Recipe
Servings: 2 medium size loaves or 1 extra large one
Prep Time: 30-40 mins
Bake Time: 25-30 mins
Non Active Time: 2-3 hours for rising (or overnight see notes below)
Ingredients
For the starter
½ cup of milk (lukewarm)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (instant)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons All purpose flour
For the dough
1 tablespoon mahlepi
¼ teaspoon of ground mastic or 1.5 grams of rock mastic ground
5 cardamom pods or ½ teaspoon ground (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour or all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup milk (lukewarm)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of one medium size orange
2 oz or ½ stick of butter cubed and at room temperature
1 egg yolk plus 2 tbsps of water whisked for eggwash
Sliced almonds to sprinkle over loaves (optional)
Directions
Activate yeast & Make dough
In a large bowl whisk together all the starter ingredients until fully combined, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot for approx 10 minutes until the yeast mixture is foamy and yeast is activated.
Meanwhile in a small food processor/mini chopper process the mahlepi, mastic, cardamom pods and salt until everything is ground to a powder. Alternatively use a mortar and pestle to grind the mastic and salt together and then the cardamom pods separately. Whisk them all together to combine and set aside. (Skip if they came already ground)
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, mahlepi, ground mastic, ground cardamom, salt, orange zest until well combined.
Once the yeast is activated, add the flour mixture, eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla to it and if you are using stand mixer mix using your dough hook attachment on low for 8 minutes. Continue mixing and then add the softened butter and then increase speed to medium and knead for another 2 minutes. Dough will be very sticky and elastic and will start to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
Brush a bowl with olive oil or melted butter and transfer the dough into it and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm spot and let it sit and double in volume - approx 1½-2 hours.
Roll & Shape dough
Once ready remove plastic wrap then punch down dough and transfer to a clean working surface (not floured). If the dough is very sticky lightly grease your hands with oil to be able to handle dough better.
Roll out the dough into the shape of a baguette and then fold over and roll out in to shape of a baguette again repeating this 5-8 times which helps create chewy threads and texture in the bread.
Cut the dough in half with a large knife or bench scraper, then cut each half into 3 equal pieces. Cover 3 pieces with plastic wrap or damp towel while you work with the remaining 3.
Gently shape each piece into a rough log with your hands, then roll it out into long ropes (I use my baking pan to measure the length), working slowly so your dough rolls out evenly. If you notice your ropes shrinking or pulling back too much when you remove pressure or feel them pull against you, leave them sit for a few minutes and come back to them. Wrap with plastic wrap if letting them sit and rest for a few minutes so they don’t dry out.
Place the ropes next to each other, pinching the ends on one side to seal. Tuck ends under for a smooth finish, and spread out the ropes as wide as possible on your counter. Loosely braid your ropes together, laying one strand on top of the other, not pulling or stretching them. You want a braid free from gaps, but you don’t want to strangle it too tightly either. Adjust your ropes throughout so they stay wide on your work surface, which will make for a more even finished product. When you reach the end, pinch the ends together and tuck them under as you did the other side. (See video for more details)
Transfer the braid carefully onto a greased or lined sheet pan.Cover each loaf with a kitchen towel or greased plastic wrap and place back in your warm spot to let rise until doubled in size, about 1-1½ hours.
Bake
Preheat oven to 350˚F
Brush loaves with eggwash and sprinkle generously with sliced almonds and transfer to oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown (brown on the puffy parts and still light in the creases). Bake one at a time or both at the same time depending on how large your baking trays are.
Remove from oven when done and immediately release them from their trays and lay them to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes and then slice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Storage & How To Use Leftovers: To store your tsoureki bread after it’s been baked and cooled, just keep it in an airtight container or zip-top bag. How long does tsoureki last? It will keep at room temperature for a few days (the flavours really develop nicely in it after the first day) or in the fridge for around a week. Can you freeze tsoureki? Yes. Once the bread is completely cool place loaves in heavy duty plastic sealable freezer bags. Tsoueki can be frozen for up to 2 months. To defrost, remove from the freezer about five hours before they will be served and let them come to room temperature. It will get stale over time and that is the perfect time to make my * Easy Baked Tsoureki (challah/brioche) French Toast or * My Quick And Easy Mixed Berry Trifle with it.
How to shape tsoureki? You can braid your tsoureki with three stands or more if you are creative like that. It can be made in a straight loaf or it can be shaped into a round loaf once braided as well. If three stranded braiding is not your thing, there is nothing wrong with doing a double stranded twisted loaf or ring.
Can I make tsoureki ahead of time? Overnight or Slow Rise: Your tsoureki can be made and kneaded ahead of time. Place dough in a large bowl after its kneaded then cover with plastic wrap, and leave in the fridge for at least half a day or overnight (it can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days). This will make shaping it even easier and the flavours and the texture will also develop a little more as well. Once braided allow to rise a second time and then bake as mentioned above
Can I make tsoureki whithout a standing mixer? Yes of course. If using hand mixer with the spiral hooks like I did initially mix for 10 minutes and on medium high speed and then added the butter and continue to mix for another 2-3 minutes. If you are kneading by hand, knead in a bowl or on counter top for at least 15 minutes to achieve a elastic texture and to ensure the gluten has formed well.
Tsoureki Trouble Shooting: The key with any sweet bread, challah or any yeast bread is patience. The temperature and humidity in a room can directly determine how long the rise time will be. The recipe calls for 1-2 hours of rising time but if it’s rising in a cold dry spot it could take all day. Keeping that in mind choose the warmest spot in the house to let the dough rise - and wrap with a damp towel over the bowl if your house or area is particularly dry. I like to keep mine over or in a slightly warm oven - repeat slightly warm not even remotely hot. And wrapped in a damp towel if I’m finding it difficult to get a warm spot in my kitchen and not getting a rise out of the dough.
You can also create a warm spot in your oven to proof bread in the oven, place a glass baking dish on the bottom rack of the oven and fill it with boiling water. Stash your dough on the middle or top rack and shut the door. The steam and heat from the boiling water will create a warm and steamy environment for the dough—exactly what you want for a good rise.
This is one of two recipes that feature: mahleb, mastic
This recipe also includes: cardamom, citrus rind
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