Tsoureki-Easter Bread Twist
Source of Recipe
Kyriake Smilas - a family recipe from the Greek Isles
Recipe Introduction
This sweet egg bread uses a starter or sponge, much like the Pandoro or Pannetone of Italy. This method of leavening conditions the bread, giving it a light, soft texture and a cake like crumb. Masticha, used for flavoring, is ground resin or sap from a bush indigenous to the island of Chios and Mahleb, is the ground pit of a sour cherry indigenous to the Middle-East. These are available at Greek, Armenian or Middle Eastern food stores.
The egg dye is also available in these stores and should be used as the color resists running.
This bread is great year round for toast, with fruit and cheese and it makes awesome French Toast!
List of Ingredients
1 c 105-115 degree water
2 packages active dry yeast or 4 1/2 t jarred
1 t sugar
1 1/2 c unbleached all purpose flour
10 c unbleached all purpose flour
1 3/4 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1 T 50/50% blend of masticha and mahleb
1/2 c whole milk, scalded with a bay leaf
1/4 lb.unsalted butter
5 large eggs, beaten with 1 T fresh lemon juice
6 eggs hard-boiled/dyed red in Greek egg dye
2 large eggs beaten with 2 T water for glaze
sesame seeds
Recipe
Spray a 4 quart earthenware or stainless steel saucepan or pot with non-stick cooking spray. (corningware works well) Pour in water. Add yeast and sugar and whisk until dissolved. Proof until creamy @ 10 minutes. Whisk in flour until batter forms. Cover and let stand in warm, draft free place at least one hour or overnight.
Cut butter into several blocks. Remove bay leaf from milk and add butter to hot milk, melting it.
Sift or blend dry ingredients together in a large bowl, reserving 2 c flour. Make a well in center and pour in prepared and proofed sponge. Blend flour mixture in to center of bowl, incorporating sponge into dry ingredients with hands, rubbing and distributing sponge evenly until coarse meal forms.
Form well again and gradually blend in milk/butter and egg/lemon juice, alternating liquids and incorporating dry ingredients from the sides of the well, forming a sticky dough.
Sprinkle some of the reserved flour onto a flat surface. Turn dough out on floured surface and sprinkle some flour on top of dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding only enough florr so that dough is still soft but only slightly sticky. Shape dough into a mound.
Using olive oil, lightly grease a large covered pot that will allow dough to double in volume. (a small covered roaster works well) Place dough in pot and lightly grease top of dough and cover. Place pot in a warm, draft free place to rise until almost doubled in bulk @ 2 hours.
Punch dough down, and knead for two minutes and repeat rising. (This step is optional, but improves the texture and flavor)
Punch dough down. Lightly knead for 5 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into 5 equal parts. Roll each piece out by hand on an counter or large wood board into a long rope about 1 1/4" in diameter. Place ends together, halving the rope and place on counter with ends closest to you. Twist two rope halves together as for braid. Place bread twists on parchment paper covered cookie sheets/jelly roll pans. (leave room for loaves to triple in volume)
Place loaves covered with a towel in warm draft-free area to rise until almost doubled. If available, use the proof setting on an oven placing uncovered loaves in oven and putting a pan of boiled water in bottom of oven.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Gently push dyed egg point up in center of rounded end of each loaf. Brush loaf with egg glaze and liberally sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake loaves, one pan at a time, for 25-35 minutes, brushing additional egg glaze on after 4 minutes. Loaves are done when deep golden brown and when they sound hollow if tapped on bottom.
Transfer to wire racks after 10 minutes and cool, covered with towels. Seal in plastic bags when completely cool. Bread has a very stable shelf life, and can be refrigerated for several weeks or frozen for three months.
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