Vasilopita New Year Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of the milk.
• Add remainder of milk, eggs, orange rind and sugar.
• Sift 3 cups flour, salt and spices into a warm bowl and make a wellin the centre.
• Pour in yeast mixture and stir to blend in flour, gradually adding warm melted butter.
• Mix dough with hands until it comes away from sides.
• Turn on to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding remaining flour as required.
• Knead for 10 minutes.
• Place ball of dough in a clean bowl brushed with melted butter.
• Turn dough over to coat top with butter and cover bowl with a cloth or plastic wrap.
• Leave to prove (rise) in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
• Punch down and turn on to lightly floured surface.
• Knead lightly and shape into a round loaf.
• Place on a large greased baking sheet or in a greased 10 inch deep cake tin.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Glaze with well-beaten egg and arrange blanched almonds in numbers to denote the New Year, pressing in lightly.
• Bake in a moderately hot oven for 45 minutes until golden brown and cooked when tested.
• If bread browns too quickly place a piece of greased brown paper on top.
• Cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, add milk and salt.
• Stir in 3 C flour, batter will be lumpy.
• Let rise in a warm place about 90 minutes till double in volume.
• Mix in sugar, eggs, yolks, butter and lemon peel.
• Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough (7-8C).
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5- 10 minutes till smooth and elastic.
• Shape into a ball and place in large greased bowl,turning to bring greased side up.
• Cover and let rise till doubled, about 60-70 minutes.
• Punch down dough and knead 1-2 minutes; let rest 10 minutes.
• Grease 2 bread pans.
• Cut dough into 2 equal pieces.
• Cut one piece into 3 equal pieces and roll each into a 15 inch cylinder.
• Braid the 3 cylinders, pinching the ends to seal.
• Tuck ends under and place in prepared pan.
• Repeat with remaining half of dough.
• Cover loaves and let rise till double in volume, about45 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350, brush top of loaves with beaten egg, and bake 45- 50 minutes till bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• If bread seems to be getting too brown after 20 minutes or so, cover them loosely with foil.
• Remove from oven and cool on wire racks 5 minutes.
• Remove loaves from pans and cool completely.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup milk, yeast and 1/2 cup flour. Cover and let the sponge rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Place 6 cups flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the sponge, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 3/4 cup melted butter, 3 eggs and 2 cups milk. Mix thoroughly to make a stiff dough.
• Transfer the dough into a greased springform pan. Brush dough with melted butter, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 60 to 90 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash.
• When dough has risen, insert a clean silver coin into the loaf. Brush dough egg wash and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Bake in preheated oven until deep golden brown, about 40 minutes.