How To Make Traditional Greek Easter Bread (Tsoureki)

In Greece, Easter dinner is steeped in rich traditions dating back hundreds of years. One of these special customs is the braided egg Easter bread called Tsoureki. Here is a traditional recipe for one loaf. Often, the bread is baked with a few Easter eggs placed in the dough close to the end. The traditional color being red. To decorate your eggs try painting some flat leaf parsley with gold egg paint for a beautiful design. Find more inspirational Spring holiday recipes in our digital and print magazines and on our blog at:

World Cuisine Today Magazine www.worldcuisinetodaymagazine.com .

Ingredients

For One Loaf of the Bread

One cup whole milk

One package dry yeast

Four cups of flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup blanched sliced ground almonds (optional)

1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Zest of half a large orange

One teaspoon ground anise seed

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional

1/8 of a cup butter

Three jumbo eggs beaten

For the Egg Wash

One additional egg yolk beaten

Two tablespoons whole milk

1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds

Method

1) In a small bowl sprinkle the yeast over one cup of milk. Also mix in 1/2 a cup of flour and 1/8 cup of sugar.

2) In a large bowl combine the three and a half cups of remaining flour, the ground almonds, sugar, salt, aniseed, cinnamon, raisins and grated orange zest.

3) In a large bowl in the center of the mixture, make a well. Add in the yeast mixture, melted butter and beaten eggs.

4) Mix to combine from the inside toward the outside until a dough forms.

5) Dust a work surface and knead by hand or with the knead setting on a mixer for 15 minutes.

6) Grease a bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with a cloth and put in a warm place for two hours. Punch down dough.

7) Form three balls with the dough and roll out into long snake shapes. Pinch the top of the three dough pieces and braid, tucking under the other end. (Press in the center of the braid two uncooked red-dyed eggs if using or leave plain)

8) On a lined or greased cookie sheet place the loaf, cover and let rise two more hours.

9) In the last fifteen minutes preheat your oven to 360 degrees F.

10) Next paint the bread with the egg wash and sprinkle with the slivered almonds.

11) After first fifteen minutes tent top with foil. Bake for forty to forty five minutes total amount.

Decorate with the painted parsley in the last few minutes, if desired.

Serve with your Easter meal.

Recipe Developed By: World Cuisine Today Magazine

April 9, 2020 www.worldcuisinetodaymagazine.com