Tsourekia- Greek Easter Bread

Total Time: 2 hrs 35 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 36 ounces flour
• 1 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons grated orange rind
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• sesame seeds (optional)
• colored hardboiled egg (optional)

Recipe

• 1 dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water.
• 2 add a teacup of flour and beat the mix with a towel and place it in a warm place to rise.
• 3 slightly heat the milk, the sugar, the butter and the orange rind and place them in a bowl.
• 4 add the yeast, the eggs, beaten, and the flour, stirring constantly.
• 5 make sure the dough is neither too soft nor too tough.
• 6 cover this dough with a towel and let it stand in a warm place for about an hour and a half.
• 7 when the dough has doubled in size, knead it again by hand and shape plaited breads.
• 8 (traditionally for easter, red colored hard cooked eggs may be pressed into the braided bread) brush the breads with 2-3 beaten egg yolks and bake them in a medium oven for about 30-35 minutes.