Tsoureki is a Greek egg bread traditionally made on on Holy Thursday and eaten on Easter Sunday.
you’re free to find it at your local spice shop, international market, or online.
The egg-rich dough is often braided and topped with red dyed eggs.
Credit:Grant Webster
The red eggs can bydyed with onion skinsor food coloring.
There is also an Easter game that is played with the bread.
Tsougrisma is known as The Greek Red Easter Egg Game.
To play Tsougrisma, each player holds a red egg.
You tap the end of your egg against the end of your opponent’s egg.
The goal is to break both ends of your opponent’s egg without breaking your own egg.
Ingredients
1cupwarmmilk(105-115F)
1/2cupsugar, divided
1pkg.active dry yeast(2 1/4tsp.)
Let stand for 5 minutes.
Stir egg mixture into yeast mixture until combined.
Stir in 4 1/2 cups flour.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning to grease surface of the dough.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (1 hour).
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; divide into thirds.
Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll each portion of dough into a 16-inch long rope.
Place the ropes about 1 inch apart on the prepared pan.
Starting in the middle of ropes, loosely braid by bringing the left rope under the center rope.
Next bring right rope under the new center rope.
Repeat to the end.
On the other end, braid by bringing alternate ropes over center rope.
Press ends together to seal; tuck under.
Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double (about 1 hour).
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a small bowl whisk together remaining egg and 1 tsp.
Gently brush dough with egg wash, being careful not to touch eggs.
Bake about 45 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
Let cool 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Add enough cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch.
Bring just to boil on high heat.
Let stand 12 minutes.
Add hard-cooked eggs and let sit in dye for about 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs from dye.
Allow eggs to dry.
white vinegar in a large saucepan; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes; stir occasionally to keep onion skins submerged.
Remove pot from heat and cool to room temperature, remove skins from dye.
For best results cover and place eggs in dye in refrigerator overnight to achieve deepest red/orange color.
