Tsoureki Greek Easter Sweet Bread Food

TSOUREKI RECIPE FOR A SWEET GREEK EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water (around 98 degrees) with a teaspoon of sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and let bloom for 10 minutes. You should see bubbles and activity from the yeast. If you don't, then your yeast might be dead.
• Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the melted butter, malhepi, salt, vanilla, anise, yeast mixture, and milk, until they're combined really well.
• Switch out the paddle attachment on your mixer for the dough hook.
• Gradually beat in 5 cups of flour. If the dough is still very sticky at this point, add additional flour until it starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and work in just enough of the remaining flour until a soft, not sticky, dough forms. Knead the dough by turning and pushing with the heel of your hand for 10 minutes (this will be a nice workout for you). The dough will become smooth and elastic.
• Grease a bowl with oil. Press the dough into the greased bowl and then turn the dough over so that both sides of it are greased.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and allow it to rise in a warm draft-free spot for about an hour and a half, or until it has doubled in size.
• Grease your baking pans or a cookie sheet, or line them with parchment paper.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
• Punch down the dough. Divide it into your desired portions. For 1 large 12 x 2 1/2-inch round pan, divide the dough into three equal portions. Roll each portion into a 30-inch rope. Braid the 3 ropes together, seal the ends, and form the braid into a circle. Gently lay the dough circle into the greased pan.
• For two braided loaves, divide the dough in half, then divide each half into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 14-inch rope, keeping the strip thicker in the center and tapering at the ends. Braid 3 strips together and seal the ends. Gently lay each braid on a greased (or parchment-lined) baking sheet.
• Cover each loaf with a towel, and allow to rest in a warm, draft-free place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours for the large loaf, or 1 to 1 1/2 hours for the smaller loaves, or until they have increased in size.
• ***To know if the dough has properly proofed, press it with your thumb or knuckle, if it springs back slowly and leaves a small indentation then it is proofed properly. If you springs back quickly, then it needs more time. If a deep groove remains, then it is over-proofed.
• Prepare the glaze by combining the egg with the milk. Brush the dough with the glaze. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds or slivered almonds.
• Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 45-55 minutes for the large loaf, and 30 to 35 minutes for the small loaves. Use a digital thermometer to make sure your bread is properly baked. Insert it halfway down into the center of the loaf. It should be 190ºF. Remove the bread immediately from the pans and allow to cool on a rack.
• The bread can be stored in plastic bags and frozen up to three months.

TSOUREKI (SWEET GREEK EASTER BREAD)

Steps:

• Heat milk and whisk in 1½ cups flour, sugar, and yeast.
• Cover with plastic and let stand for ~30 minutes.
• Add eggs one at a time.
• Add another cup flour, orange zest, and salt. Then add butter, vanilla, and orange juice. Gradually add remaining flour, kneading until smooth.
• Coat a bowl with oil and roll dough in it to coat. Cover with plastic and let rise for 1½ hour. Preheat oven to 400.
• Make braids with the dough (2 loaves).
• Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water. Brush loaves with mixture.
• Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.

TSOUREKI - GREEK EASTER BREAD (BREAD MACHINE RECIPE)

Steps:

• Place the milk, 2 cups of flour, and yeast in the bread machine pan and process on the dough setting. (Mine takes around 1.5 hours).
• While the machine is working (no rush here - you have plenty of time) mix the other 2 cups of flour with the sugar, salt, orange zest, and the anise seed. (I couldn't find ground anise seed so I ground some up in my blender. A coffee grinder would work as well).
• Once the dough cycle is completed, add the flour mixture, olive oil, and eggs. Process again on the dough setting. (Another 1.5 hours! But for me, this is preferable to doing it by hand. My handmade dough ends up like a brick).
• Once the second cycle is completed, remove the dough to a well-floured surface. Punch down and form into a ball. (This is easy! I was scared because this is where I get into trouble - I tend to overwork things. Look it up on YouTube if you don't know how: http://youtu.be/5HW38Bn-hnI).
• Cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. (I left it on the counter top and covered it with paper towels).
• Now, divide the dough into three parts. Roll each piece into a rope and braid, working from the center to the ends. Pinch the ends together and turn under. (Once again, if you don't know how: http://youtu.be/YR6aIAh2Vt8 And if you don't feel like braiding it at all - I won't tell. It tastes wonderful no matter what the shape).
• Embed the dyed eggs (optional) in the folds of the braid. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk - about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. (Note: Mine came out a little dark on top so I'm gonna try 350 degrees next time.) Once the dough has risen, brush it lightly with the egg wash. (I sprinkled some whole anise seeds on top, but you don't have to do that. Some people use slivered almonds, but my family has allergies).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. (I slid the parchment paper directly onto a preheated pizza stone. My bread came out a little dark on the top, next time I'll drape some foil paper over it around 15 minutes in).
• Cool on a rack. Store in a brown bag for up to 3 days. (When it starts getting stale - if it lasts that long - you can make french toast with it. I recommend this recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/dennys-style-french-toast-90674 So good!).

