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Tsoureki Bread

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You would think Tsoureki bread as rich as this would be great on it's own, and you're right! You can still say yes to a bit of butter and a dash of jam when I had some for breakfast the next day.  I'm going to warn you, this is something you should start in the morning on a day when you are staying home and have occasional moments to spare in the kitchen. You don't want to under-rest or overproof your bread!

A photo of sliced Tsoureki Greek Braided Bread.
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I think that rich egg breads are a common thread linking many cultures. The Greek version is called Tsoureki and it’s amazing! The traditional recipe calls for somewhat difficult to find spices mahlepi and mastic but I used anise and loved it all the same.

A photo of two loafs of greek braided bread.

I love how much fragrance the orange zest gives the bread. When it comes to actually baking the bread I recommend tenting the edges with tin foil. This bread is prone to singeing at the edges, especially if you try placing two braids on the same baking sheet (don’t do that), so baby it in the oven and rotate the baking sheet/keep an eye out for any premature darkening that needs to be covered with foil.

How to make Tsoureki Bread

A photo showing steps on how to make greek braided bread.

How do you make Easter Bread?

  1. Pour warmed milk into a bowl. Mix in 1 yeast packet, 1 cup flour and ¼ cup sugar. Let the mixture proof for an hour. Add 7 cups flour, ground almonds, salt, orange zest, ground aniseed, cardamon and the rest of the sugar. 
  2. Create a well. Combine 1 packet of yeast eggs and melted butter. Work from the center to the outside until dough forms. 
  3. Use flour to dust a workspace. Knead the dough until it doesn’t stick to your hands and fingers. This may take about 10 – 15 minutes. 
  4. Oil a bowl. Place dough and cover with cloth. Let the dough rise for about 2 hours in a warm, draftless place. 
  5. Punch the dough down. It should have doubled in size. 
  6. Evenly divide dough into 6 balls.
  7. Roll out into strips.
  8. Connect three strips by pinching the top. Braid the strips, then pinch the bottom to reconnect. Follow the same steps to make your second braided loaf. If you want this to be a traditional Greek Easter Bread, add 2 red-dyed eggs into the braids. Put the dough on parchment paper and cover. Let rise for 2 hours. It will double in size. 
  9. Beat egg yolk and cream. Paint onto the loaf. Preheat to 360 degrees F. Place the loaves on the lower rack and bake for 40 – 45 minutes. Let cool. 
Tsoureki Greek Braided Bread
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5 from 3 votes

Tsoureki Bread

Traditional Easter bread with hints of orange zest!
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Greek
Prep Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 200kcal
Author John Kanell

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

    For the Bread:

    • 2 cups whole milk
    • 2 envelopes active dry yeast
    • 8 - 9 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup almond meal (optional)
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 tablespoon orange zest
    • 2 teaspoons finely ground anise seed
    • 1/4 cup butter unsalted, melted
    • 5 eggs very well beaten
    • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom

    For the Glaze:

    • 1 egg yolk
    • 2 tablespoons cream

    Instructions

    INSTRUCTIONS

      For the Bread:

      • Pour warmed milk into a bowl. Mix in 1 yeast packet, 1 cup flour and ¼ cup sugar. Let the mixture proof for an hour.
      • Add 7 cups flour, ground almonds, salt, orange zest, ground aniseed, cardamon and the rest of the sugar.
      • Create a well. Combine 1 packet of yeast eggs and melted butter. Work from the center to the outside until dough forms.
      • Use flour to dust a workspace. Knead the dough until it doesn’t stick to your hands and fingers. This may take about 10 - 15 minutes.
      • Oil a bowl. Place dough and cover with cloth. Let the dough rise for about 2 hours in a warm, draftless place. Punch the dough down. It should have doubled in size.
      • Evenly divide dough into 6 balls. Roll out into strips.
      • Connect three strips by pinching the top. Braid the strips, then pinch the bottom to reconnect.
      • Follow the same steps to make your second braided loaf.
      • If you want this to be a traditional Greek Easter Bread, add 2 red-dyed eggs into the braids.
      • Put the dough on parchment paper and cover. Let rise for 2 hours. It will double in size.
      • Preheat to 360 degrees F.

      For the Glaze:

      • Beat egg yolk and cream
      • Paint onto the loaf. 
      • Place the loaves on the lower rack and bake for 40 - 45 minutes.
      • Let cool

      Video

      Notes

      Adapted from: https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/tsoureki-greek-easter-sweet-bread-87775

      Nutrition

      Serving: 1serving | Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4.5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 215IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1.3mg
      *Nutrition Disclaimer
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