Greek New Year’s Sweet Bread (Vasilopita) is a traditional Greek bread prepared and enjoyed to celebrate the New Year. Hidden inside the bread is a coin wrapped in foil and the family member who is fortunate enough to receive the coin in their slice is said to have good luck for the rest of the year.
Author: Nectaria
Servings: 8 people
INGREDIENTS
500 gr./17.63 oz. bread flour
180 gr. / 6.34 oz. granulated sugar
50 gr./1.76 oz. butter, room temperature
50 gr./ 1.76 oz. goat butter, room temperature
2 eggs, bitten (1 ½ for the dough and ½ for brushing the loaf)
200 gr./ 7.05 oz. milk, divided
2x 9gr envelopes dry yeast
zest from one orange
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mahleb, powder
½ teaspoon mastic
½ teaspoon cardamom, powder
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
30 gr./ 1.05 oz. slivered, almonds for decoration
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the starter
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 100gr./ 3.52 oz. of the half milk, dry yeast and 100 gr./ 3.52 oz. of the flour. Mix with the hook attachment in low speed for two minutes. Cover the dough, in the mixer bowl with a plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
To make the bread
Beat the mastic, mahleb, cardamom and 40 gr./ 1.41 oz. of the sugar in a food processor, until all of the aromatics are finely ground. Add the rest of the sugar and beat again.
Combine the rest of the milk, sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan. Place the saucepan over low heat and bring the mixture to 35℃ (if you don’t have a thermometer make sure to leave the saucepan on heat until mixture become warm). Remove the saucepan from the heat, add 1 ½ of the eggs and mix well.
Transfer milk-egg mixture in the bowl with the starter, add flour and knead the dough with the hook attachment in low speed for 2 minutes. Add butter, goat butter increase speed to the next level and knead until dough firms up into a mass around the hook (it should still be sticking to the bottom of the bowl), 8–10 minutes.
When done, place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
Gently deflate the dough and shape it into a round loaf. Place the loaf on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour.
Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 150°C / 302°F.
Brush the ½ remaining bitten egg over the loaf, decorate with slivered almonds and bake for about 45 minutes.
When ready, remove from oven and allow to cool. If you would like to follow the Greek tradition, wrap a coin with aluminum foil and place it somewhere in the bottom of the loaf.
If you wish decorate with marzipan, powdered sugar or melted chocolate.