Tsoureki is a sweet bread we Greeks make for Easter. It is traditionally not vegan (has milk, lots of eggs and butter), but here of course, we'll make a vegan version of it!I wish you all a Happy Easter if you're celebrating this weekend, and Happy Greek Easter for next weekend for my Orthodox friends!INGREDIENTSFor the Yeast mixture:- 2/3 cup warm water- 2 dry yeasts - 1 tsp sugar- 1 tsp flowerMix all that, cover it up with a plastic membrane until bubbly For the spice mixture:Grind in the food processor- 1/2 tsp mastic (resin from mastic tree, found mainly in Greek shops)- 1/2 tsp mahlep (spice found in Turkish or Greek shops)- 1 tbsp sugarThen in a large bowl, mix together- 1/2 cup margarine or other oil with neutral smell- 1 cup orange juice- 1/4 tsp vanilla- 1/4 tsp cardamom (optional)- 1 cup sugar- 1 cup flourThen add the activated yeast and keep adding gradually the rest of the flour, so another- 3-4 cups of flour until you get a soft, non sticky dough.Leave the dough in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours (until it doubles its volume)Knead the dough again and separate it in half. Shape a thick and long macaroni with each half. Shape the tsoureki to the desired shape. Ideally, cover them and let them sit for another 30 minutes.Brush them with a mixture of:- 3 tbsp water- 1 tbsp maple syrup/ maple puree/ date syrupGarnish them with:- Sesame seeds or almond slicesBake in a preheated oven, 350 degrees Fahrenheit/ 180 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes (or until golden brown)Store them in a closed container in room temperature. They last at lest one week.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahlebhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastic_(plant_resin)
