GREEK EASTER BREAD
Easter in Greece is like Christmas for us, it is a time for worship, families and friends and a lot of food and parties. The celebrations go on for days and the preparation has been going on for weeks. This year we are sort of doing our own Greek celebration, we will be eating lamb, baking Easter bread and dancing around like happy Greeks. We will be giving thanks, thinking how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful, happy place and of course we will be eating (a lot).
Have a happy Easter what ever you religion or not and remember to stop and appreciate the little things in life!
Tsoureki, a sweet yeast bread made of eggs, milk, and butter, is a staple during Greek Easter. The three-strand braid symbolizes the Holy Trinity, while the red-dyed hard-boiled egg braided into the dough symbolizes the blood of Christ. The bread is delicious and keeps for several days, but eat that double-cooked egg at your own risk.
TSOUREKI
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp whole milk
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp fine salt
115g unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest (from about 1 orange)
1 red-dyed hard-boiled egg (optional)
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
In a small saucepan, heat 3/4 cup of the milk until warm to the touch but not hot (about 50C ). Transfer the warm milk to a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for about 15 minutes to activate the yeast.
Sift the flour, sugar and salt together into a large bowl; set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt 7 tablespoons of the butter. Let the butter cool, then transfer to a medium bowl. Add the eggs and orange zest and beat together. Stir the egg mixture into the yeast mixture until combined.
Using a spoon, stir the flour mixture into the yeast-egg mixture until combined. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth, flouring your hands and the surface as needed, about 10 minutes.
Coat a baking sheet and a large piece of plastic wrap with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Set the dough on the baking sheet and cover it with the plastic wrap, butter side down. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Remove the plastic wrap and set it aside. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces (about 250g each roll). Roll the pieces into 2 .5 -by- 1.5 cm ropes. Pinch all 3 pieces together on one end to secure, then braid the ropes, entwining the red hard-boiled egg (if using) into the bread. Pinch the other end of the ropes together to secure the braid. Set the braided dough on the prepared baking sheet, cover with the buttered plastic wrap (butter side down), and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C and arrange a rack in the middle.
In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk and remaining 1 tablespoon milk. With a pastry brush, evenly brush the egg mixture over the risen dough, then sprinkle the almonds over top, pressing the nuts gently into the dough. Bake until the bread is browned and the internal temperature reaches 190°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 minutes. Let cool before serving.
