The Ultimate Tsoureki guide will solve all of your tsoureki-making conundrums. In this post, I answer the most common questions that have been sent to me on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, email, and on this blog. I think I got everything covered in this post and I hope that it helps you make this delicious sweet bread with confidence!
Here’s the video tutorial for Stuffed Tsoureki & Plain
Here’s the Video for The Braided Classic Tsoureki
Here are some of the most common questions/problems that people run into when making tsoureki for the first time.
Can fresh yeast be substituted for instant/active dry yeast?
Yes, absolutely. Use whichever type of yeast that you prefer or that you already have on hand. Active dry yeast and instant yeast are interchangeable. My recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of either. I ALWAYS proof it to make sure that it is active and alive. This just means that I create the starter (milk, yeast, sugar, and flour) and set it aside for around 8 minutes. As soon as a cloud forms on top that’s how I know that the yeast is alive and well and will help my dough rise.
If a puffy cloud does not form on top do not even bother with the recipe. Get a new container of yeast and start over. Otherwise, the dough will not rise. And, we will cover that problem below.
As for using fresh yeast as a substitute for the dry yeast:
- a larger quantity of fresh yeast will be needed to substitute the dry yeast. My recipe calls for a tablespoon of yeast which weighs 11 grams. When using fresh yeast, you will need 42 grams.
- It should still be proofed the same way (by creating a starter) before adding the remaining ingredients.
- everything else stays exactly the same.
Why didn’t my dough rise?
A few things could’ve gone wrong to cause this. But, before we get into that, let me say that tsoureki dough is a rich and dense dough. Therefore, it will take longer to rise than doughs that do not contain eggs, butter, and milk. So, it will take about 2 hours (or longer) depending on the temperature in your home. If you use my “dryer” trick, the dough will rise a little faster. About 1 and 1/2 hours. Allow it to take its time. You can also do a cold rise overnight in the refrigerator. I will talk about that in another section down below. Now, let’s get to the possibilities of why the dough did not rise:
- The yeast was not proofed. Proofing is essential. Proofing properly is also important. In order to proof the yeast properly, the milk should be lukewarm (about 115 °F). If it is too hot, the yeast will die and if it is too cold, the yeast will never activate. Also, make sure that the eggs are also at room temperature.
- The dough was not put in a warm place. My favorite place to allow the dough to rise is in my dryer (See dryer trick section, below). You can also let it rise in the warmest room in your house. The oven works too. Make sure that it is OFF and the oven light is on. The light will produce a little bit of heat.
- Placing the dough in a HOT place (such as an oven that is on or a very hot dryer) will kill the yeast too. It has never happened to me at home. However, it has happened at our restaurant when I used to proof yeast over the stovetop, on a shelf.
If you proof the yeast, knead it as per the recipe instructions, and then, set it in a warm area to rise, it will work every single time.
Keep in mind that this is a dense dough and can take over 2 hours to rise.
What is the “dryer trick”?
I’m not the most patient girl in the world, so, I look for shortcuts without sacrificing quality. This is one of my favorite shortcuts because it helps yeasted bread doughs rise much faster. Here is how to do it right:
- place some clean, dry towels in the dryer and run it for 10 minutes.
- turn the dryer OFF.
- Place the bowl of dough (covered with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel) into the dryer and close the door. If the dryer is super hot, leave the door cracked open. The temperature should be warmer than your room but, not too hot.
- Leave the dough in the dryer until it doubles in volume. Brioche (tsoureki) doughs take about an hour and a half to rise.
- Take the dough out and follow the remaining instructions.
What is a cold-rise?
A cold-rise basically means that the dough rises in a cool environment, aka, the refrigerator. Once the dough is kneaded, transfer it to a large greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator so that the dough can rise slowly, overnight. This is done for convenience and to deepen the flavor. As the yeast ferments slowly, it adds more flavor.
The following day, take it out of the refrigerator and shape it. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment and set aside in a warm spot to rise. Before shaping them, it’s a good idea to take the dough out of the refrigerated container and set it aside (either on the counter or in another bowl) to warm up a bit. An hour should be plenty of time. Proofing the dough too long will give it a bitter flavor so, be careful with this step. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments section, below.
