Tsoureki Recipe: Traditional Greek Easter bread

Ingredients

Starter dough:

• 75g flour

• 60ml lukewarm water

• 7g dry yeast

Dry ingredients:

• 450g strong white bread flour

• The zest of 1 unwaxed orange

• 1tbsp sugar

• 1/2tsp mastiha ground together with sugar

• 1/2tsp mahlepi

• 1/2tsp salt

• 50g butter, cut into small cubes, at room temperature

• Optional: ground cardamom, cinnamon

Wet ingredients:

• 50g butter

• 100g sugar

• 100ml full-fat milk

Before baking:

• 1 egg yolk

• 1tbsp water

• Almond flakes

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Method:

1. Heat the first 50g of butter, sugar, and milk over a low heat until the butter is melted and the sugar dissolved. Allow to cool a little before whisking in the eggs.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour for the starter dough together with lukewarm water and yeast, and set aside for 10 minutes.

3. Once the starter is bubbly, whisk it together with the butter, milk, sugar and egg mixture.

4. Onto the dry ingredients. Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Grate in the orange zest, add the mahlepi and salt. Together with the sugar, grind a few drops of mastiha in a pestle & mortar until finely ground and add to the mixture.

5. Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients while combining, then knead for 5 minutes. Now, one piece at a time, add in the cubes of butter and carry on kneading for 10-15 minutes more. The tsoureki dough needs to be kneaded for 20 minutes to create the long, stringy structure that tsoureki is known for.

6. Cover and allow to rest for 2 hours in a warm spot.

7. The dough should now have doubled in size. Divide into 3 equal pieces, and stretch/role each piece into long threads, about 3-5cm in diameter. (If you want to stuff your tsoureki, roll out the long pieces, add in the filling, and roll to seal before braiding.)

8. Braid the 3 pieces together (you can use our video as a guide), squeezing the end joints together to combine, then tucking under the bottom. Cover and allow to rest for another 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius (fan).

9. Now, brush the tsoureki all over with a layer of the egg wash, and top with flaked almonds.

10. Bake the tsoureki on the bottom rack of the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until evenly golden brown. Enjoy!