121Tsoureki

Method

Traditional three-strand Easter loaf. Slice into thick rounds; excellent toasted the following morning.

You will need

• Mortar and pestle
• Stand mixer or large mixing bowl
• Baking tray
• Pastry brush

1. Dissolve 7 g dried yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar into the warm milk in a small bowl, letting it sit until visibly frothy. 10 min Ready when: mixture turns foamy and aromatic
2. In a mortar, grind the mastiha tears into a fine powder together with half a teaspoon of sugar, then blend with the ground mahlab. 3 min Ready when: powders are smooth and uniform
3. Whisk the eggs with the remaining sugar, salt, and orange zest in a large bowl, then stir in the yeast mixture and ground spices. 3 min Ready when: sugar is mostly dissolved
4. Add the strong flour gradually, working by hand or with a dough hook until a soft dough comes together, then work in the melted butter in three additions. 15 min Ready when: dough is silky, elastic, and pulls cleanly away from the bowl
5. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave the dough in a warm, draught-free spot until doubled in volume. 75 min Ready when: dough has expanded to twice its original size
6. Turn the dough onto an unfloured work surface, divide into three equal portions, and roll each into a smooth rope approximately 40 cm long. 5 min Ready when: ropes are even in thickness
7. Pinch the strands together at one end, braid them loosely without stretching, and tuck the ends firmly underneath on a lined baking tray. 5 min Ready when: loaf forms a tidy, loose braid
8. Cover loosely with lightly oiled cling film and allow to rise a second time until swollen and puffy. 40 min Ready when: loaf gently springs back when touched
9. Preheat a conventional oven to 170°C (340°F), gently brush the loaf with the beaten egg yolk wash, and scatter flaked almonds on top. 5 min · 170°C / 340°F Ready when: surface is evenly coated and glossy
10. Bake in the conventional oven until rich deep golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped lightly on the underside. 35 min · 170°C / 340°F Ready when: crust is deep chestnut and fragrant

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Make ahead and storing

Best baked on Holy Thursday or Saturday; keeps wrapped in cling film for up to 4 days.

Store wrapped airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze sliced.

Substitutions

• vanilla extract for Chios mastiha tears. Provides pleasant sweetness if authentic resin cannot be sourced, though lacks the traditional earthy herbal aroma.

Common mistakes

• Using regular all-purpose flour instead of strong bread flour.. Low-protein flour will not develop the necessary gluten network to create the signature fibrous, stringy crumb.
• Braiding the dough strands too tightly.. A tight braid will tear and split irregularly during the oven spring instead of expanding smoothly.

Regional variants

• Politiko tsoureki from Constantinople, rich with extra butter and shaped in round coils.
• Cretan Easter loaves flavoured with crushed cinnamon and whole cloves alongside mastiha.

About the dish

Tsoureki is the ceremonial sweet braided bread prepared across Greece for Pascha, the Orthodox Easter. Flavoured characteristically with aromatic mahlab, crushed Chios mastiha, and fresh orange zest, its distinct stringy, elastic crumb relies on strong flour and patient kneading. It is traditionally shaped into three-strand plaits representing the Holy Trinity, often cradling a dyed red egg that symbolises the resurrection and the blood of Christ. Similar enriched holiday breads exist throughout the Balkans and Asia Minor.

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for easter.

Cousins elsewhere

• Çörek (Turkish). A broad family of enriched sweet and savoury breads shares the same etymological root across the former Ottoman territories.
• Choreg (Armenian). A rich braided holiday bread scented prominently with ground mahlab.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

406 kcal · protein 9.9 g · fat 11.4 g (saturated 6.3 g) · carbohydrate 65.3 g (sugars 17.3 g) · fibre 1.7 g · sodium 186 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Following the classic urban home standard characterised by slow butter folding and generous mahlab perfume..

Products for this dish

Read more

• Mastic of Chios: The Fragrant Tears of the Aegean
• Why Baklava Exists: Layers, Butter, and the Palace Kitchens
• Greek Honey: Thyme, Pine, and the Geography of the Hive
• The Greek Easter Table: Feasting, Ritual, and the End of Lent