Tsoureki - Greek sweet bread
It is originally Easter bread, very similar to brioche, but you can buy it and eat it any time of year in shops, supermarkets and bakeries.
Equipment
- blender
- bowl
- tray
- pan
Ingredients
Dough
- 550 g flour
- 150 g honey
- 150 ml water
- 1,5 tbsp suger
- 2 eggs
- 1 orange zest
- 1 pack of fresh yeast
- 2 packs of vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
- 1,5 g mastic/ or one shot glass of mastic drink/or one shot glass of ouzo
- Pinch of salt
Filling
- 150 g chocolate
- 150 g butter at room temperature
- 45 g sugar
- 30 g cocoa
- Some walnuts
Syrup (optional)
- 150 g sugar
- 160 ml water
Instructions
- Mix 50g of flour, yeast and water and leave it aside for the yeast to start ‘working’, until many little holes appear.
- Mix sugar, vanilla and mastic in a blender (unless you use mastic drink-then you can just use a spoon).
- In a pan melt honey and 100g butter and then add the step no2 mix (sugar and vanilla)
- Put it in the bowl where the yeast is working (step 1), add the rest of the flour and eggs and mix it all very well (about 5-10 min with a mixer) and then add the remaining 50g butter and mix again. Then cover it and leave it to rise for about two hours.
- While your dough is rising, it is time to make the filling cream. Melt the chocolate with the butter, add sugar and cocoa and crushed nuts. Leave aside.
- Make two balls from your dough and knead them well, then use the rolling pin to make them thin. Then repeat the kneading and rolling until you get two nice rectangle dough pieces.
- Spread the chocolate filling onto each rectangle but not all the way to the edges. Then roll it into a roll (duh!) Your two rolls will appreciate if you put them into the fridge for about 15 minutes so that they harden a bit.
- Cut the roll into two pieces and try to make a plait. Try not to spill the chocolate everywhere on your kitchen counter as it will make you sad and we want only happiness from Tsoureki. Do the same with the second roll. Try to press the edges with your fingers to stop the leaking chocolate.
- Leave the 2 tsourekis to rest for 30-60 minutes to grow more and then bake them in the preheated oven at 180 c for 20-30 minutes.
- If you want, you can cover your Tsoureki while it’s hot with the syrup of sugar and water. If you are a self-control freak, leave your Tsoureki to cool completely, and if you are a normal person wait for as much as you can and then go for it! Yummy!
Notes
We guess that everybody who has even been to Greece has tried this magnificent sweet bread-its majesty Tsoureki.
It is originally an Easter bread, very similar to brioche, but you can buy it and eat it any time of year in shops, supermarkets and bakeries.
Its cool name comes from the Turkish word ‘korek’ - used for any kind of bread with yeast. You can find similar traditional bread in Turkey, Azerbaijan, etc. but this version is strictly Greek, and it represents Christ’s resurrection as flour, with the help of yeast, becomes alive and transforms into bread. It is always in a shape of plait to chase away evil spirits.
There are many flavors of Tsoureki –some with raisins, figs or dates and others covered or filled with chocolate and sprinkled with almonds or nuts. But they are all perfect to enjoy in summer mornings with a cup of coffee or in lazy afternoons. So if you are missing Greece this summer or just want to make magic in your kitchen, here is a perfect recipe for Tsoureki with chocolate!
Note: in Greece you can find special flour for Tsoureki but if you don’t have it, any flour will be just fine.