New Year’s Day Traditional Tsoureki Bread

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New-Years-Day-Tsoureki-Bread-Vassilopita
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Prepare time: 30 min
Passive time: 2hrs 45min
Bake time: 35 to 40 min
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

The best way to welcome the new year, is a large piece of this marvelous sweet bread! It is so soft and tasty, you won’t even care whether you found the lucky coin or not. Whipping cream is the key ingredient, which replaces milk used in most recipes and gives a richer texture. It matches perfectly with orange or chocolate glaze but you can just sprinkle with sesame seeds, finely chopped walnuts or almonds. Choose your favourite garnishment and enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 250 ml 35% fat whipping cream, room temp.
  • 250 g sugar, granulated
  • 3 large eggs
  • 60 g butter, room temperature
  • 850 g strong flour
  • 2 tsp ground mahleb
  • 1 tsp ground mastic
  • 100 ml warm water
  • 1 tbsp sugar, for the yeast
  • 60 g fresh yeast
  • 1 egg yolk, for eggwash
  • 1 ½ tbsp water, for eggwash
  • ¼ tsp vanilla or orange extract
  • a coin & aluminum foil

Instructions

1
Combine yeast,1 tbsp sugar and water. Set aside.

2
In the bowl of your mixer, beat sugar and eggs on high speed for 5 min. Add the whipping cream and the yeast mixture. Mix until incorporated.

3
In a separate bowl whisk flour, mahleb & mastic. Gradually add the flour mixture and knead on medium speed for about 10min.

4
Add the butter. Knead until completely incorporated.

5
Put the dough into a well oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Place it in a warm spot and let it rise for 90 min.

6
Oil your hands lightly and deflate the dough. Line a round baking pan (34cm / 13.3”) with parchment paper. Flip the bowl and let the dough drop into the baking pan.

7
Oil your hands and press the dough outward to spread it evenly in the pan. Wrap the coin with the aluminum foil and push it into the dough. Break any air bubbles with a wooden skewer.

8
Cover with plastic wrap and place it in a warm spot to rise again, for 45 min.

9
Mix the egg yolk with the water & the orange (or vanilla) extract. Brush gently the whole surface.

10
You can leave it plain and decorate it with your favourite glaze or sprinkle with sesame seeds.

11
Bake in a preheated oven, at 170⁰C / 325⁰F for 35 to 40 min, until a skewer comes out clean. Enjoy!

Recipe Video

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