Of all the homemade food and sweets we prepare for Easter, tsoureki is the most demanding. It requires meticulous preparation and execution, starting with the ingredients, which must be good quality and suitable for this difficult dough.
If you are a beginner or not satisfied with the result of your first attempt to make a handmade tsoureki, follow our basic instructions and carefully study the recipe we provide.
In the end, you will have a nice, fluffy and fragrant tsoureki, which will make the house smell of beautiful aromas.
The Flour
To achieve the right elastic texture in the dough, do not add random soft flour, not even all-purposes. You want hard flour, ideally, a type that specialises in tsourekia. Such products are on the market, and we recommend them unreservedly.
Butter and eggs
For a pleasant aroma and taste, we suggest you choose an excellent unsalted cow's butter and let it sit for at least an hour at room temperature. The eggs should also be out of the fridge.
The yeast
You have to dissolve the yeast. For the yeast to ferment properly, the milk (in which it will be dissolved) should be lukewarm because if it's cold, the dough will never rise, while if it's too hot, the yeast can "burn," and eventually, it won't rise properly.
So, setting the right temperature is an important step.
If you have a thermometer, it should read 40 degrees. If you don't, try it with your fingers. Your finger should be able to handle the heat.
The aromas
Mastic and mahleb are the sure aromatic materials to use, but orange or lemon zest can also be added. Some also use cardamom.
The kneading
The best method for achieving elasticity is hand shaping. However, if you are unfamiliar with this process, you can put it in the mixer with the hook at medium speed.
Yeast development
The dough needs time and the right temperature to develop. So, after making the dough, put it in a basin or a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.
Then, turn on the oven at 40° Celsius and leave the covered dough until it doubles in volume. It will also need a second resting stage after braiding, where it will need about an hour to double in volume again.
The baking
First, it is important to preheat the oven and not leave it open for a long time until you have baked all the tsourekia. This is so that the temperature does not drop.
Also, it is good to watch the baking from the door window and without opening it at all because they will lose their volume.
See our tsoureki recipe HERE.
READ MORE: Greek Easter Cookies: Six tips for the most delicious koulourakia.
