A recipe for tsoureki (Greek Easter bread) (2024)

FAQs

What is Greek Easter bread made of? ›

Ahh the tsoureki! This is a sweet bread made traditionally for Easter (but really you can have it as a treat year-round). It is soft, tender, lightly sweet and so aromatic! It is made with eggs, milk and butter plus the secret aromatic ingredients.

The basic ingredients are the same; butter, milk, sugar, yeast, eggs, flour. However, what makes tsoureki different is a spice called mahlepi, which is made from the seeds found inside a type of cherry stone. That spice, when cooked, gives a sweet smell and taste.

Making tsoureki is an important Easter tradition in Greece. It is prepared on Holy Thursday and eaten on Easter as the three braids of the bread represent the Holy Trinity.

Red eggs (the red symbolising Christ's blood) spell Easter to every Greek person. So adorning a tsoureki (or Greek brioche) with them is like putting ornaments on a Christmas tree: without them, it's just a plain old tree.

Tsoureki is usually made into a plaited loaf or a wreath, the ring shape representing the Easter theme of renewal. The red eggs that adorn Tsoureki symbolise Christ's blood and rebirth and are placed into the soft dough and baked with the bread.

Prosphora is a Greek word meaning "offering." Historically, the bread was not only a gift for use in the Divine Liturgy, but it was also a gift to feed the poor. Prosphora is made of just four ingredients: Unbleached flour. Yeast.

The tsoureki symbolizes the Resurrection of Christ and rebirth in general. Tsoureki (τσουρέκι in Greek) is the traditional sweet yeast bread Greeks make every year on Holy Thursday, which is then consumed on Easter Sunday.

(See shapes) Egg wash the dough before you place it into the oven, and then top it with sesame seeds or sliced almonds. Sprinkle with sugar, and then bake in the middle rack for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. You don't want to overtake because this results in a dry tsoureki.

Tsoureki is traditionally baked on Holy Thursday, and then eaten on Easter Sunday. Today though, you can pretty much get tsoureki all through the year.

Some interesting facts about the practice of dying eggs for Greek Easter. The colour red is used to symbolise life and victory and the eggs themselves symbolise the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Traditionally the eggs are dyed on Holy Thursday in preparation for a feast on Easter Sunday.

What meat do Greeks eat on Easter? ›

Lots of lamb. The foods that govern Greek Orthodox Easter are many: an organ soup called mayirista, tsoureki (a sweet bread), eggs dyed red to symbolize the blood of Christ and side dishes such as roasted potatoes with citrus and oregano and the spinach pie spanakopita.

The word tsougrisma means "clinking together" or "clashing." In Greek, it is τσούγκρισμα and is pronounced TSOO-grees-mah. The cracking tradition symbolizes Christ's resurrection from the dead and birth into eternal life.

There are many names for the dish, including "bullseye eggs", "eggs in a frame", "egg in a hole", "eggs in a nest", "gashouse eggs", "gashouse special", "gasthaus eggs", "hole in one", "one-eyed Jack", "one-eyed Pete", "one-eyed Sam", "pirate's eye", and "popeye".

Many celebrants of Greek Easter play a game called tsougrisma where two players hold red eggs (kokkina avga), taking turns tapping or clinking the other's egg and trying to crack their opponent's egg while leaving their egg whole.

We guarantee that this game will not only bring out the competitive side but a lot of laughter, too! After the eggs are cracked and the excitement has subsided, you can feel free to eat the eggs along with Easter dinner or enjoy them in the days following Easter.

Greek bread typically consists of ingredients such as flour, water, salt, yeast and olive oil. It can be prepared in a variety of ways including making it into flatbreads, or baking it in the oven to create loaves. Greek bread is often used for dipping sauces and spreads like tzatziki.

Among the variety of breads were raised breads, coarse brown bread from emmer wheat and barley, white bread from fine flour, oven bread, bread baked in ashes and wafer bread, as well as soft cakes, such as sesame cake and barley cakes.

Affordable- the ingredients of this recipe are super affordable and basic like flour, water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Freezer friendly- these pitas freeze amazingly! Every time you want fresh pita bread, remove one from the freezer, defrost it in the microwave, and then reheat it in the oven!