The dough spread out and did not hold its shape.
From my experience, any of these two things could have happened:
- The second rise was too long. Once the dough is shaped (into braids, twists, wreaths, or whatever your favorite shape is) it needs to rise again. This time, the rise should not be as long as the first time. This time, we’re not looking for the dough to double in size. 25-30 minutes in a warm room should be sufficient. The braids should puff a little. They’re ready when they hold your finger indentation. If they deflate, they have risen for too long. Just deflate and re-shape them and set aside to rise for 25 minutes. If they rise too long and are then, baked, they spread or deflate in the oven.
- There was too much liquid and not enough flour in the dough. Basically, my advice is to weigh the flour using a kitchen scale. This is the best way to ensure that the right amount of flour was added. I give both (metric, in grams and cups) measurements for the flour. The problem with using cups is that everyone fills the cups differently. Therefore, the end result will vary each time. The dough should be soft and tacky but not sticky. If the correct amount of flour (720 grams per batch) was added and the dough is still sticky after kneading, try adding 1-2 tablespoons of oil and then knead it a little bit longer. Once the stickiness goes away, then it is ready to be transferred into a lightly greased bowl, covered and set aside to rise.
However, if the dough still feels a bit sticky, add a quarter cup of flour, knead it, and it should be fine. Adding too much flour will produce very dry tsourekia.
Practice makes perfect. Once you make a few batches, you will become more familiar with the dough and how it should feel and look and you will create the most delicious tsourekia.
Will the tsoureki stay soft the following day?
Tsoureki tastes best the day it is made. Nothing beats freshly baked bread. However, It will still retain most of its flavor if stored properly.
The best way to keep this sweet bread soft is to store it in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic, or, both. Allow the tsoureki to cool down completely after it is baked. Then wrap it in plastic or put it in an airtight container.
Freezer Instructions:
The sweet Easter bread will keep fresh in the freezer for up to 1 month. I recommend wrapping the loaves in plastic, then foil, then place them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. This will keep them from drying out or absorbing freezer odors.
Thaw the sweet bread overnight in the refrigerator and then let it come to room temperature before serving. It will taste delicious!
Refrigerator Instructions:
Allow them to cool and then either place the loaves in an airtight container or wrap them in plastic wrap. If using the plastic wrap, add a second layer of protection with a freezer bag or container. I mean, you made the sweet breads with so much love so that you and your loved ones can enjoy them for days!
How long should I bake the tsoureki?
Baking times are my enemy when writing recipes. Arghhh! I hate them, especially with baking recipes.
Most ovens vary:
- Some ovens have hotspots in a particular area
- Some are not callibrated and the temperature setting is not accurate
- Placing dough, batter, etc, on all of the racks causes the temperature to drop and this results in longer baking time
- opening the oven drops the temperature as well.
- convection ovens cook faster than non-convection ovens
- the size of the bread also varies: smaller loaves will bake faster than larger loaves
- Do you see why I hate it?
So, here are some words of wisdom:
- If you are making smaller loaves like the small stuffed wreaths that I made in this post, then they will take between 20-30 minutes to bake. Look for color. Check them at the 20 minute mark and if they’ve already developed that beautiful golden color, take them out and insert a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, they are ready. Try not to overbake them or they will be dry. I’d rather slightly underbake and let them sit at room temperature undisturbed. They will continue to bake a little as they cool.
- You can also use a thermometer and once it registers 190 °F in the center of the bread then, they’re ready.
- If you are doubling the recipe, the second, third, fourth tray will take longer to bake simply becasue the oven’s temperature drops each time it is opened.
- It will be confusing the first and second time but, after making this bread a few times you will get to know it well enough to judge better.
Why is my tsoureki crumbling?
The characteristics of a really good tsoureki are the following:
- pillowy soft texture
- it is stringy and does not crumble easily
- the beautiful golden color on top
That’s it! Is that too much to ask? haha!
Kneading the dough too little creates a crumbly cake-like texture. Bread flour requires less kneading. About 10 minutes. However, I like to knead a few minutes longer to ensure the perfect texture. So, the answer is, knead it longer. If you own a tabletop mixer such as a kitchen-aid, this is the time to use it. But, if you’re going to knead it by hand, then, knead for double the time so that you end up with a great tsoureki. Here is my favorite brand.
