At Easter time, the air in Spetses smells freshly baked tsoureki. Tsoureki is a traditional sweet bread, often decorated with a red egg. Poseidonion Grand Hotel, the emblematic hotel of Spetses, added rosemary to the traditional recipe, offering tsoureki a special flavor.

Ingredients (for 2 buns)

4 eggs well beaten

1 ½ cup white sugar

160 g. unsalted butter, melted

50 g. fresh yeast

½ cup warm whole milk

1 sachet machlepi grated

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

½ cup orange juice

750 g. flour for all purposes, sifted (calculate a little extra for the yeast)

1 egg white for brushing

Place the yeast in the milk and half the sugar in a large bowl. Mix until the yeast becomes creamy and watery. Add a little flour until the mixture becomes more dense. Cover and leave in a warm place until risen and doubled in size (about 45 minutes).

Mix the flour, machlepi, rosemary and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Open a hole in the center and add eggs, orange juice, butter (which has cooled a bit) and the yeast mixture. Knead a circular motion until you get a fluffy dough.

Place the dough in a clean pan, lightly greased. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place until doubled in volume. Beat the dough and knead again. Repeat this process once more.

Divide the dough into 6 pieces and mold each into bead shape. Then form two braids with three strings each. Place each braid in a separate oven plate and leave in a warm place until doubled in volume. With a brush, brush with egg white. Bake each tsoureki in preheated oven (180 degrees) for 50-60 minutes, until doubled in volume and browned.

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From: Anthi Sasmatzoglou

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