This tsoureki has all the ingredients that differentiate the Tsoureki from all other breads of this type. I like adding chocolate to mine as I find it more interesting but the stale left overs of it also make delicious puddings as you will see in other recipes on this site.
You can buy masticha tears (always grind masticha tears to a powder with the addition of a tsp of granulated sugar so that it does not stick – it is resin after all) and mahleb on line. You may however omit these two ingredients and add a little more vanilla for what will still be a delicious breakfast loaf.
This tsoureki is not as sweet as we tend to eat it in Greece so if you have a sweet tooth add another 50g of sugar. In Greece we also use dedicated tsoureki flour but use the strongest white flour you can buy for the best results.
Ingredients
- 150g condensed milk
- 150g caster sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 75ml sunflower oil
- 100g melted butter
- 50g fresh yeast
- 775-800g strong flour
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp masticha powder
- ½ tsp mahleb
- 1 orange, zest only
- 1 egg white for brushing
- 2-3 tbsp almond flakes
For the chocolate spread
- 125g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
- 50g butter
- 1 tbsp honey
- 7 finger biscuits, approx. 60g crushed with a rolling pin
Method
In a medium sized pan melt over low heat the sugar and the condensed milk stirring constantly. Add the beaten eggs, sunflower oil, orange zest and vanilla extract and whisk to incorporate everything together. Leave to go tepid before using.
In the bowl of your standing mixer, put 200ml tepid water and melt the fresh yeast by whisking it thoroughly. Add the contents of the saucepan to the yeast and all the remaining ingredients apart from the flour and holding back a quarter of the butter to add at the end. Whisk to mix well.
Start adding the flour gradually mixing continuously. You should aim for a dough that is soft and pliable, perhaps even a little sticky. When the dough has been mixing for 10 minutes add most of the reserved butter and hold a little back to grease your hands in order to handle the dough. Give the dough a couple of minutes more churning and use greased hands take it out of the mixer bowl and place it in a clean but greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and put in your oven which should be preheated at 50 0C. Leave the dough in the oven for 45 minutes and check. If it has not doubled in volume, leave it longer. This stage could take anything up to 2 hours.
When the dough is risen, transfer it on a clean surface and punch the air out of it. Make a long sausage and cut into two. Roll out again and cut into four. Roll each piece into a rope of approx. 30cm long. Use a rolling pin to flatten each rope out to about 8cm width.
To make the chocolate spread, melt the chocolate in a bain marie. Add the butter and let it melt. Stir the honey into the chocolate and leave it to cool. Last, add the crushed finger biscuits and mix well.
With the use of a spoon, make a line of the chocolate spread all along the eight flat pieces of dough. Fold one side of the dough all along each strip over the other side and roll gently so as to ensure that the chocolate spread is totally wrapped by dough. Use the ropes to make 2 plats, each with four ropes. Place each plat onto a lined baking dish, brush with a little water and leave to rise again (no higher than 400C as the tsoureki will spread sideways) to rise again.
Preheat the oven to 170 0C .
When the tsourekia have risen, beat the egg white to loosen and brush them. Sprinkle with almond flakes and bake for 40-50 minutes.
Place a shallow tin with some boiling water on the bottom of the oven for even fluffier tsourekia.