{"id":1853083,"date":"2023-02-11T10:34:02","date_gmt":"2023-02-11T10:34:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/recipes\/greek-easter-bread-tsoureki\/"},"modified":"2024-02-23T09:21:02","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T15:21:02","slug":"greek-easter-bread-tsoureki","status":"publish","type":"recipe","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/recipes\/greek-easter-bread-tsoureki\/","title":{"rendered":"Greek Easter Bread"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re Greek, nothing says Easter quite like a loaf of tsoureki (tsoo-REH-kee) at the center of your dining table. Greek Easter bread, one of the most traditional Greek recipes<\/a>, is often enjoyed around the spring holiday in Greece and among Greek communities in other countries.<\/p>\n

Variations of this bread are eaten year-round, but the classic recipe has deeply religious connotations and symbolism. At Easter, the bread is typically adorned with hard-boiled eggs dyed red to symbolize the blood and sacrifice of Christ. Additionally, the bread is typically shaped using three strands of braided dough to symbolize the Christian Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

While the process of making tsoureki is a little<\/em> more involved than some of our other favorite Easter bread recipes<\/a>, it yields a stunningly beautiful, symbolic and delicious result that’s well worth the effort.<\/p>\n

What does Greek Easter bread taste like?<\/h2>\n

Like Jewish challah bread<\/a> and French brioche<\/a>, tsoureki is an enriched sweet bread often shaped into a braided plait. In terms of flavor, however, tsoureki is usually flavored with mastic, mahleb and orange. These flavors give the bread a uniquely spiced flavor and aroma that’s distinct from challah and brioche. Italian Easter bread<\/a> has colorful eggs baked into the braided bread like tsoureki, but it’s flavored with aniseed and chopped dried fruit.<\/p>\n

Greek Easter Bread Ingredients<\/h2>\n