Tsoureki [ Easter Bread ]

Hello! I was busy these days and I really missed blogging : )
After all this xmas sugar we needed a break!

Here is my successful recipe for tsoureki. Tsoureki tastes like briose but with a rich masticha+mahlepi flavor.

What you will need:
1 cup milk
  4 teaspoons (24grams) active dry yeast
  1 kg all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 orange, zest of, grated
  1/2 tablespoon mahlepi
1/2 teaspoon ground masticha
  3/4 cup butter, melted
  5 eggs, very well beaten
+
1/2 egg yolk
1 -1 1/2 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup slivered almonds

How you'll make it:
 Warm one cup of milk (lukewarm) and place in a large and deep bowl. Add the yeast, one cup of the flour.
In a blender mix 1 cup of sugar, mahlepi and masticha for 1 minute

In a large bowl, combine remaining flour, sugar, orange rind,  mahlepi and masticha. Make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture, melted butter and eggs. Work from the center outwards, bringing flour into the well, stirring the mixture until a dough begins to form .

Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and set aside in a warm, draft-free place to rise about 8-12 hours(better overnight) . Punch down dough.

  Divide into 20 balls. The dough is gonna be sticky, so just grab balls of dough and place it on a sheet. While it's rising the shape will be formed into the expected.  Optionally you can roll 3 of the balls into strips , pinching together at one end, and braid. Pinch together at the other end to hold the loaf intact.
  Place the breads on a parchment-lined baking sheet (you will need 3 or 4),  and let rise for two hours, or until doubled in bulk. While the braids are rising, preheat oven to 360F (180°C), placing rack on lower shelf of oven.

Beat together the egg yolk and remaining milk. Brush over tsoureki loaves and sprinkle with slivered almonds.
 
Bake for about 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and cool on racks.

the key is the time ;)
good luck

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