parchment paper. Repeat for a second braid of dough. Let rise for 1 more hour at room temperature until it doubles in size.
In a small bowl, mix egg, and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the dough with the egg mixture, being careful not to deflate it. Spinkle with almond slivers and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until browned and fluffy. Take it out the oven and let it rest.

To Make The Syrup:

In a small pot, add sugar and water. bring to a boil and as soon as sugar dissolves remove from heat. Ladle hot syrup on top of the tsoureki. Serve while still warm.