Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread)
Tsoureki is the soft, pillowy braided bread that appears on every Greek Easter table. Perfumed with mahlab and vanilla, it pulls apart in long, feathery strands and is unlike any other bread you will make.
If you have never made an enriched yeasted bread before, tsoureki is a rewarding place to start. The dough is forgiving, the braiding is satisfying, and the result looks and smells extraordinary. The secret ingredient is mahlab, a spice made from the dried kernels of St Lucie cherry pits, which gives tsoureki its distinctive warm, slightly almond-like aroma. Without it, you have a nice sweet bread. With it, you have tsoureki.
In Greece, this bread is made during Holy Week, traditionally on Holy Thursday, and placed on the Easter table alongside dyed red eggs and other festive foods. The red egg is often pressed into the braid before baking, symbolising the blood of Christ and the renewal of life. If you want to try another Easter bread, the Italian Easter bread (pane di Pasqua) is a beautiful variation worth making too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The texture is extraordinary. Properly made tsoureki has a pull-apart, almost cotton-like crumb that is completely different from ordinary enriched breads. The key is a long, patient knead and a slow rise.
- The aroma fills the house. Mahlab and vanilla together produce a scent during baking that is genuinely difficult to describe and impossible to forget.
- It keeps well. Unlike lean breads that go stale quickly, the butter and eggs in the dough keep tsoureki soft for several days. It is also excellent toasted with butter on day two or three.
- The braiding is flexible. A simple three-strand braid works perfectly. If you want something more decorative, a four or six-strand braid looks stunning on the Easter table without requiring much extra skill.
What is Mahlab?
Mahlab (also spelled mahleb or mahlepi) is a spice made from the dried and ground kernels found inside the pits of St Lucie cherries. It has a complex, layered flavour: mildly bitter, faintly cherry-like, and with a warm almond undertone that develops beautifully when baked into an enriched dough.
It is the defining ingredient in tsoureki and several other Eastern Mediterranean breads and pastries. You can find it in Greek delis, Middle Eastern grocery stores, and online. There is no good substitute that replicates the flavour exactly. If you truly cannot find it, a combination of a little almond extract and a scraping of bitter orange zest gets you approximately in the right direction, but the real thing is worth seeking out.
Ingredient Notes
Flour: Use strong bread flour (high protein, 12-13%) rather than all-purpose flour. The higher protein content develops more gluten, which is what gives tsoureki its characteristic stretchy, pull-apart texture. All-purpose flour produces a softer but noticeably less structured crumb.
Yeast: Either active dry yeast or instant yeast works. If using active dry, proof it in warm milk with a pinch of sugar first until foamy, about 10 minutes. If using instant yeast, you can add it directly to the flour. Make sure your yeast is fresh; old yeast that does not foam is the most common reason tsoureki fails to rise.
Butter: Use unsalted butter, softened to room temperature. It is added gradually during kneading rather than at the start, which is important for developing gluten strength before the fat is incorporated. Cold butter added too early can inhibit gluten development.
Eggs: Room temperature eggs incorporate more evenly into the dough. They contribute to the golden colour, the richness, and the soft texture of the finished bread.
Mastic (optional): Some traditional tsoureki recipes include ground mastic resin alongside the mahlab. It adds a very subtle pine-resin flavour that is distinctly Greek. It is more divisive than mahlab, so consider it optional for a first batch.
Tips for a Fluffy Tsoureki
- Knead thoroughly. Tsoureki needs a long knead, at least 15-20 minutes by hand or 10-12 minutes in a stand mixer. The dough should be smooth, elastic, and just slightly tacky but not sticky. Undermixed dough produces a dense, bready crumb instead of the characteristic feathery texture.
- Add butter gradually. Incorporate the softened butter a small piece at a time while kneading, waiting for each piece to be fully absorbed before adding the next. This technique builds gluten strength before the fat weakens it.
- Give it two rises. The first rise develops flavour; the second rise, after shaping, develops the final structure. Both rises should happen in a warm, draught-free place. A cold environment slows the yeast significantly.
- Do not rush the rises. Tsoureki benefits from a slow, patient first rise. Some bakers do a cold overnight rise in the fridge after the first knead, which develops a more complex flavour.
- Brush generously with egg wash. A thick, even coat of egg wash (one egg beaten with a splash of milk) applied just before baking is what gives tsoureki its deep mahogany glaze. Sesame seeds pressed on at this stage stick well and add a nice finishing touch.
