Recipe: Braided Greek Easter Bread (Tsoureki, bread machine dough cycle)

BRAIDED GREEK EASTER BREAD (TSOUREKI)

"Brian Dupnik showed us how to blow gold flakes through a straw to gild this bread so that, it had not only the traditional dyed Easter egg nestled inside, but an edible dusting of gold flakes as well. Buy the gold from a good craft shop or from one of the mail order houses for bakers. You'll have a bread fit to celebrate the rites of spring, one whose color will rival those of nature's show."

Bread Machine: Dough Setting

1 cup milk
4 cups bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped almonds, plus 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1/2 orange
1 teaspoon ground anise seed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large eggs
3 large hard-cooked and dyed Easter eggs to nestle in the top
1 egg yolk whisked with 1 tablespoon water for glaze
14-karat gold flakes to decorate the bread

Place the milk half the flour, and the yeast in the bread machine pan and process on the dough setting.

Meanwhile, toss the remaining flour with the sugar, chopped almonds, salt, orange zest, and anise seed.

Once the dough cycle is completed, add the flour mixture, olive oil, and eggs. Process again on the dough setting.

Once the second cycle is completed, remove the dough to a well-floured surface. Punch down and form into a ball. Cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Now, divide the dough into three parts. Roll each piece into a 15-inch long rope. On a piece of parchment paper crisscross the strands of rope forming the spokes of a wheel, and braid the bread, working from the center to the ends. Pinch the ends together and turn under. Embed the dyed eggs in the folds of the braid. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Once the dough has risen, brush it lightly with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with edible 14-karat gold flakes. Sprinkle with the slivered almonds.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a rack. Store in a brown bag for up to 3 days.

Makes: one large braid
Source: Rustic European Breads From Your Bread Machine by Diana Collingwood Butts and Linda West Eckhardt