16 Reviews of Tsoureki (Greek Easter Sweet Bread)

From: FuffyPug

On Apr 5, 2005

Once again, I used one of Evelyn/Athens recipes and once again, I am not disappointed. This woman is an incredible cook and every one of her recipes which I have tried has been spectacular. I have a couple of warnings about this bread recipe - the first one is that your family will inhale it. My family was eating 3 thick slices at one time - it is definitely addictive. My second warning - I put 2 reasonably normal sized loaves into my oven and pulled out 2 gigantic monsters! It gets huge un the oven - I couldn't get over the size of the loaves! It won't go to waste though, trust me! This recipe was really easy to make. I have started making all the bread that my family and I eat and the kneading is very therapeutic. It would probably be good also if you used a multi grain flour - hmmm - something to try for the next time. Hello to Evelyn - and CONGRATULATIONS on winning first prize in the recipe contest - your Zesto Pesto will my next recipe to try. Wendy

From: CookingChristina

On Jan 4, 2008

Without a doubt, this is the best tsoureki recipe, I have ever made. It comes out so light and fluffy. I would certainly recommend it for all members to try this recipe. My greek mother who is super critical! When I asked her 'What did she think' She said 'Nothing wrong with it' Coming from her, that is the biggest compliment ever made!!

From: elli2cook

On May 2, 2007

Making this was an all day process, but truly worth it! The recipe was simple to follow. The measurements are accurate and the ingredients are exactly what is needed to create an authentic tsoureki. I used my KitchenAid to do all the kneading which helped tremendously because there is no way I could get the dough smooth in 12 minutes by hand. (That's impressive for those of you who can.) I used a total of 9 cups of flour, and all the ingredients listed (masticha instead of anise seed). I zested a large orange and the flavor was not overpowering. Also, the finely chopped almonds made the bread extra special. I am use to tsoureki being a little sweeter, so next time I'll try adding a little more sugar, maybe 1/4 cup more? I'll also use 2 egg yolks for the glaze instead of 1 because it wasn't glossy enough. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.

From: Chef #823747

On Apr 22, 2008

Okay, I have to say this recipe was AMAZING!!!!! I am greek and decided to make tsoureki for the first time with my 3 year old son for our greek Easter. My mother offered her recipe, which is really good, but there really is no recipe. A little of this and a little of that. I can't bake like that!! So I found this recipe and decided to go for it. My bread turned out amazing!!! My mom said that the key to a good tsoureki is when you break it open and there are "strings" inside and not bubbles like regular bread. Well, my bread had more "strings" than my mother's!! I made one large, and 2 small ones. Next time I will make 4 small ones as the large one came out HUGE!!! I left out the anise and added an extra 1/4 cup sugar. I also put slivered almonds on top and brushed them with the 2 egg yolks.(as suggested by a reviewer) I kneaded it by hand as it was to much for my kitchen aid mixer. By far, an amazing and easy recipe. Thanks!!

From: ~Rita~

On Oct 3, 2006

I made this in my bread machine. Using 1/2 the recipe. I used 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon yeast, 4-5 cups flour, in place of the almonds which I didn`t have I used 4 ounces almond paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 orange zest, I also did use mahlep and the masticha, 2 tablespoons butter and 3 eggs! Topped with pine nuts. Makes a very large loaf. I didn`t place the eggs in. The final rise was for 1 hour. Loved the flavor & texture of this bread!

From: Lifeizbutadream

On Apr 28, 2006

Wow, what a great recipe! My kids helped me in preparing the traditonal Greek Easter bread. Great tasting and fun to make. Thanks again for another wonderful recipe.

From: Chef #226873

On Jul 3, 2005

Excellent Tsoureki. Easy to follow recipe. You will not be dissapointed!

From: Mary C.

On Apr 8, 2007

I have been desperately looking for a bread recipe that would produce results similar to the recipe that my grandmother brought over from Greece. My grandmother passed away and my mother had a stroke and couldn't remember how to make it. I was too young when my grandmother was alive to have written the recipe down. We tried many recipes but couldn't find the right mix and proportion of ingredients. I asked my husband to search the net for Tsoureki recipes as Easter was coming up. He found several, but I chose this one because the ingredients looked similar to the ones my grandmother used (particularly the masticha and mahlep). The bread turned out phenomenally. The loaves truly are enormous. They took the entire width of the oven. The next time I do this recipe, I will likely make six smaller loave instead of the two large ones, as we give Tsoureki to family members for Easter. My father, not having any faith in me (because I had tried so many recipes in the past), bought eight loves from a Greek bakery and payed close to $10 Canadian per loaf. The consensus of the entire family (including my father) was that of all the bread that anyone had given us or that we had purchased, this recipe was by far the best and truly reminded us all of my grandmother's bread. I must also say that I found this recipe to be virtually foolproof. This was the first time that I had attempted to make bread in years and it came out perfectly on the first try. My first cousin, who was raised in Greece even asked for the recipe so that she could pass it on to her Mother-inlaw who spent most of her adult life in Greece. Thank you Evelyn for helping helping us recover a cherished family recipe. Mary C. (Thorhill, Ontario)

From: Chef #835884

On Apr 16, 2009

this is the best recipe ever! i tried the parliaros recipe sorry but it failed and the taste was not good. evelyn thank you for this excellent recipe which i must positively praise for its clarity in directions, thank you again

From: ThatSouthernBelle

On Jan 2, 2008

Ah, I waited almost a year to make this and I really wish I had left out the Masticha. Maybe it's because I'm sick and can't taste a lot, but the Masticha was very strong and it was all I could taste. Next time I'll leave it out.