TSOUREKI (GREEK EASTER BREAD)

Steps:

• Combine milk, sugar, and butter in a saucepan over low heat and warm to 112 degrees F (44 degrees C). Remove from heat. Stir in yeast and wait for mixture to bubble.
• Place flour in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture, whole eggs, egg white, chopped almonds, apricots, orange zest and juice, lemon zest, and mahlepi. Mix together. Knead dough until well mixed, adding extra flour if necessary until dough is only slightly sticky. Set dough aside until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Combine egg yolk and 1/4 cup milk in a bowl and place in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Knead risen dough to expel bubbles and divide into 2 equal parts. Divide each half into 3 equal balls. Roll each ball into a rope about 18 inches long. Braid 3 ropes to make a loaf and tuck the ends underneath and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining 3 ropes to form a second loaf. Brush egg yolk mixture on top of each loaf and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Brush again with egg yolk mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until loaves are brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 40 minutes.

TSOUREKIA- GREEK EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water.
• Add a teacup of flour and beat the mix with a towel and place it in a warm place to rise.
• Slightly heat the milk, the sugar, the butter and the orange rind and place them in a bowl.
• Add the yeast, the eggs, beaten, and the flour, stirring constantly.
• Make sure the dough is neither too soft nor too tough.
• Cover this dough with a towel and let it stand in a warm place for about an hour and a half.
• When the dough has doubled in size, knead it again by hand and shape plaited breads.
• (Traditionally for easter, red colored hard cooked eggs may be pressed into the braided bread) Brush the breads with 2-3 beaten egg yolks and bake them in a medium oven for about 30-35 minutes.

TSOUREKI (GREEK EASTER SWEET BREAD)

Steps:

• Warm two cups of milk and place in a large bowl. Add the yeast, one cup of the flour, and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Cover and proof for one hour.
• In a large bowl, combine seven cups of flour, the ground almonds, salt, remaining sugar, orange rind, aniseed or mahlepi and masticha (if using). Make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture, melted butter and eggs. Work from the center outwards, bringing flour into the well, stirring the mixture until a dough begins to form.
• Dust a worksurface with a little of the remaining flour and knead, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough is smooth and doesn't stick to your hands, about 12 minutes.
• Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and set aside in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk, about two hours. Punch down dough.
• Divide into nine small balls and roll each into strips 10-12 inches long, and about 2 inches in diameter. Lay three strips side by side, pinching together at one end, and braid. Pinch together at the other end to hold the loaf intact.
• Optional: At this point you can press a red-dyed egg between the strips of the braid or just leave the braided loaf plain.
• Repeat the procedure to make the second and third loaves.
• Place the breads on parchment-lined baking sheets, covered, and let rise for two hours, or until doubled in bulk. While the braids are rising, preheat oven to 340F (170°C), placing rack in middle rack of oven.
• Beat together the egg yolk and remaining milk. Brush over tsoureki loaves and sprinkle with slivered almonds.
• Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. I check my breads after about 15 minutes as they do tend to colour quickly and drape them with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning. The bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove and cool on racks.
• *The special red dye used by Greeks to dye Easter eggs, as well as the spices Mahlepi (Mahleb) and Masticha can be found at all good ethnic grocery stores and in the Penzeys Catalague.