Choreg is a traditional bread baked for Easter. It is made with a spice called Mahleb. This year I baked Choreg without Mahleb, but added a few other ingredients to make it flavorful and mouthwatering like croissant.
Makes 6-10 traditional Choregs
Ingredients: (Traditional recipe)
450 grams Butter at room temperature (Kerrygold or Pasture butter)
100 grams Cane sugar
1 cup Whole milk (I used whole milk from grass-fed cows)
4 teaspoons Active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons = 1 package Instant dry yeast)
1 cup Water (lukewarm)
2 teaspoons Cane sugar
3 Eggs (organic with orange egg yolks)
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1100 grams Unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
1/2 cup Raisins (organic unsulfured) - optional
Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top - optional
1 teaspoon Coconut oil
1 Egg yolk, beaten to brush Choregs before baking (dilute with few drops of water for more even color result. I tried both with plain egg yolk /first picture/ and diluted with some water /last picture/)
Ingredients: (Whole wheat flour recipe, low in sugar and in fat)
50 grams Butter at room temperature (Kerrygold or Pasture butter)
1 cup Whole milk (I used whole milk from grass-fed cows)
4 teaspoons Active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons = 1 package Instant dry yeast)
1 cup Water (lukewarm)
2 teaspoons Cane sugar
3 Eggs (organic with orange egg yolks)
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
500 grams Unbleached all purpose flour
400 grams Whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
1/2 cup Raisins (organic unsulfured) - optional
Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top - optional
1 teaspoon Coconut oil
Directions:
Start with the first group of ingredients by placing a cup of milk, butter and cane sugar in a saucepan and simmering on low heat and stirring occasionally to help butter and sugar dissolve. In the meantime, place 2 teaspoons of sugar and 4 teaspoons of yeast in a container with 1 cup of lukewarm water, cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until yeast dissolves and starts to rise.
Mix 3 eggs with a fork or whisk with 1 teaspoon of salt in a large container (I use KitchenAid mixer bowl). When butter, milk, and sugar mixture is ready, pour it on top of mixed eggs while whisking lightly. Then add yeast mixture and cinnamon powder. Gradually add flour while kneading the dough by using a mixer (at Speed 1) or by hand. Sprinkle raisins on top and mix one more time.
Scrape the dough from the sides of the container and oil the surface with coconut oil. It will help to keep the dough from drying and will make it easier to remove from the container after rising. Cover it with a plastic wrap or kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubling in size.
After 2 hours dough has doubled (almost tripled in my case) in size.
Carefully roll the dough onto the working surface. Divide into pieces and braid into loaves or rounds etc. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Let rest for 30-40 minutes, allowing to rise a little more. Brush with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).
Bake for 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven at 350F/180C. Let it cool before serving and storing in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.
Happy Baking!
Makes 6-10 traditional Choregs
Ingredients: (Traditional recipe)
450 grams Butter at room temperature (Kerrygold or Pasture butter)
100 grams Cane sugar
1 cup Whole milk (I used whole milk from grass-fed cows)
4 teaspoons Active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons = 1 package Instant dry yeast)
1 cup Water (lukewarm)
2 teaspoons Cane sugar
3 Eggs (organic with orange egg yolks)
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1100 grams Unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
1/2 cup Raisins (organic unsulfured) - optional
Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top - optional
1 teaspoon Coconut oil
1 Egg yolk, beaten to brush Choregs before baking (dilute with few drops of water for more even color result. I tried both with plain egg yolk /first picture/ and diluted with some water /last picture/)
Ingredients: (Whole wheat flour recipe, low in sugar and in fat)
50 grams Butter at room temperature (Kerrygold or Pasture butter)
1 cup Whole milk (I used whole milk from grass-fed cows)
4 teaspoons Active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons = 1 package Instant dry yeast)
1 cup Water (lukewarm)
2 teaspoons Cane sugar
3 Eggs (organic with orange egg yolks)
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
500 grams Unbleached all purpose flour
400 grams Whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
1/2 cup Raisins (organic unsulfured) - optional
Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top - optional
1 teaspoon Coconut oil
Directions:
Start with the first group of ingredients by placing a cup of milk, butter and cane sugar in a saucepan and simmering on low heat and stirring occasionally to help butter and sugar dissolve. In the meantime, place 2 teaspoons of sugar and 4 teaspoons of yeast in a container with 1 cup of lukewarm water, cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until yeast dissolves and starts to rise.
Mix 3 eggs with a fork or whisk with 1 teaspoon of salt in a large container (I use KitchenAid mixer bowl). When butter, milk, and sugar mixture is ready, pour it on top of mixed eggs while whisking lightly. Then add yeast mixture and cinnamon powder. Gradually add flour while kneading the dough by using a mixer (at Speed 1) or by hand. Sprinkle raisins on top and mix one more time.
Scrape the dough from the sides of the container and oil the surface with coconut oil. It will help to keep the dough from drying and will make it easier to remove from the container after rising. Cover it with a plastic wrap or kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubling in size.
Carefully roll the dough onto the working surface. Divide into pieces and braid into loaves or rounds etc. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Let rest for 30-40 minutes, allowing to rise a little more. Brush with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).
Bake for 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven at 350F/180C. Let it cool before serving and storing in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.
Happy Baking!
