Tsoureki is a Greek bread traditionally baked at Easter. It has a smilar texture to brioche but not as buttery. It is either braided as a loaf or braided in a wreath. Both are brushed with egg wash and decorated with sesame seeds or flaked almonds and studded with red dyed eggs.
I have to date no family recipe to share as my mother never made Tsoureki. We always had a Tsoureki sent over from Greece for Easter. Having a dislike of the red eggs I would always steer clear of it. As with everything, my tastes have changed. Once a year I like to bake my own Tsoureki (without the red eggs embedded) and it has become a bit of a pilgrimage for me in finding the perfect Tsoureki recipe. Each year I try a new recipe. This year I have used the recipe from Stellios Parliaros a very well known Greek patissier.
The recipe comes close to what I am looking for but it didn’t quite have the sweetness. Also I felt that instead of the single Tsoureki I would probably make two instead as it was rather on the large size.
A word of advise on the mastic. When grinding it has a tendency to melt and cling and is quite difficult to get off. Hence I am guessing why the recipe says not to allow the mastic with milk to get too hot.
Both the mahlepi and mastic were hard to find but they give the unique taste to the tsoureki and should not be left out. They also give an aroma which immediately transports me back to Greece. These two spices really are for me what makes a Tsoureki Greek.
Mahlepi is an aromatic spice which comes from the kernel of seeds of the wild cherry. The smell is unusual and has a sour note. The Mastic is the sap from the Lentisk tree which grows on the island of Chios. It becomes brittle by the heat of the sun. Mastic was apparently the original chewing gum hence its ability to stick to my pestle. Both spices are used in middle eastern and Mediterranean cooking.
Tsoureki
Ingredients
70g Butter
100ml milk
160g caster sugar
3 eggs
5g ground mahlepi
5g ground mastic
100ml lukewarm water
40g fresh yeast
650g strong flour
1 egg for brushing
Flaked almonds or sesame seeds to decorate
Method
In a saucepan gently heat the milk, butter, sugar mahlepi and mastic making sure the temperature does not rise above 50C
Remove from heat once all the ingredients have melted. Strain the liquid through a sieve to remove any pieces of mahlepi or mastic set aside.
Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and add to the butter, milk, sugar, mahlepi and mastic mixture.
Add the eggs and mix well.
Put the flour into a large bowl and make a well, add the liquid ingredients and knead.
Ideally use a mixer with a dough hook. The dough is very sticky at first and the secret here is not to add more flour but to continue to knead. The more you knead the less sticky the dough becomes. The dough is ready when it stops sticking to your hands. I also found when handling the dough it helped to flour my hands.
Remove the dough and form it into a ball and place in a clean bowl with some flour sprinkled on the bottom. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise. It will take about 3 hours to triple in size.
When risen, remove the dough and knead again for a few minutes on a lightly floured board.
Divide into three equal balls. Roll the balls into three long strands of equal length.
Line the long strands in front of you and pinch them tightly together at one end. Plait the strands and then finish off pinching them firmly off, tucking the ends under themselves for neatness.
At this point if red eggs are to be placed in the bread this is the time to do it. If you attempt to do this after the second rising you will lose the air in the dough.
Place on a baking sheet and leave to rise about one hour until double in size.
Brush with egg very gently avoiding getting any egg wash into the creases. Sprinkle with flaked almonds/sesame seeds and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour 180C/Gas 4
The Tsoureki is ready when it is golden brown. I also like to insert a skewer into the middle to check that it comes out clean.
It will keep well for a week in an airtight container. After a couple of days I tend to slice mine and toast it.
Maria Dernikos 
Very interesting…never had heard of it! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks for reading! With the two spices it is an unique bread.
Thanks for reading! With the two spices it is an unique bread.
That looks delicious. I like the sour note. You’re so talented!
That Mahlepi certainly doesn’t seem good! Thank you.
smell not seem!!!!
Interesting ingredients. Wonder what caused someone to try the sap in the bread. Thanks for the post. 🙂
I can only imagine that as it dripped down the tree looking golden they thought they would have a taste! I too wonder what drew us to taste certain ingredients all those centuries ago.
Especially the foods that have poisonous parts to them.
You would only try them the once!!
Too true! 🙂
– A valuable post with elements of culture, history, essential ingredients; to introduce a recipe for what it is and suppose to be.
– Maria, your Tsoureki looks perfect. Thank you for the education. 😀
Fae, you are too kind. It was the very short version of a history. I was pleased on how it turned out and how it smelt but I will try another recipe next year to see if I can make the perfect Tsoureki.
That’s quite a tsoureki that you’ve prepared, Maria. It’s a beautiful loaf of bread, the slivered almonds supplying the perfect finishing touch. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Easter!
Thank you John. We were suppose to wait until Easter Sunday to eat it. As you can see from what is left of the loaf it isn’t going to make it!!
Looks and sounds delicious, Maria!
Thank you Stefano.
Great post! I have the mahlepi (I know them as mahleb) but I don’t use them often. The Mastic certainly sounds interesting… I’ll have to keep an eye out 🙂
Mahlepi/mahlab/mahlep are all the same. They are known as slightly different names in different places. I think the only time I use it is in Greek cookery. The mastic is also used as a spoon sweet. Mixed with vanilla it is served as a spoonful placed in a glass of cold water.
Wow – Maria – that really is a thing of beauty! There is little better than really good homemade bread. I think a slice of that, toasted and buttered, with a good cup of coffee would be heavenly….
I think nothing beats a bread made with love and good ingredients but its one of those things that sometimes is not that easy to make at home. We have been eating it toasted and buttered. It lasts a particularly long time.
A beautiful bread from a very talented cook. I’d hardly know where to begin with the combination of spices and ingredients like mastic, such an interesting addition to this Easter bread.
Thank you. It does have an unusual combination of spices but just those two spices transforms the taste and aroma.
Sounds very special. I’d love to taste it one day. Thank you for sharing with us.
Maria, the tsoureki looks outstanding! I’m so excited to find out about mahlep and mastic – both entirely new to me (I don’t think either is used in Persian food … someone correct me if I’m wrong) but I’m really interested to try and experiment with both now. You’ve planted seeds of an obsession!
I am going to have to go read further about both spices. Your question is interesting. As far as I know they are not used west of Greece but I think they must be used in Turkish recipes. You have given me food for thought! The Mastic is also made into a sweet paste which is served on a spoon in a glass of cold water. The idea being you dissolved the mastic in the mouth and then put it back into the water and repeated until it had all gone. It has a sort of toffee texture.
Ooh, that sounds very interesting! Do post about it if you make it. Would love to read that.