Pascha...the Greek way

finished loaf

after the second rise

Matt Boulos checking his 'baby'

The final moments of the roast

We were graciously invited to spend the Paschal feast with some great friends this year since we were minus our own kids and feeling a bit sad about that. The first years since I can remember that I wasn't making a Meat Festival on the grill after 40+ days of abstinence.

Lamb? well of course there was lamb, whole and grilled and delicious. I had to make a dessert and brought a Lemon Cheesecake but did a bit of research and made an authentic Greek Easter Braid called "Tsoureki".  A fine cake-like bread flavored with masticha and anise seed.
We had a grand time. Lots of kids and lots of food with a very gracious host and hostess.

From My Greek Dish, the recipe:

Ingredients

• 135g butter, from cow’s milk, at room temperature (4.7 oz.)
• 135g milk, at room temperature (4.7 oz.)
• 200g sugar (7 oz.)
• 4 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 870g bread flour (30 oz.)
• 21g dry yeast (0.7 oz.)
• 100g lukewarm water (3.5 0z.)
• zest of 1 orange
• 3g ground mastic (0.11 oz.) 
• 4g ground mahleb (0.14 oz.) I used ground Anise Seed
• 1 egg and 1 tbsp water, for glazing the tsoureki

Instructions

1. To prepare this tsoureki recipe (Greek Easter Bread), add in a bowl the lukewarm water, a pinch of sugar and yeast and stir. Wrap well with plastic wrap and set aside for about 6-7 minutes, until the yeast rises and starts bubbling. Be careful not do add hot water, as it will kill the yeast, nor cold, as it will take forever for the Greek Easter bread to rise. The water should be at the same temperature as your finger, so check it out sticking one finger in; you should feel no difference in temperature.
2. Use a pestle or a blender to ground the masticha and mahlepi, along with a pinch of sugar and set aside. (These aromatic spices will give Greek Easter bread its distinctive taste and amazing smell. But be careful not to add any more mastic than this tsoureki recipe calls for, as it will leave a slightly bitter taste to your Greek Easter bread.)
3. In a saucepan add the butter, sugar and milk. Place over very low heat and stir the mixture, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. The key is to melt the butter at very low heat, so that the temperature doesn’t ‘kill’ the yeast. Remove the pan from the stove and check the temperature. The mixture should be at the same temperature as your finger. If it is warmer, leave to cool down for a few minutes and check again.
4. Pour the butter mixture in a large bowl and whisk in the eggs. Add the yeast mixture and whisk to combine.
5. In the mixer’s bowl add the flour, the ground mastic and mahlepi, orange zest and the butter-egg-yeast mixture from step 4. Using the dough hook mix at first at low speed, until the ingredients start to combine and then mix at medium-high speed for about 15 minutes, until the dough doesn’t stick on the sides of the bowl. At this point the dough should be really soft, like seen in the picture and a little sticky. (Be careful not to add any more flour than this tsoureki recipe calls for, as the dough should be really soft and not firm).
6. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in a warm environment, until at least it doubles it’s size (for about 2-3 hours). If the environment is cold, preheat the oven at 30C, turn it off and place the bowl inside.
7. Gently deflate the tsoureki dough with your hands and cut in 6 equal portions (three for each Greek Easter bread). Take one piece of the dough (do not flour the working surface!) and roll it a little bit with your hands. Hold with your hands from the edges and shake to stretch the dough into a rope. This technique will help the Greek Easter bread (tsoureki) form the characteristic stringy texture, as seen in the picture. Form the Greek Easter bread into a braid and transfer on a large baking tray layered with parchment paper. Repeat the same procedure with the second tsoureki. Let the Greek Easter bread rise for about 1 more hour at room temperature or in the oven, until it almost doubles it’s size, like seen in the picture.
8. In a small bowl add the egg and 1 tbsp water and whisk with a fork. Brush the top of each Greek Easter bread with the egg, being careful not to deflate it, garnish with almond silvers and bake in preheated oven at 170C for about 40-50 minutes, until nicely browned and fluffy.