Can I make tsoureki with all-purpose flour?
Yes, you can! As I am writing this post we are in a stay at home order due to an outbreak. Bread flour is nowhere to be found. Each time we go to the market it is sold out. This was a blessing in disguise because it forced me to test my tsoureki recipe and perfect it using all-purpose flour. I’m so happy to say that it worked perfectly!
The trick to this is in the kneading time. It needs to be kneaded (lol) for double the time! So, if you’re making this in a stand mixer then knead it for 15 minutes total. Kneading by hand will take even loger. About 20-25 minutes.
Knead it very good then allow it to rise and it will be perfect!
Can I bake the loaves with Easter eggs?
Yes! You can add the painted boiled eggs after the loaves are shaped. Then, let them rise, and bake as usual. Alternatively, you can crumble up some parchment paper and place it where the eggs will go after the loaves are baked.
Keep in mind that making tsoureki gets better each time that you bake a batch. Like I said before, ovens vary, flour varies by brand, and practice makes perfect. So, make some this week and let me know what you think in the comments, below.
Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Here are links to my favorite tsoureki recipes on this blog:
TSOUREKI: GREEK BRIOCHE
The best tsoureki! A greek style brioche, tsoureki is the perfect Easter bread.
Ingredients
For the starter:
- 1/2 cup milk, lukewarm
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
The Dry Ingredients:
- 4- 4 and 1/2 cups (720 grams) bread flour
- 1 cup (240 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground mahlepi
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mastic gum (optional)
The Wet Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (177 ml) lukewarm milk
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- zest of an orange
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- The egg wash: 2 egg yolks plus 2-4 tablespoons milk
Optional Fillings:
- dried cranberries, raisins, chopped nuts, candied fruit, ground cardamom, vanilla or almond extract
Instructions
- Combine the starter ingredients together in the bowl of a tabletop mixer. Whisk and set aside for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. It is ready when a puffy cloud forms above the mixture.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, orange zest, salt, mahlepi, and mastic gum together. Mix well to combine.
- Once the yeast is activated, add all of the remaining ingredients to the mixer's bowl. Turn the mixer on low and knead for 8 minutes.
- Add the softened butter and increase the speed to medium (4 on the Kitchen aid) and knead for 2 minutes.
- Place some oil in the bottom of a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl. Toss around to coat and form a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in volume. About 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Quick Rise Tip: My favorite place to keep the dough so that it rises quickly is in the dryer. Here is what I do:
- 1) I put 3-4 clean bath towels in the dryer and turn it on (high heat setting) for about 5-6 minutes.
- 2) I place the bowl with the dough into the dryer (on top of the warm towels) and close the door.
- 3) Make sure the dryer is OFF!!
- 4) Remove from the dryer when it has doubled in volume.
- This trick usually cuts 30 minutes from the rise time.
- Punch down the dough to remove the air. Cut into 2 equal portions.
- Cut each portion in thirds.
- Roll each portion into about 13 inch long ropes.
- Form the 3 ropes into a braid and do the same with the remaining three ropes to shape 2 loaves of brioche.
- Place both braided loaves onto a baking tray (18 by 13 inch) lined with parchment paper.
- Cover with plastic wrap or with a clean towel.
- Set aside for 30-40 minutes or until puffy. They should not double in size this time.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
- Brush the tops of the brioche dough with the egg wash.
- Optional: Place a hard-boiled, dyed egg in the braids or top with sliced almonds.
- Bake in the center rack of the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Once baked and cooled, the bread can be frozen up to a month. Just make sure to wrap it well with plastic wrap.
- Enjoy!
Notes
This dough can be prepared in a tabletop mixer or kneaded by hand in a large bowl or on the countertop. Using a mixer will require less kneading time. About 10 minutes. If making the dough by hand, knead it at least 15 minutes so that the gluten forms well to achieve the desired consistency and texture.
