Tsoureki: The Original Greek Sweet Easter Bread Recipe

low tsoureki is a fluffy Sweet bread in the form of a braidtypical of Greek cuisine but also widespread in Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan, where it is called respectively easter donut, choreg my bread. Traditionally prepared on the occasion of Easterthe tsoureki is decorated with filleted almonds my red eggsbut what characterizes it the most is the unmistakable flavor that the union of two spices with an intense aroma gives it, the mahlepi and the chios mastic.

It seems that the origins of this fragrant leavened product go back to the tradition of Turkish sweet breads, although over time it has become a true symbol of Easter: the three interlocking pieces of dough actually represent the Holy Trinity. , while the eggs used for decoration represent the concepts of rebirth and resurrection. Even the red with which they are colored is not accidental, but probably recalls the legend according to which the eggs that Mary Magdalene carried with her at the moment of the discovery of the empty tomb were colored precisely in this color, testifying of the resurrection that she had place The custom of coloring the eggs, on the other hand, is a typical Easter tradition in Greece: a game called Tsourgrisma is very common during the Christmas season, in which each player has the objective of breaking the egg -red, in fact – of the adversary.

We present you the original recipe of the tsoureki, which will allow you to prepare this soft and tasty bread at home: bring it to the table for Easter breakfast along with a cup of milk or coffee, or serve it for sandwich Spread with honey, jam or Nutella.

If you liked this recipe, also try Turkish simit, a donut-shaped bread covered with sesame seeds, and challah, the traditional Jewish spongy bread.

How to prepare tsureki

Start preparing the tsoureki from the yeast: mix the brewer’s yeast, hot water and 30g of sugar in a bowl, then let it rest for 10 minutes. You’ll know the yeast is active because the mixture will start to bubble and bubble. 1.

Then heat the remaining butter, milk and sugar in a saucepan, stirring with a hand whisk until the butter and sugar have melted. 2. Remember to keep the flame to a minimum, to prevent the butter from burning.

Then add the eggs to the saucepan first, and then the yeast. 3mixing everything well.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the spice mixture and the zest of one orange, then add the liquid mixture. 4.

Knead until a homogeneous and non-sticky dough is obtained. 5, it will take about 15-20 minutes. Next, cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it rise for about 4 hours, or until the dough has doubled in volume.

At this point, transfer it to the work surface and divide it into six pieces of about 150g each. 6.

Stretch each piece with your hands until you get a bead about 30 cm long, then place three of them next to each other, join the ends and braid them 7. Repeat the same operation with the remaining beads as well.

Transfer the braids obtained in this way to a dish covered with baking paper 8 and let rise for another hour, or until doubled in volume.

At this point, dilute an egg with a tablespoon of water and use it to comb both braids. Finally decorate with laminated almonds and red eggs. 9 and bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for 30-40 minutes. If the surface darkens too much during baking, cover the cake with aluminum foil.

The tsoureki is ready: let it cool completely before slicing and serving. 10.

Advice

The typical spices used to flavor this sweet bread can be purchased online or in ethnic shops; if you can’t find them, you can replace them with cinnamon or vanilla extract, although in this case the result will be different from the original.

Fresh out of the oven and still hot, you can brush the tsoureki with a syrup of water and sugar in equal parts (for the doses in the recipe you will need 150 g of sugar and 150 g of water): dissolve the sugar in the water, then pour the syrup on the braids, distributing it well over the entire surface.

To make tsoureki even tastier, you can add chocolate chips or dried fruits like almonds or hazelnuts to the batter.

storage

Lo tsoureki if preserved per 5 days at room temperature, wrapped in transparent film. If it dries out, you can heat it for a few minutes in a traditional oven or microwave, or lightly toast it. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months, preferably already sliced, to make it easier to thaw the right amount.