Tsoureki – Greek Easter Bread

"Tsoureki" is the traditional Greek Easter bread – soft, aromatic, and with its characteristic braided loaf, a true classic of Greek baking. Baked golden brown on the outside and wonderfully fluffy on the inside, Tsoureki is perfect for breakfast, with coffee, or simply on its own as a sweet treat. It resembles a classic braided yeast bread, but instead of butter, the dough contains olive oil and special spices that give the bread its distinctive flavor.
Our MANI kitchen hero is ideal for this recipe: This organic virgin Olive Oil ensures a particularly smooth dough and a wonderfully soft, juicy crumb – exactly what makes a perfect Tsoureki.

Ingredients

• 270 g wheat flour
• 15 g fresh yeast
• 85 g sugar
• 85 ml lukewarm milk
• 35 ml MANI Organic Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp ground mahleb (optional)
• a small pinch of ground Chios mastic (optional)
• grated zest of ½ orange
• 1 egg yolk for brushing
• Topping: Almond flakes or sesame seeds

preparation

1. Mix flour, yeast and sugar in a bowl.
2. Add lukewarm milk, egg, orange zest, Mahleb and mastic and mix briefly.
3. Add olive oil and knead everything for about 8-10 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, until it has noticeably increased in size.
5. Remove the dough and divide it into three equal pieces.
6. Roll the three pieces into long, even strands and braid them together.
7. Place the tsoureki on a baking sheet, cover it and let it rise for another 30-40 minutes.
8. Whisk the egg yolk with water, brush the tsoureki with it and sprinkle with almond flakes or sesame seeds.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 °C for about 30–35 minutes, until the surface is golden brown.
10. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

MANI Tip: Mahleb and Chios mastic are not available in every supermarket. A good alternative is a mixture of 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp lemon zest, and ½ tsp almond flavoring.