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Great! Thanks for the info. A friend of mine uses both powdered sugar and granulated sugar I. Her tsourecki. Have you ever heard of this? Thx
I have not. I’ve tried making it many ways have also failed miserably in the past using bad recipes. This one has been tried and tested and works every time. I hope that you enjoy it 🙂
Is this recipe for on loaf or for 2 smaller loaves. I made it. They came our good, but they are smaller 13″ loaves – not huge.
Still in the oven so I don’t know how they will taste. I cook by bread to and internal temp of 190 degrees. Does this agree with your settings? I struggle with this recipe, but not other breads.
Since there isn’t a recipe on this post I am assuming that you either made the stuffed or the traditional plain braids. It is the same exact recipe anyway, for both 🙂 So, it makes 2 large braids or 6 smaller twists/wreaths. Hope this helps.
Another question – can you substitute orange juice for the milk?
You can do half water and half orange juice 🙂
Hi Dimitra, have you tried using bread improver, and what do you think of this.
Hi Dimitra, this is my first attempt at tsoureki, despite having living in Athens for 25 years. Everything looked exactly like it should until the proofing stage. But the dough hasn’t risen much at all sadly. Now it may be because I only had all purpose flour and I didn’t see this new, updated recipe and hints until too late. I didn’t knead it for the extra time. But I also wanted to ask if you know whether or not our dry yeast in Greece is the same strength as yours in the U.S.?
It smells great though so won’t go to waste, I’ll just have to have another go to get things right!
On my goodness! These are amazing! We are shoveling them in! Light and delicious! Mine do not look pretty but they taste wonderful!
Why does tsoureki get dense after it cools?
Hi Dimitra- I made your tsourekia today ( both stuffed/with nutella and plain) and they were absolutely amazing. I ate tsourekia for years when I lived in Athens in the 80’s, from the best bakeries, and these turned out EVEN better!!! Bravo!!! One little comment, I added 4 1/2 cups of flour as your recipe indicates, but as I was mixing seemed a bit drier then in your video, so I added 1/4 extra milk as was mixing and texture turned out perfect. Next time I think I will use 4 cups flour and the exact amount of milk in your recipe.
I followed your video ” the best greek tsoureki recipe “on youtube, printed recipe and found discrepencies, in video you said 2 cups of sugar, printout says 1 cup, in video you used 3 eggs , on recipe says 2 eggs
i follwed video, and dough was way too sticky , added one more cup of flour
it was my first time to make this bread for my greek friend,waiting for dough to rise
did i use too much milk? 3/4 cup for wet ingredients and 1/2 cup for yeast ?
thanks
happy easter to all
Hi! Would Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise yeast work with this recipe? Thanks!
Yes 🙂
Thank you!! This really helped me!
Hi Dimitra, if I want to make 6 large tsourekia what is the quantity of ingredients I need.
Thx
I want to make this recipe using an egg substitute (allergies), what would you recommend as an egg wash alternative?
1. If the eggs are dyed but raw, they will bake in the bread. No need to stuff the indentations.
2. If the loaves are about 10 ounces, they take 20 minutes. A half hour is for larger loaves. In either case, this includes any
braided loaves.
3. If the oven keeps the correct temp, rap the bottom of the loaf. If it has a hollow sound, it is done. No need for
toothpicks or temp gauges.
4. If the home has zone heating, crank it up in one room to about 80 degrees and close the door. When the dough needs to
rise the first time, place the bowl in the room. Should take about half hour to 45 minutes to double in size.
5. If making many loaves, those pans can not go inter the oven together, so cover each waiting pan with wax paper or
plastic wrap to prevent any skin from developing.
6. instead of adding more oil to the dough if sticky, apply the oil to your hands and knead. Saves time.
Thank you for that!!!
It’s time to bake the Tsoureki! In many ways, baking it is similar to baking other breads. But, there are some tricks that can make the process go much smoother. You have put together a very helpful guide.
Thank you!! SO glad that it’s helpful. All the best!!
Gia sou xrusoxera. Is it ok to substitute Mastiha liqueur for the mastiha gum and if so, how much would you use?
S’euxaristw poli.
Hi!! You’re so sweet!! Yes, A few people on Facebook have used it with great results. half to 1 teaspoon is what they used 🙂
What would be a good substitute for mahlepi?
