Indulge in the aromatic sweetness of Tsoureki, a traditional Greek Easter bread that captivates the senses with its fluffy texture, golden crust, and vibrant flavors. This culinary masterpiece, deeply rooted in Greek culture, holds a special place during the Easter festivities. As you embark on this delightful culinary journey, discover the secrets behind creating the perfect Tsoureki. Explore a collection of carefully curated recipes that cater to diverse dietary preferences, including vegan, gluten-free, and classic variations. Let the tantalizing aromas of orange zest, warm spices, and freshly squeezed orange juice guide you as you craft this delectable treat. Whether you prefer a classic braided loaf, a decorative bird-shaped creation, or a bite-sized individual portion, these recipes provide step-by-step instructions to ensure success in your baking endeavor. Embrace the spirit of Greek Easter with each bite of this delectable bread, symbolizing renewal, prosperity, and the joy of sharing.
Let's cook with our recipes!
TSOUREKI (GREEK EASTER BREAD)
This is a favorite bread of Greeks and non-Greeks. It is great even for another day besides Pasca. It works great as French toast as well. Not a diet bread though!
Provided by breadlover
Categories 100+ Breakfast and Brunch Recipes Breakfast Bread Recipes
Time 2h25m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 15
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 474.1 calories, Carbohydrate 82.2 g, Cholesterol 70 mg, Fat 11.1 g, Fiber 4.8 g, Protein 12.9 g, SaturatedFat 3.3 g, Sodium 62.9 mg, Sugar 30.3 g
TSOUREKI (GREEK EASTER BREAD)
The red Easter eggs that make this traditional bread so special are for decorative purposes only. Do not eat them.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Bread Recipes
Time 5h
Yield Makes 2 loaves
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Combine 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment; whisk on low speed to combine. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it registers 110 degrees. With mixer speed on medium-low, gradually add milk to mixer bowl, scraping down sides if necessary. Mix until combined. Remove bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until bubbling, about 30 minutes.
- Generously butter a large bowl; set aside. Return mixer bowl to stand and attach dough hook. Mix in lightly beaten eggs, in 3 additions, on medium speed. Add remaining all-purpose flour and salt and mix until incorporated. Add butter, orange zest and juice, and vanilla, mixing until combined. Gradually mix in 2 cups bread flour, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary; then add enough remaining bread flour to form a soft, slightly sticky dough that pulls away from the side of bowl. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until dough is very smooth, about 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball, place in buttered bowl, and turn to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until 1 1/2 times its original size, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Line two 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Punch down dough. Cut dough in half with a large knife or bench scraper, then cut each half into 3 equal pieces. Keeping 3 pieces covered with plastic wrap, roll remaining 3 pieces into 16-inch-long ropes with your hands. (If dough becomes dry, lightly dampen your palms to help in rolling.) Loosely braid ropes together, pinch ends to seal, and place loaf diagonally on 1 baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining 3 pieces of dough. Loosely cover each loaf with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake bread 10 minutes. Remove 1 baking sheet from oven. Quickly and carefully push 5 eggs, larger side down, into the center of the loaf, spacing them evenly down the length. Brush with egg wash and immediately return to oven. Repeat with remaining loaf. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake, rotating baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until loaves are deep golden and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, about 25 minutes more. (If necessary, cover with parchment-lined foil to prevent overbrowning.) Transfer bread to a wire rack; let cool completely.
YIA YIA'S TSOUREKI (GREEK EASTER BREAD)
My Yia Yia made this Greek Easter bread for many years, so this is very dear to my heart. It is slightly sweet and has a soft, golden brown crust. Leftovers can be used for toast the next day. Christos Anesti!
Provided by Jacolyn
Categories Bread Yeast Bread Recipes
Time 5h40m
Yield 20
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Pour yeast into a small bowl; add warm water and 1/4 cup of flour. Stir, cover with two damp kitchen towels, and leave in a warm place until bubbly, about 2 1/2 hours.
- Combine butter, shortening, and mastic in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir milk and sugar together in another saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm. Remove from heat.
- Pour 2 cups flour into the butter mixture and stir well. Add salt, then stir in the yeast mixture. Add 2 more cups of flour and stir well. Stir in 3 beaten eggs. Slowly add the milk mixture and 1 cup of flour and stir well. Add the room-temperature water and the last cup of flour and stir until the dough is not sticky.
- Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 20 minutes with lightly floured hands. Form dough into a ball. Cover with damp towels and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two baking sheets.
