It's been a little over a week since I left beautiful Thessaloniki and I miss the weather, people, and especially the food. One of my favorite spots in the city was Terkenlis, a bakery known for their incredible aroma of Greek Tsoureki baking. Tsoureki is this incredible bread, traditionally made during Easter time. It is very similar to brioche and challah bread, a little more dense. Terkenlis makes this sweet bread even better by coating it in chocolate, making in the ultimate indulgent food. While I was in Greece, I ate Tsoureki almost every morning for breakfast, usually with strawberry marmalade or Nutella. If you are in Thessaloniki, you can find a Terkenlis every few blocks...just follow the sweet almond smell. Be sure to try some of their other goodies too...the baklava and pastries are incredible!
Last week, I decided to give Tsoureki a try. I found a recipe and tweaked it a bit to fit with the ingredients I had (quarantine limits you a bit...). It is a super simple bread to make and doesn't take any more time than a traditional Italian loaf.
The first step in making this beautiful bread is to bloom the yeast in your mixing bowl. Basically, you need to have the milk warmed up (not too hot!) and a little bit of sugar combined in the bowl, then sprinkle the yeast on top and allow it to "activate" for a few minutes.
Once your yeast is bloomed (a little foamy) you can combine the rest of the ingredients. In the recipe I followed, I omitted the orange zest and added a splash of almond extract instead. I would also add less flour than what was directed - always add it last so you can gauge how much more you need. The dough should be smooth and slightly sticky when it is ready...it should take 6-10 minutes if you are using a stand mixer. Let the dough rise for two hours in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap.
Once the dough is doubled in size, punch it down and get ready to braid! Try and split the dough into three even sections (I just eyeballed it, but you can always weight it out!). I rolled each piece into snakes that were about the length of the sheet pan I was going to bake it on. Push the top end of the sections together, I would even fold them under to make sure they don't separate during the bake. Then just braid the pieces as tight or as loose as you want! Mine wasn't super tight, giving it some room to expand so you could see the pretty braid after the bake. Once done, press the ends together and fold them under themselves - I didn't do this very well and it came apart in the oven! Let it rise for another hour - turn on the oven halfway through so you are ready to go!
Once the dough is risen, brush the egg wash all over the top. This gives the bread the shiny look and the beautiful golden brown color we all want. Bake the bread for 30-40 minutes...it should sound hollow when you knock on it and have a solid crust. Carefully transfer it to a cooling rack ASAP (it is heavy and will want to break in the middle when it is hot, so be careful!), this helps it cool faster so you can eat it faster!
Because this loaf was so huge, and I had brioche buns rising in the fridge, I decided to use a majority of it for French toast. This type of bread is the perfect density and texture for this breakfast. French toast is super easy to make and you can make it however you like. I prefer lots of cinnamon and nutmeg, powdered sugar and strawberries if I have them. You can omit the cinnamon and nutmeg from the recipe and it won't make too much of a difference. I would either cut the slices of bread in half to fit them into your egg mixture bowl better, or lay them flat into a 9x13 pan and pour the mixture over top. Definitely let the bread soak longer than you would with normal sliced bread so the middle isn't too dry!
If cooking breakfast isn't your thing, Tsoureki is a great sweet bread with just jam or peanut butter. It's also a great snack throughout the day (a little extra carbs won't hurt you in quarantine ;) ) If you want it a little sweeter, drizzle some chocolate on top or use chocolate spread on the slices. Overall, this recipe will stay with me forever and help me reminisce on my extraordinary time in Greece. Let me know if you give it a try and what you think!
Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread)
Ingredients:
1 cup milk, lukewarm
1 tbsp white sugar
1 packet active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
4 ½ cups bread flour
½ tsp salt
¾ cup white sugar
½ tsp almond extract
½ tsp vanilla
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs
Oil for the bowl
Egg-wash ingredients:
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
Instructions:
Pour the warmed milk into the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar and the yeast over the milk and let is set for a few minutes.
Add the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract and eggs to the bowl. Slowly add the flour on low speed – you may use less than the recipe requires.
Mix dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and pulls away from the bowl. It should still be slightly sticky.
Oil the sides of a bowl and the dough. Ensure the dough is thoroughly oiled.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 2 hours somewhere warm.
Once doubled in size, punch the dough down and divide into three parts.
Roll each part of the dough into a long strand, about the length of the baking sheet you are using to bake.
Lay all three pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet, pinching the top ends together. Braid the pieces together and pinch the bottom. Fold both ends under themselves to ensure a tighter seal.
Cover the loaf with plastic wrap and allow it to rise another hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while you wait.
Mix the egg-wash ingredients together and brush onto the loaf once it is ready.
Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and a hard crust is formed.
Transfer the bread to a cooling rack.
If desired, drizzle chocolate over the cooled bread before slicing.
Traditional French Toast
Ingredients:
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp nutmeg (optional)
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 loaf of bread (brioche, Challah, Tsoureki)
Instructions:
Beat the egg with the melted butter.
Slowly add the milk and vanilla until combined.
Add the sugar and flour while whisking to avoid lumps.
Soak each slice of bread in the egg mixture.
Cook each slice on a greased skillet, about a minute on each side.
Serve with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, and maple syrup (or your favorite toppings)