Anise seeds would be good. A tablespoon of them or maybe more 🙂
Kali mera Dimitra!
Can this recipe be doubled and if so is it an exact doubling or are some ingredients reduced?Or am I better off making two batches of dough separately the combining for the rise?
Yes, you can make them separately and then combine for the rise 🙂
I have made this 3 times. On the 3rd time I added 2 packages of dry yeast. It did rise in 2 hours. YEA!!
Help Dimitra. I tried making your tsoureki which was somewhat similar to my mom’s and my yiayia’s. I did need to add more flour. It was soooo sticky that I couldn’t get it off my hands (I buttered my hands), never mind rolling it for the braids. I added some more butter because of added flour. I made a batch yesterday and cooked it for 40 minutes because all my tsourekia recipes I have said 40 minutes—it burned on the bottom (not the top) as you might have guessed. I made more today (still had to add more flour) and cooked it for 30 minutes as you instruct. Same result—the bottom burned. I’m afraid that if I cook it for 20 minutes, it won’t cook through. I know my oven temp is ok because I also just made koulourakia and they came out fine. Any suggestions? Tsourekis were average size.
Do you have a recipe for BREAD MACHINE TSOUREKI?
I do not own a bread machine, sorry!
Dimitra,
Today I made the Tsoureki recipe. I have made them before, but wanted to try your method and the end result was great. However during the process I was quite worried — the dough was VERY sticky after the first rise and so difficult to knead and cut into ropes. I tried adding more flour, but did not want to add too much making it too dry. The breads look good in the end, I think they will taste good. Instead of crushed mastic, I substituted a dash of masticha liquor and reduced the milk a bit. Any advice to avoid the extreme stickiness?
TY — I enjoy your videos. I am of Greek descent as well —
Andrea
I’m so glad that you didn’t go heavy on the flour. That ruins the bread 🙂 Olive oil will fix the stickiness. Pour some oil on your hands and knead it a few times and the stickiness will go away and the dough will remain nice and soft 🙂 Hope that helps!
THE RECIPE LEAVES OUT STEPS. iT DOES NOT REFER TO MIXING EGGS WITH THE VANILLA AND THERE ARE NO INSTRUCTIONS FOR ADDING THE MILK.
Hi
I live in Australia and I just want to check the measurements. Our table spoons measures 20mls and cups are 250 mls. Is this the same as your measurements?
Hello Koukla, I’ve been following your recipes and love the simple ways to make greek classics and other recipes. The Tsoureki recipe has been my Achilles heal. Sometimes it works and other times not so much. Your recipe and step by step video is the ultimate guide. My MIL had a recipe everyone who’s tried it raves about. I was never able to duplicate it. My husband says yours is as close to his mom’s as he can remember; that says a lot! Thank you for all you do!
Thank you for sharing this recipe, Dimitra. I tried it as a newbie and my first time ever baking it was a success! I am going to try your Easter cookie recipe next week and also will try adding some chocolate to this year’s tsoureki. Thank you again. I feel empowered and confident thanks to your detailed steps.
Can I make the tsoureki a bit sweeter? If so, how much more sugar can I use. Or should I use other sweeteners? Please advise.
Dimitra can this recipe be doubled.
I would like to try the cold-rise method. Is it ok to leave the dough in the refrigerator for 24 hours?
I do not recommend the cold rise method. It takes such a long time for the tsoureki to come to room temperature and then to puff after it is braided…
Hi Dimitri, many years back I tried a tsoureki that I loved but never asked for the recipe! It was on the dense side. Would you know how could I use your recipe and make it more dense? What exactly makes it dense? Thanks so much
This version is on the dense side 🙂 You will love it!
Hi I wanted to add orange juice to where and how much can I add please?
Dimitra I love your recipe!! you always explain everything so well.. Thank you!! 😊 I will double this recipe to make more TSOUREKIA
Made my first Tsoureki following your recipe. Step by step, didn’t rush anything ….use a small space heater to keep the room warm while
The dough was rising. I don’t bake …I can’t . Everything I bake is horrible. THIS WAS A SUCCESS!! . My family loved it! I loved it!!! Thank you for this perfect recipe!