Tsoureki
 
Makes 1 (17-inch) braid
Ingredients
  • Sweet Bread Dough (recipe follows)
  • ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) almond extract
  • 1 tablespoon (6 grams) mahleb spice
  • 3 cups (720 grams) boiling water
  • 1 (1-ounce) bottle (30 grams) liquid red food coloring
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) distilled white vinegar
  • 4 large eggs (224 grams), in shell
  • 1 teaspoon (5 grams) whole milk
  • 1 large egg (50 grams), lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon (3 grams) cumin seeds
Sweet Bread Dough
  • 1½ cups (360 grams) warm whole milk (105°F/41°C to 110°F/43°C)
  • 2 (0.25-ounce) packages (14 grams) active dry yeast
  • 4 large eggs (200 grams), lightly beaten
  • ⅔ cup (133 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (6 grams) kosher salt
  • 8¾ cups (1,094 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
Instructions
  1. Prepare Sweet Bread Dough as directed, but in Step 2, beat in almond extract with eggs, and beat in mahleb spice with flour. Continue as directed.
  2. Place a wire rack on top of a sheet tray lined with paper towels.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups (720 grams) boiling water and food coloring. Stir in vinegar. Gently lower 4 eggs (224 grams) in shell into water mixture until desired color is reached, about 2 minutes. Let dry completely on prepared rack, and refrigreate until ready to use.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.
  5. Lightly punch down dough. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, turn out dough. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 20 inches long. Place strands vertically in front of you. Pinch 3 ends together at top. Braid ropes together until you’ve reached end of strands. Pinch ends together to seal. Transfer to prepared pan. Gently tuck dyed eggs between strands of dough. Cover and let stand in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed, about 30 minutes.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and remaining 1 egg (50 grams). Brush dough with egg wash, avoiding eggs. Sprinkle with cumin seeds.
  7. Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 190°F (88°C), 40 to 45 minutes, loosely covering with foil after 30 minutes to prevent excess browning, if necessary.
Sweet Bread Dough
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine warm milk and yeast. Let stand until mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.
  2. With mixer at medium speed, beat in eggs, sugar, and salt into yeast mixture until combined. With mixer on low speed, add 4 cups (500 grams) flour, beating until combined. Add butter, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) at a time, beating until combined. Transfer dough to a large bowl, and stir in 4 cups (500 grams) flour with a spatula or wooden spoon until combined. (Because this is such a large amount of dough, you will need to incorporate remaining flour into dough in a larger bowl.)
  3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes, adding remaining ¾ cup (94 grams) flour as needed. (Dough should not be sticky.)
  4. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Loosely cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Notes
PRO TIP
This bread is best eaten fresh, but to extend its shelf life, wrap in a breathable material, such as a cotton towel or brown paper bag, and store at room temperature for up to 2 days. After baking, leave dyed eggs out at room temperature for no longer than 2 hours before refrigerating or discarding. The same applies to our Italian Pane di Pasqua.
Recipe by Bake from Scratch at https://bakefromscratch.com/tsoureki-2/