MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread)
 Categories: Greek, Easter, Sweetbread
      Yield: 5 Buns
 
MMMMM---------------------------BREAD--------------------------------
    500 g  Bread flour (4 c +3 tb)
     18 g  Dry yeast (2 tb)
    180 g  Sugar (1 c)
      4 md Eggs
    100 g  Butter (7 tb)
     75 ml Milk, water, or orange juice
           - (5 tb)
      1    Orange; zest of
      5 g  Mastica (3/16 oz)
      5 g  Mahlepi (3/16 oz)
      2 g  Green cardamom (1/16 oz)

MMMMM--------------------------EGG WASH-------------------------------
      1    Egg
      1 pn Salt
      1 pn Sugar
      1 tb Orange juice (approximate);
           - fresh

MMMMM------------------------EGG FILLING-----------------------------
      5    White eggs
    500 ml Water (2 c +2 tb)
     60 ml Vinegar (4 tb)
     28 g  Red food dye paste (1 oz)
      2 tb Vegetable oil; or as needed
 
  Tools:
  
  * Zester/microplane
  * Basting brush
  * Parchment paper
  * Mortar and pestle, or a food processor
  * Kitchen scale
  
  Before starting, grind any of the spices that aren't already ground;
  you can do this in a food processor, or with a mortar and pestle. If
  you need to grind the mastica, place it in the freezer with the
  mortar and pestle until both are cold, and it will be much easier to
  grind. If you're using a food processor, add 1 tb sugar with the
  spices.
  
  All of the ingredients (besides the mastica) should be room
  temperature--too cold will slow the yeast, while too hot could kill
  the yeast.
  
  Zest the orange.
  
  In a saucepan or microwave, heat the milk until just lukewarm.
  
  Immediately afterwards, pour it into the mixer bowl, and add the
  yeast, 1 ts sugar, and 50 g flour (6 tb +2 ts).
  
  Mix it with a wire whisk or fork until it becomes a paste, and leave
  it at room temperature for 15 minutes to rise.
  
  In a separate bowl, mix the mahlepi, mastica, cardamom.
  
  Melt the butter, and mix together the remaining sugar, 4 eggs, and
  powdered spice mixture.
  
  Make sure this mixture is lukewarm, rather than hot, as you risk
  cooking the eggs or killing the yeast.
  
  After at least 15 minutes have passed and the yeast has risen, pour
  the mixture of the butter, etc., into the activated yeast, and then
  add the rest of the flour and the orange zest.
  
  If you're using a stand mixer, mix with the dough hook for about
       10    minutes, on medium speed.
  
  If you're mixing by hand, add everything but the flour and stir it
  together, then gradually stir in the flour until the dough becomes too
  thick to stir. Then, add the remaining flour and knead it together by
  hand for 10 minutes.
  
  Cover the dough with a damp towel, and let it rise for about 2 hours
  in a warm place; it should triple in size.
  
  It's also possible to make the dough at night and let it rise the
  first time in the refrigerator, overnight.
  
  While the dough rises, make the dyed eggs by heating the water and
  boiling the eggs for about 4 minutes; then turn off the heat, and,
  when it has cooled a little, add the red dye and vinegar; let the
  eggs soak in the dye for 20 to 30 minutes.
  
  Rinse the eggs off a little, and then when they're dry, polish them
  with a little oil to make them shinier.
  
  continued in part 2
 
MMMMM