Tsoureki

The Albanian panaret.

Τσουρέκι/λαμβροψομο: symbolizing the resurrection of Christ. Tsoureki is the Greek word for its Turkish derived word which means "that which is kneaded". The Greek word Lambropsomo is a combination of two words: lambro (Greek: λαμβρο) which means "bright light"; and psomo (Greek: ψομο) which means bread: lambropsomo translates to shining-bread or the epiphany-bread, representing the light given to Christians by Christ's resurrection and the passing over from what we are to what Rison Lord wants us to be: "partakers of divine nature". This braided bread can be shaped either into a circle or into two large braids and sprinkled with sesame seeds. It is adorned with beautiful red Easter eggs and sometimes red rosebuds for decorations. The Easter eggs are dyed deep red to represent the blood of Christ, the eggs also represent new life and springtime. It is traditionally eaten during the Resurrection Meal. After 40 days of fasting - as is dictated by the Greek Orthodox Church (but rarely followed as strictly by the general population any longer) - the Easter feast has to begin slowly, with a light meal after the midnight liturgy on Saturday night. The fast is generally broken with magiritsa, an offal-based soup flavored with avgolemono sauce; tsoureki, the fluffy, egg-laden Easter bread, salad and a bowl of red dyed eggs. Greeks have a custom when it comes to the eggs: they crack them one-to-one. Whosever egg remains in tact, supposedly has good luck in the ensuing year.

This bread recipe was traditionally prepared with an essence drawn from the seeds of Mediterranean wild cherries, called makhlepi, (Greek: μαχλέπι), which makes the kitchen smell delicious. The kernels of the makhlepi cherry spice are loved for specialties like tsoureki, but some people at times may elect to prepare this beautiful bread without the seed essence. Besides mahaleb kernels, the bread can be flavoured with mastic, the resin from Pistacia lentiscus var; chia which is used only in Greek cuisine. In more recent years, vanilla-scented tsoureki has also become quite popular. Sometime tsoureki is used as gifts for special occasion, for instance, it can be given as an Easter gift from children to their godparents.

Recipe

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 cups of flour
• 3 tablespoons of active dry yeast
• 1 cup of melted butter
• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 tablespoon of mahlab (or crushed aniseed, or vanilla extract) + 2 cups of water
• 2-3 pieces of mastic, crushed with 1/4 teaspoon of sugar (or grated peel of 1 orange)
• 1 cup of lukewarm milk
• 3/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• egg wash - 1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
• sesame seeds or blanched sliced almonds (optional)
• hard boiled dyed red eggs (optional)

Preparation:

Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk. Add a few spoonfuls of flour to make a paste. Cover and set aside in a warm place to rise.

In a bowl, combine 10 cups of the flour and salt, and add melted butter. Boil mahlab (mahlepi) in 2 cups of water, strain, and add the liquid to the flour. (Alternatively, add 1 teaspoon of mahlepi or other flavoring + 2 cups of liquid - 1 cup each of orange juice, milk or water.)

Add the eggs, mastic, sugar, and the risen yeast mixture. On a floured surface or in a mixer, knead the mixture well, adding in remaining flour until it becomes a malleable dough, about 15-20 minutes (or 10 minutes with a mixer). Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (1 1/2 - 2 hours).

Punch down the dough and create shapes:

Braids: Form 12 or 15 ropes, each about 15 inches long. Braid sets of 3 ropes to form loaves, tucking ends in underneath the loaves. For the traditional Easter loaf, tuck one or more red eggs (choose eggs that have no cracks) into the braids.

Twists (photo): Shape into ropes 20-24 inches long. Fold each rope in half and twist gently.. Tuck a red egg into the top of the twist.

Other shapes: They can also be shaped into round loaves, rings, or shapes of your choice.

Place the loaves on greased cookie sheets or baking pans, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Brush with egg wash.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

(Optional) Sprinkle with sugar, sesame seeds, or blanched almond slices.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes or until golden brown. (Tap on the bottom; they should sound hollow.) Cool for 5 minutes, then move to racks to cool completely.

Yield: 4 to 6 loaves

Links

• Vasilopita Bread Recipe
• Tsoureki Bread Recipe
• Vasilopita Recipe II
• Tsoureki Recipe II
• Christopsomo: Greek Christmas Bread

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.