Sweet Christmas bread is a traditional Greek cake served over Christmas and New Year. A coin is inserted into the base of the cake, indicating good luck for the person receiving the slice with the coin.
Sweet christmas bread
Ingredients
- 600g cake flour
- 2 x 10g instant dry yeast
- 190ml warm milk
- 4 eggs
- pinch of salt
- 140g sugar
- rind of 2 lemons
- 120g butter, melted
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- sesame seeds, to sprinkle
Instructions
Put 240g of the flour in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with the yeast. Pour in the milk and beat until smooth. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour.
Beat the eggs, salt, sugar and lemon rind in a pot over boiling water until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.
Pour the egg mixture into the flour and stir to combine. Add the remaining flour and knead, gradually adding the butter, until smooth and elastic. Cover and rest in a warm place until double in size, about 2 hours.
Knead again and put into a 24cm springform baking tin. Cover and rest in a warm place until double in size again. Brush with the egg and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for 45 minutes.
Serve sliced with a bottle of cold bubbly.