- Divide dough into two pieces and separate each piece into three strands. Braid each of the 3 strands together to form 2 braided loaves. Place on the baking sheets. Nestle the red-dyed eggs between the strands. Brush the dough with the remaining beaten egg. Sprinkle the tops with almonds and sesame seeds.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 293.3 calories, Carbohydrate 41.7 g, Cholesterol 67.1 mg, Fat 10.9 g, Fiber 1.6 g, Protein 7.1 g, SaturatedFat 4.4 g, Sodium 115.8 mg, Sugar 10.8 g
TSOUREKI - GREEK EASTER BREAD (BREAD MACHINE RECIPE)
Tsoureki is a sweet egg bread (similar to Challah) that is braided and decorated with dyed eggs for Greek Easter. This is my first time making it using this recipe (and the first time it came out properly!) - so I wanted to share. This recipe is made in the bread machine on the dough setting and then braided and baked in the oven. Adapted (very slightly) from this recipe: http://www.kitchenlink.com/cookbooks/2000/0385477775_3.html I listed the brands I used, but obviously you can use whatever you prefer. (I wrote my instructions for beginners like myself. If you know what you're doing, ignore my tangents!)
Provided by Teagan Murphy
Categories Yeast Breads
Time 5h
Yield 12 slices, 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
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!).
EASTER BREAD (TSOUREKI)
This whimsical bread is studded with dyed Easter eggs for a festive look.
Provided by Melissa Roberts
Categories Bread Egg Breakfast Brunch Side Bake Easter Vegetarian Kid-Friendly Spring Edible Gift Bon Appétit Small Plates
Yield Makes one 14" loaf
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Place 5 or 6 eggs in a medium pot. Pour in cold water to cover by 1" and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, cover pot, and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer eggs to a medium bowl of ice water; let cool completely.
- If desired, color eggs according to food-coloring package directions. Transfer eggs to paper towels to dry. DO AHEAD: Eggs can be dyed up to 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch down dough. Divide into 3 equal pieces. With lightly floured hands, roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a 16"- long rope with tapered ends. (If dough begins to bounce back, cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes to allow dough to relax.)
- Arrange ropes side by side lengthwise on prepared sheet. Pinch top ends together. Braid dough. Pinch bottom ends together to secure (braided loaf will be about 12" long). Tuck dyed eggs between braids, spacing evenly. Loosely cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area until puffed but not doubled in size, 45-50 minutes. Arrange a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°F. Whisk remaining egg with 2 teaspoons warm water in a small bowl. Avoiding dyed eggs, brush dough all over with egg wash. Bake until bread is golden and an instantread thermometer inserted into center of loaf registers 190°F, 20-25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let cool completely and store airtight at room temperature.
TSOUREKI (SWEET GREEK EASTER BREAD)
This recipe was passed down to me from my Greek aunt. Traditionally the bread was made exclusively for Easter celebrations and had red-dyed hard boiled eggs nestled in the braids of the loaf. Nowadays the bread is popular at breakfast and is served all year round, without the hard boiled eggs.
Provided by buelow
Categories Breads
Time 37m
Yield 2 loaves, 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 330.1, Fat 10.5, SaturatedFat 5.9, Cholesterol 83.5, Sodium 291.6, Carbohydrate 50.4, Fiber 1.7, Sugar 13, Protein 8
TSOUREKI (TRADITIONAL GREEK EASTER BREAD)
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Bread Recipes
Yield Makes 1 loaf
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine 1 cup room temperature water and yeast; let stand until dissolved. Add flour, sugar, honey, orange zest, salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolks. Mix on low speed until the dough is smooth and stiff with a slight sheen, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead to make sure any loose bits are incorporated. Fold in the following manner: Fold the bottom third of the dough up, the top third down, and the right and left sides over, tapping the dough after each fold to release excess flour, and pressing down to seal. Gently gather the dough and flip it over, seam side down. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap (plastic wrap should be touching the surface of the dough), and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Brush an unrimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Return the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and divide into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into an 18-inch log, and place the logs parallel to one another; pinch the ends together at the top. Weave the three strands into a tight braid, tugging gently as you go. Press the ends together to seal. Place loaf on the prepared sheet. Loosely cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove plastic wrap. If baking bread without eggs, brush with egg wash and bake until loaf is deep golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Cover with foil if necessary. The bread should reach an internal temperature of 190 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and should produce a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before serving. If inserting red eggs, bake bread 10 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully push 5 eggs, larger side down, into the center of the loaf, spacing them evenly down the length. Brush with egg wash and immediately return to oven and proceed with baking directions.
Tips:
- Use fresh ingredients, especially the yeast. Old yeast may not activate properly and can result in a dense, heavy bread.
- Make sure the milk and eggs are at room temperature. This will help the yeast to activate more quickly.
- Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. This will help to develop the gluten in the flour, which will give the bread a chewy texture.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This will allow the yeast to produce carbon dioxide gas, which will make the bread light and airy.
- Bake the bread in a preheated oven. This will help to create a crusty exterior and a soft, fluffy interior.
- Brush the bread with melted butter or olive oil before baking. This will help to keep the bread moist and prevent it from drying out.
Conclusion:
Tsoureki is a delicious and versatile bread that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is perfect for special occasions like Easter, but it can also be enjoyed as an everyday treat. With its unique flavor and texture, tsoureki is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it.
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