Celebrate Greek Orthodox Easter with this traditional sweet bread.
Ingredients Checklist
200g milk, at room temperature
15g yeast
550g strong flour Type OO
150g butter, cut into small cubes
150g caster sugar
1 tsp ground mahlepi
½ tsp ground cardamom
Zest of 1 orange
2 medium size eggs, beaten
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla powder
1 egg white
20g slithered almonds
500g water, lukewarm
60g vinegar, white
6 white shell eggs, boiled
1 sachet red food colouring powder
Instructions
To colour eggs In a bowl add some lukewarm water, boiled eggs, vinegar and red colouring powder. Allow eggs to sit in the dye for a few minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from bowl, pat dry with paper towel, set aside.
Put milk into a bowl or jug, sprinkle over the yeast and stir with a hand whisk. Set the mixture aside for 10-15 minutes without stirring it to activate the yeast. You will see bubbles forming on the surface when ready.
Using a large stand mixer bowl add flour and activated yeast.
Add butter cubes, sugar,mahlepi, cardamom and orange zest to the flour and yeast.
Place the bowl onto the stand mixer, add eggs, salt,vanilla powder, and beat together with the dough hook attachment at medium high speed, for 7-10 minutes, until you get an elastic dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the dough to a greased or floured bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and allow 1-1½ hours for the dough to double in size.
Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces. Take one piece in front of you and cut it into 3 pieces.
Roll out each piece with your hands in order to get 3 equal strips, 15-20 cm long each.
Braid/plait the strips and connect their ends in order to get a round braided bun. Follow the same process for the remaining pieces.
Transfer the buns to 2 baking trays lined with baking paper, cover them with a clean tea towel. Allow 20-30 minutes for them to rise.
Preheat oven to 160°C set to fan forced.
Use a pastry brush to spread the egg white over the buns, sprinkle them with almond slivers, then place one red Easter egg in the centre of each bun.
