If you haven’t tried tsoureki (Greek Easter bread) before, then you are certainly missing out! Soft, fluffy, with a beautiful brown semi-soft crust and an amazing stringy texture. This is the most flavourful tsoureki recipe you will ever try!
While this Greek Easter bread (tsoureki) is traditionally served in Easter and the three braids symbolise the Holy Trinity, it is also very popular throughout the year as a delicious mid day snack, breakfast or tea or coffee companion.
Greek Easter bread owes its full and rich flavour to the two aromatic spices used in this traditional tsoureki recipe, mastic and mahlab, which give it a really characteristic flavour and smell. Once put in the oven, the intense aromas of the sweet spices permeates my house and brings back all those wonderful childhood memories!
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Freshly ground mastic (masticha), which is an aromatic spice from Chios island, and aromatic mahlab or mahleb (mahlepi), a spice made from ground seeds of cherry, are essential to prepare this tsoureki recipe. They give the traditional Greek Easter bread its sharp and distinctive taste so try your best to source some. You can purchase mastic and mahlepi at Greek grocers or online. I have included some links in the ingredients section below.
It is a common myth that making your own Greek Easter bread (tsoureki) is challenging even for an experienced cook. But experience has shown me that it’s all about having the right recipe! This is a no-fail tsoureki recipe (with all the prep photos) for you to succeed on your first time! And don’t forget to check out my video above for a hands on recipe showing you all my tips and tricks! If you have a bread machine, I’ve also made a specific tsoureki recipe in a bread machine just for you! So lets get started!
What I love the most about a traditional Greek tsoureki is that its always so soft and at the same time “stringy” when you tear into it by hand.For this tsoureki recipe, make sure to use extra strong white bread flour, which has plenty of gluten (protein). When buying your flour, check that it has a13% protein content. This will help your tsoureki hold its shape once baked and will give it its amazingly stringy texture.
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The most common mistake most tsoureki novices make is adding more flour than needed. Once the dough is mixed the dough will be a little sticky. If you add more flour if will result in your Greek Easter bread loosing its fluffiness. So be careful when adding more flour than this tsoureki recipe calls for and do so only if the dough is very sticky after kneading it for 15 minutes.
Tsoureki dough is all about the right proofing, which means that the right temperature, an active yeast and adequate time are key to its success.First off, before making your tsoureki dough, make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature. This will guarantee that your dough will rise in a reasonable time frame.
In addition, make sure your yeast is nicely active. The first step in making tsoureki is activating your yeast and testing it to see whether it is alive. In the bowl of lukewarm water add a pinch of sugar and your yeast, dissolve it using a fork and cover with cling film. If the yeast is active you should see it bubbling up in about 6-10 minutes. If you don’t see bubbles, don’t use it as your tsoureki will turn out flat!
Tsoureki Recipe (traditional Greek Easter Bread)
Finally give the dough time to rise. You will need to do 2 proves.The first prove is done after the dough is kneaded and is also known as bulk fermentation. This will take about 3-4 hours depending on how warm your home is.If you want to speed up the process put the covered mixer bowl with your dough in the oven and turn the oven light on or warm it up to 30C/85F. This will raise the oven temperature a little bit and accelerate the dough proofing. Don’t rush this step – its very important for the dough to double in size, be light and airy before you shape your Tsoureki, else it will turn out too “heavy”.
The second rise is done after the dough is shaped to Tsoureki loafs and is also known as the final rise. This will take about 1 hour or so and it’s finished when the braided tsourekia havepuffed up nicely and have almost doubled in size again. This will inflate the dough on the inside making it light and fluffy.
Your tsoureki should last about 5 to 6 days in its top softness. Just make sure you cover it tightly in cling film. After that the tsoureki will start becoming stiff and stale. A little trick to revitalise old tsoureki is to cut a slice and pop it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. This will warm the dough up and bring its softness back!
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If you are making a large batch, you can bake them thenfreeze wrapped in cling film.They will last for up to 2 months. Defrost them by letting them sit at room temperature overnight, covered in some fresh cling film. They will taste just as amazing and fresh as when they came out of the oven!
Finally if you want your tsoureki to last even longer you can use my favourite trick and garnish this Greek Easter bread with syrup. This will give it extra moistness and help it keep fresh for up to 2 weeks.
If you like an extra something in your tsoureki, try adding some chocolate spread in the braids! When you have stretched the braids out, flatten them out with a rolling pin, add a thin strip of Nutella and fold and pinch back into shape. Then proceed with braiding.
Ingredient Dough Naan (no Yeast!)
A traditional Greek Easter Bread (Tsoureki) recipe! Discover all the secrets behind making the fluffiest, tastiest traditional Tsoureki with this step by step, no fail recipe!Horiatiko Psomi translates to Greek village-style bread. It’s also known as yellow bread because the semolina flour in the bread gives it a little yellow color. The house smells amazing while you’re making it, and homemade bread is just beautiful to look at. It’s hearty, homemade, and more delicious than anything you can buy from the store. There are no fillers, just really good ingredients, and it’s pretty simple to make.
Rarely do I end up with inactive yeast, but it can happen. If you don’t make sure your yeast is active, it could result in your bread not rising. You’d have to throw out your bread with all the ingredients you used to make it! So, always check your yeast. You do this by combining the water, milk, yeast, and honey in a mixing bowl. Set it aside for about 7-10 minutes. At the end of the time, you should see a puffy, bubbly cloud on top of the liquid. That means your yeast is active, and you’re ready to make your bread dough.
Once the bread is baked, it can be frozen for up to a month. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap so that it does not absorb any freezer odors. When you’re ready to use it, set it out on the counter to thaw. Then, toast it in a preheated 350 °F oven for 10 minutes before serving.
Traditional Greek Pita Bread.
There are unlimited uses for delicious homemade bread. You can dip it in olive oil, spread butter on top, make a board of olives and cheese to go alongside. I even like to slice it thin and make spanakopita sandwiches with it. The kids love it!
In the bowl of a tabletop mixer that ahs been fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the water, milk, yeast, and honeya nd mix together. Set aside for 7-8 minutes until the yeast is activated. It is ready when a puffy cloud forms over the water.
Transfer the dough to a bowl that has been greased with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to coat and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in the warmest part of your house to rise until doubled in volume. About 2 hours.
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Punch down the dough and roll it into a ball. Place on a baking tray that has been lined with parchment paper. Brush the top of the dough with water and cut some decorative slits. Loosely cover it with plastic. Set aside to rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450-475 °F, about 230 °C. Ovens vary so, if your oven bakes at a high heat, keep it at 450 °F.
Allow the bread to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before slicing it so that the steam settles. Slicing the bread early will give it an uncooked texture.
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Once the bread is baked it can be frozen for up to a month. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap so that it does not absord any freezer odors. Toast it in a preheated 350 °F oven for 10 minutes before serving.
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