Ingredients
- Mother dough
- 60ml water
- 40gr organic yeast
- 75gr high gluten flour
- Tsoureki dough
- 428gr high gluten flour
- 175gr mother dough
- 105ml full fat milk
- a pinch of salt
- 140gr sugar
- 100gr free range eggs
- 5gr ground Mastic drops
- 10gr Mahleb
- 1 Madagascar Vanilla bean
- 5gr Orange zest
- 85gr clarified dairy fat ( butter )
Method
For the mother dough.
In a small bowl mix for a couple of minutes, water, organic yeast and the small amount of flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until it triples in size.
For the Tsoureki dough.
In a stand mixer bowl, knead together the mother dough the rest of the flour and the lightly warmed milk and the salt.
Knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
Add sugar, eggs and spices, knead for a couple of minuits and using a D-scraper clean the sides of the bowl and add the melted clarified dairy fat.
At a slow speed knead until butter is incorporated in the dough and it doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the Tsoureki dough in a plastic container, cover with a warm wet napkin, set it aside and let it prouve.
When it doubles in size, separate the dough in equal pieces of four or six and knit in groups of two or three.
Let the braids prouve in a warm and humid environment.
Brush with eggwash and sprinkle with almond fillets.
Bake in preheated oven in 165°C until golden brown.
Recipe by Stamos Diamantas
