Recipe: Greek Tsoureki (Easter Bread)

Greek Tsoureki, a sweet, egg-rich bread usually prepared around Easter, is a showy, sweet loaf that is just as delicious as it is beautiful. But good looks aren’t even this loaf’s best asset. Just wait until you cut it open to oohs and ahhs of family and guests, taste the sweet dough, and inhale the citrusy, cinnamon scent. Whether you grew up eating this bread around the Easter holiday or are looking for an afternoon of baking, this sweet and yeasty bread is a good place to start.

What sets this bread apart in comparison to other sweet and yeasty Easter breads is the flavor. It’s a heady mixture of citrus, sesame, and cinnamon paired with the classic hint of nutmeg that makes this bread taste distinctly “Greek.” Historically, the Easter version uses a few additional spices that are pretty unusual. Don’t worry if you aren’t familiar with them or don’t have them — you can omit them or try substitutions in a pinch, but just in case you’re feeling adventurous here’s the scoop.

• Malheb is a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern spice that tastes like a mixture of bitter almond, cherries, and a touch of anise. If you don’t just happen to have a full-on larder of spices on hand, feel free to sub in a teaspoon of real almond extract (real bitter almond, if you can find it, works best) and 1/4 teaspoon ground anise seeds. Fear not, leftover malheb need not languish unused after Easter — add a 1/2 teaspoon to your favorite sugar cookie recipe, add it to a linzer torte dough, or use it in Greek almond cookies or snowball cookies).
• Mastic, the other ingredient, is harvested from sap, and it’s what makes chewy ice cream chewy, and can be used as a base for chewing gum. Here, it adds a little herbaceous taste, somewhat like rosemary. Although I enjoy using it here, you can sub in about 1/4 teaspoon of finely ground dried rosemary, or even thyme. Mastic (or any of the substitutes) gives the bread a savory note and a little balance, but I’ve made this bread many times without it to great success.

For new bakers, or just bakers new to this bread, baking raw eggs might be the most novel element in this recipe. Traditionally, eggs are included in many Easter bread recipes because they symbolize the Easter story, new beginnings, and the rebirth associated with spring.

Once baked, the eggs take on the texture of very hard-boiled eggs. If you plan to eat them, keep in mind that you should eat them right away on the day of baking or remove them from the bread and store in the fridge. Since the presentation of this bread with the eggs nestled inside is a part of its visual appeal and tradition, often time the eggs aren’t consumed.

The three braided loaf is the traditional shape for Easter. If you’ve ever braided someone’s hair, the three-strand braiding is easy to master, but if you’ve never tried it before, this Challah bread recipe uses a dough that can really get worked a lot, making it a good place to learn to do it. Once you get that down and you are feeling fancy, make the three-strand braid and then wrap it into a wreath or configure it into a cross shape.

Like many European Easter breads, this is an extra-special version of a holiday bread and it has many names and variations and shapes, so when it comes to add-ins and flavors, feel free to make this your own, but most commonly, the key flavors are orange, cinnamon, nutmeg, mastic, and mahleb. For Greek New Year, you’ll find versions of tsoureki with walnuts, almonds, and cherries. The red Easter eggs are reserved for just Easter.

No matter what shape you choose, just make sure to give the bread a super-generous, over-the-top coating of sesame seeds, not just a few dainty sprinkles. The seeds will get roasty toasty as the bread bakes, perfuming your kitchen, and what those little seeds do for the loaf is even better: The earthy sweetness of the sesame gives the bread balance, supports the flavors inside, and works as a textural contrast. Sesame seeds are a real powerhouse in this bread!

You can always make a few loaves without the red eggs — just the dough and seeds — and wrap them in foil and freeze for up to two months. Defrosted, sliced tsoureki makes insanely memorable sandwiches, piled high with a medley of cheeses and meats and grilled until it’s all melty and delicious. I love using it for French toast, and serving it with honey instead of syrup and some yogurt. Try it in bread puddings too! It’s a quick and easy way to change the usual flavor and texture.

Did you grow up eating a bread similar to this for the Easter holiday? What did you call it?