TSOUREKI

Tsoureki is a sweet, enriched Greek braided bread flavoured with mahlepi (a fragrant spice from cherry kernels), mastic (a resin with piney notes) and often orange zest, traditionally made for Easter but enjoyed year round. It has a soft, slightly chewy crumb, shiny egg wash crust sometimes studded with red dyed eggs or slivered almonds, and originates from Greece with deep roots in Byzantine and Ottoman culinary influences, reflecting centuries of regional baking traditions across the Eastern Mediterranean.

Here’s a few simple tips to making the glorious sweet bread tsoureki…

  • Use fresh, room temperature ingredients, especially yeast, milk and eggs, so the dough rises evenly and the tsoureki stays soft and fluffy.

  • Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8–12 minutes by hand or 6–8 minutes in a mixer). Proper gluten development gives that signature chew and structure.

  • Don’t rush the rise, let the dough double in a warm, draught free spot and give it a second shorter proof after shaping. A gentle egg wash before baking yields a glossy, golden crust.

  • Have fun with the spices. Choose woody easter driven spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves if mahlepi is too hard to source. Every families is slightly different, so why not give your version your own touch.

TSOUREKI

〰️

TSOUREKI 〰️

(GREEK EASTER SWEET BREAD)

Time: 2 hours + 30 minutes

Serves: Makes 3 smallish tsoureki bread


125ml milk

100ml hot water

21gm dry yeast

50gm caster sugar

3 eggs

1 orange, zest

1 lemon, zest

2 tbl sp mahlepi (or a spice mix of 1 tbl sp cinnamon, 1/4 nutmeg freshly grated, 1/2 tea sp gr clove, 1/2 tea sp gr ginger)

500gm plain flour

75 gm butter, chopped and softened

To make dough, set up stand mixer with kneading attachment, and add in milk, water, yeast and sugar and give it a mix with a fork to agitate. Leave for 5 minutes. Add in 2 eggs, orange and lemon zest, spices and flour. Knead in stand mixer for 7 minutes on medium, then add in butter cubes one by one as you knead for another 5 minutes. You should be finished with a dough that holds itself and has some pull.

Lightly grease large bowl (it will expand) and place dough in, cling film to close and leave for 1 hour to rise at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Knock back dough and make 6 equal amounts. Roll into long rope size, and then plait the dough with 2 of the ropes, plaiting as the video shows. This will make three smallish tsoureki buns. You can make one large one with a simple braid with three ropes, just adjust the cooking time to a tad longer.

Let the braids proof for another 20 minutes, before brushing with the remaining egg whisked and egg washed before cooking for 20 minutes.

Allow to cool on wire rack, and I love them with butter and sprinkle of sea salt flakes.