How to Decorate Tsoureki
The most traditional decoration is a hard-boiled red egg pressed into the braid before baking. In Greek Orthodox Easter tradition, red eggs symbolise the blood of Christ and the promise of resurrection. Press one or two eggs into the braid after shaping and before the second rise, nestling them snugly so they stay in place during baking.
Beyond the red egg, sesame seeds sprinkled over the egg wash are classic. For a sweeter finish, brush with a simple sugar syrup (equal parts sugar and water, heated until dissolved) as soon as the bread comes out of the oven. This gives a beautiful shine and a lightly sweet, sticky surface.
Storage and Make Ahead
Tsoureki stays soft at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight bag. The butter and egg content in the dough slows staling noticeably compared to lean breads.
To freeze, let the bread cool completely, slice it if you prefer, and wrap tightly before freezing. It keeps well for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature still wrapped, then warm briefly in the oven at 160°C for 5-7 minutes to refresh the crust.
You can also prepare the dough the night before and let it do its first rise in the fridge overnight. The slow cold fermentation develops a deeper flavour. Take it out the next morning, let it come to room temperature for about an hour, then shape, do the second rise, and bake.
Looking for more Greek Easter recipes? Try the Koulourakia Greek Easter Cookies or browse all Easter recipes.
Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread)
Ingredients
For starter:
- 240 ml 8 fl oz warm milk
- 38 g 1.3 oz dry yeast
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 30 g ¼ cup of flour
Dry ingredients:
- 720 g 5 ⅔ cup flour
- 240 g 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ Tbsp mahlepi / mahlab cherry pit powder
Liquid ingredients:
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- grated peel from an orange
- 60 g ¼ cup butter, soft at room temperature
For toppings and decorations:
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- 6 red eggs
- 3 tablespoons of almond flakes
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the starter, mix gently, cover with plastic wrap and keep the bowl warm (kitchen with closed windows)
- In another bowl, add and mix the dry ingredients.
- In separate bowl, beat the eggs with the rest of the liquid ingredients except the butter.
- After the yeast in the starter mixture has activated and started to bubble, add the the mixture of flour and eggs.
- Put the mixer bowl in the food processor and let it knead for 8-10 minutes. You must obtain a soft, homogeneous, elastic and sticky dough. Add the soft butter and let the robot knead for another 4 minutes.
- Transfer the obtained dough to another well oiled bowl, lightly sprinkle the dough with oil and cover with a plastic film. Leave the dough in a warm place to rise for two hours, until it doubles in size.
- Grease lightly with oil so that you can work the obtained dough. Transfer it to a clean surface and divide the dough into 3 equal parts to get three loaves.
- One third of the dough is divided again into 3 other equal parts. With the help of your palms, roll 3 equal strips, about 30 cm. Braid them and transfer the braided loaf to the baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- After you have obtained three braided loaves, cover them with foil and let them rise for another 25 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 180 C (360F).
- After the loaves have risen, remove the foil, brush each bun with a mixture of beaten egg and milk, carefully place two red eggs in each bun and sprinkle with almond flakes.
- Put the loaves in the oven for 25 minutes, until they become brown.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common causes are under-kneading, under-rising, or old yeast. Tsoureki needs a long, thorough knead to develop the gluten structure responsible for the feathery texture. Make sure the dough passes the windowpane test (a small piece stretched thin enough to be translucent without tearing) before you let it rise. Also check that your yeast is active by proofing it in warm milk first.
Technically yes, but the result will taste like a pleasant enriched bread rather than tsoureki specifically. Mahlab is the ingredient that defines the flavour. If you cannot find it locally, it is widely available online. As a rough substitute, a small amount of almond extract combined with a little bitter orange zest gets you into the same flavour territory, though not precisely.
Both are braided celebration breads with religious roots, but they are quite different in composition and flavour. Tsoureki is enriched with butter, eggs, and milk, giving it a richer, softer texture, and is flavoured with mahlab. Challah is traditionally dairy-free (pareve) in Jewish dietary law, made with oil rather than butter, and flavoured with poppy seeds or left plain. The crumb of challah is soft but less feathery than a well-made tsoureki.
Yes, and they are a lovely alternative. Divide the dough into smaller portions, braid or shape into individual rolls, and reduce the baking time by roughly 10 minutes. Individual rolls are easier to serve and also make good Easter gifts wrapped in cellophane with a ribbon.
