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Christopsomo (Traditional Greek Christmas Bread) baked with braids and whole walnuts

Greek christmas bread

Kastra Recipes Staff
Greek Christmas bread with walnuts a honey glaze
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Course BREAD
Cuisine Greek
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

STARTER DOUGH

  • 25 gr fresh yeast
  • 100 gr bread flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 110 gr lukewarm water

FOR THE BREAD

  • 400 gr hard flour
  • 100 gr sugar
  • 35 gr olive oil
  • 1,5 gr mastic ground
  • 1/8 tsp clove ground
  • 1/2 tsp anise ground or seed
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 150 gr orange juice
  • 100  gr walnuts chopped
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1 cup dried fruit, small pieces optional

FOR THE BRAID DECORATION

  • 120  gr luke warm water
  • 20 gr olive oil
  • 250 gr all purpose flour
  • 5 whole walnut with shell
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg for the brushing

FOR THE GLAZE

  • 1 1/2 tbsp honey
  • 30 gr water

Instructions
 

Prepare the yeast

  • Place the yeast along with the warm water, 1 tbsp of sugar and the flour in a bowl. Mix well to dissolve the fresh yeast and sugar.
  • Cover bowl with membrane and put in the oven. We need a bit of warmth to activate the yeast. Turn on the oven to 100 c and count for 30-40 seconds, then shut it off completely. This will alllow the yeast to rise.

Making the bread

  • While waiting for the yeast to rise, grind the mastic with all the spices and sugar in a food processor. Pour them into the flour.
  • Sift the flour mixture into the bowl of a mixer. This is to add air to the flour, the result will be nice. Add the yeast mixture to the bowl along with olive oil and the lukewarm orange juice. Knead with the mixer for 15 minutes at low speed.
  • Once it is well kneaded, close the mixer. Add in the walnuts and raisins and knead them in by hand. Cover the bowl with membrane. We turn our oven into a proofing box, and we let our dough rise for 1-2 hours.

Preparing the braid decoration

  • While the dough is rising, go ahead and make the 2nd dough for the decoration and in a bowl add the all purpose flour, sugar, olive oil and water and mix until it becomes a dough. After it is done, wrap it with membrane and set aside.

Prepare for baking the bread

  • After 2 hours, take a 30 cm round pan and grease the bottom and sides with olive oil. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan, then oil it. This will allow for very easy removal once bread is cooked..
  • Take the dough, place into the greased pan, and shape it to fit the pan.
  • Prepare the braid to make the cross. Split up the braid dough into six pieces, roll it out into thin strips and make a 2 long braids. Use the braid to make a cross on top of the bread before baking. These will not have any glaze on top.
  • We decorate in any way we desire. Here, we are following an old tradition by placeing a whole walnut the the four stations of the cross and in the middle. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.
  • When dough has swollen to the point it is ready to bake, glaze the bread without placing any glaze on the cross. Sprinkle glazed area with sesame seeds.
  • Bake it in a preheated oven for 30 minutes at 180c. After it is cooked, let it cool down for a while. To release moisture from the bottom, flip the pan over and remove the bread. Place bread on a wire rack.
Keyword greek chrst bread