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Greek Easter bread – Tsoureki

March 27, 2013 by Roxana 12 Comments

Greek Easter bread – Tsoureki – soft, sweet, yeast egg-enriched bread flavored with citrus and aniseed. Greek Easter bread – Tsoureki - soft, sweet, yeast egg-enriched bread flavored with citrus and aniseed.

Tsoureki it’s the famous Greek Easter bread. It’s soft, sweet, yeast egg-enriched bread usually flavored with citrus, aniseed or mahlepi (sour cherry pits ground into powder). A couple of cooked red dyed eggs tucked between the braids, sprinkle some slivered almonds on top. The aroma of the bread while baking will take over your kitchen.

Unlike the Italian Easter Bread, the red eggs tucked into the bread just before baking are already cooked. Since they are way over cooked, I would not recommend eating them. You can use raw dyed eggs if you’d like to eat them as well.

Greek Easter bread – Tsoureki - soft, sweet, yeast egg-enriched bread flavored with citrus and aniseed.

Tsoureki it’s usually braided into a log but you’ll also find it braided into a ring/circle. The three-strand braid symbolizes the Holy Trinity, while the red-dyed hard-boiled eggs braided into the dough symbolizes the blood of Christ. Like many other countries bread has religious significance and in lots East European Countries you’ll find very similar traditions around the holidays. Only in the last couple of years the Easter Eggs have been dyed in different colors, but red it’s still the most used color.

Greek Easter bread – Tsoureki - soft, sweet, yeast egg-enriched bread flavored with citrus and aniseed.

I was actually planning on making several Easter breads and share the recipes with you, but I’ve been down with a flu since the weekend and don’t have much baking energy. I’ll try to share the Romanian Easter Bread later today or tomorrow with you.

Greek Easter bread – Tsoureki

Yields 2 loaves

Greek Easter bread – Tsoureki - soft, sweet, yeast egg-enriched bread flavored with citrus and aniseed.

20 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

5 hrTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 6 hard boiled red dyed eggs
  • 2 tsp dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
  • 3 1/2 cups (420 grams) bread flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp aniseed
  • 1 tbsp grated orange zest
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 eggs, raw
  • 2-3 tbsp milk
  • slivered almonds

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl add 1 cup of flour, yeast and the lukewarm milk. Stir to combine and leave at room temperature for about 5 minutes until bubbles start to appear at the surface.
  2. In the meantime, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the two raw eggs and mix some more. Stir in the orange zest, anissed and salt.
  3. Add the creamed sweet butter to the spongy yeast mixture.
  4. With the dough hook on, start mixing, slowly adding enough flour to make a smooth elastic dough, about 2 1/2 cups.
  5. Take the dough out and place it into a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until doubled in volume.
  6. When the dough is risen, punch down and divide the dough into 6 pieces. Shape each piece into a rope and braid two loaves. Tuck 3 eggs into each bread.
  7. Cover and let rise again for another 30-40 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile heat the oven to 375F.
  9. Just before baking, brush the loaves with milk and sprinkle some slivered almonds on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
  10. Leave to cool completely before slicing it. Enjoy!

Notes

recipe adapted from The Bread and Bread Machine Bible

7.6.8
440
https://atreatsaffair.com/greek-easter-bread-tsoureki-recipe/
Roxana Yawgel http://atreatsaffair.com/ All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

Linking this Greek Easter Bread to Bake Your Own Bread and Twelve Loaves

Sending love your way,

Roxana

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Filed Under: Bread and quick bread, Easter, Holiday, Recipe Tagged With: almonds, aniseed, bread, bread flour, Easter, Easter Eggs, Greek, holiday, orange zest, Tsoureki

About Roxana

Roxana has a passion for all things food, a sweet tooth that can’t be tamed and a severe case of the wanderlust
With an audience in search for real food and no fuss recipes, I make midweek meals exciting sharing approachable recipes, both sweet and savory, that taste completely sinful.

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Comments

  1. Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says

    March 27, 2013 at 9:52 am

    This is so cool! I love that I'm learning all about different kinds of Easter bread.
    Reply
  2. RavieNomNoms says

    March 27, 2013 at 9:53 am

    I have never seen anything like this before....I would definitely try it though!
    Reply
  3. Jen L | Tartine and Apron Strings says

    March 27, 2013 at 10:51 am

    It is amazing how many wonderful bread recipes come out of the Mediterranean - the French, the italians, the Middle Easterns...of course, the Greeks too! it's so fascinating how bread making is an age-old tradition that dates back to ancient times and is somehow often connected to religious practices. Truly amazing!
    Reply
  4. tanya says

    March 27, 2013 at 2:18 pm

    Hope you feel better Roxana! We'll be eating these soon, my mom always makes a bunch and freezes them! My favorite bread-wonderful for breakfast! Nicely done!
    Reply
  5. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

    March 27, 2013 at 2:24 pm

    Your braided loaves are all so beautiful!
    Reply
  6. Teresa says

    March 27, 2013 at 9:17 pm

    Yours looks gorgeous! I have no dough hook but I might give this a try by hand
    Reply
  7. Carolyn says

    March 28, 2013 at 5:31 am

    I always love the look of braided bread with the coloured eggs. Looks delicious!
    Reply
  8. Deanna Segrave-Daly (@tspbasil) says

    March 28, 2013 at 12:27 pm

    So beautiful! I made a wreath bread with dyed eggs a few years back but it wasn't nearly as tasty as your version appears!
    Reply
  9. Valerie says

    March 28, 2013 at 4:51 pm

    Beautiful! You are truly the bread Queen. :D
    Reply
  10. Lora @cakeduchess says

    March 30, 2013 at 9:24 am

    I've been fighting something here for days too. I hope you feel better soon. I couldn't get my eggs to turn red!LOL. Your tsoureki is just gorgeous, Roxy. xx
    Reply
  11. Jennie @themessybakerblog says

    April 5, 2013 at 10:07 am

    This is one beautiful loaf of bread. So festive!
    Reply
  12. Angie says

    February 29, 2016 at 7:32 pm

    Beautiful Easter bread!
    Reply

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Hi there! I'm Roxana. I have a passion for all things food, a sweet tooth that can’t be tamed and a severe case of the wanderlust. I make midweek meals exciting by sharing approachable recipes, both sweet and savory, that taste completely sinful. Read More →

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