GREEK
SWEET HOLIDAY BREAD
(TSOUREKI)
2 pounds flour (preferably
bread or high gluten flour)
3 TBS dry yeast
1/2 cup warm
water
1 +- cup
sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted but
not hot
5
eggs
1/2 warm
milk
2 tsp
vanilla
2 tsp ground mahlepi
(oriental spice)
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg plus 1 Tbs water for
brushing
Slivered almonds for
topping
In warm water dilute yeast
with ½ cup of the flour and a pinch sugar.
Set aside the mixture until it gets bubbly.
In a large mixing bowl
beat eggs with sugar on high speed
until thick and pale. In a small sauce pan melt butter and add the milk.
Now add to the flour mixture, the
egg and sugar mixture half the
flour and half the yeast mixture as well as half the butter and milk,
mahlepi and vanilla. Continue until
you have used all the ingredients. knead in mixer with bread hook attachment,
until dough is elastic. Not to hard, not soft either. Let rise for 1 hour in an
unlightened oven covered with a dumb tea towel.
Cut dough in 12 pieces. Use three and
make a braid. You will have 4 braids. Place them in two different baking pans
and allow quite a bit of space in between as they rise a lot. Let rise for another 40 minutes in
an unlighted oven. When
double in size, brush with egg wash
before baking. Sprinkle the almonds
on top. Bake in a 360F. or 180C. preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes on the
mid lower rack of the oven until the breads have a light golden color.
If bread is made for the
Christmas holiday, tradition
dictates that you divide the dough into two pieces. Divide each piece in three
pieces and make a large braid.
Connect the two ends so to make a circle braid. Line two large cake pans
with parchment paper (ladoxarto) and carefully place them into each pan. Once the breads are cooked and cooled
down close your eyes and insert a small clean coin through the bottom of the
bread. Whoever in the family finds the coin is to be the new Years
most blessed person.
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