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Choereg (Armenian Easter Bread)

"Ok...so my mother would just kill me if she knew I made our family recipe for Choereg public. But my policy is 'why keep a good thing to myself'. Choereg is a traditional, slightly sweet bread, especially made for Easter. It is delicious for breakfast with a nice cup of coffee.

It takes some level of skill, but anyone used to handling yeast should not have a problem. You can find Mahleb at Middle Eastern grocery stores, especially around Easter. It will be with the spices. Please do not omit it, as this is what gives it its distinctive flavour and aroma."

Cook Time:
25 Min
Ready In:
6 Hrs 25 Min
Servings  


Original Recipe Yield 5 loaves
 
Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
5 eggs
6 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons ground mahleb
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, butter and margarine. Heat until butter and margarine are melted, but do not let it boil. Stir in 1 cup of sugar until dissolved, then set aside to cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dissolve 2 teaspoons of sugar in warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface, and let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl, and stir a little to break up the yolks. Slowly pour in the heated milk mixture while whisking constantly, so as to temper the eggs and not cook them. Add the yeast mixture, and stir just until blended.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, mahleb, and salt. Make a well in the centre, and pour in the wet mixture. Stir until it forms a sticky dough. Pour onto a floured surface, and knead in additional flour as needed to make a more substantial dough. Knead for about 10 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, and set in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

When the dough has doubled, punch down again, and let rise until doubled. It will only take about half as long this time.

Separate the dough into 5 even portions and then separate each of those into thirds. Roll each of those into ropes about 12 inches long. Braid sets of three ropes together, pinching the ends to seal, and tucking them under for a better presentation. Place the loaves onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Loaves should be spaced 4 inches apart. Set in a warm place to rise until your finger leaves an impression behind when you poke the loaf gently.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush the loaves with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until nicely golden brown all over.
Footnotes

Hint
You may preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) while mixing, and then turn it off and let it cool down to about 100 degrees. Place your dough in there to proof with the oven light on, and it will rise much faster.

Amount per Serving Calories: 249 | Total Fat: 13.8g | Cholesterol: 60mg
Choereg (Armenian Easter Bread)
Servings per Recipe: 30

Comments reveived by our member;

This recipe was wonderful and easy to follow. I used all butter instead of half butter and half margarine. My husband requested I make this as his grandmother is Armenian and many of his Aunts make it in smaller loaves than this recipe calls for to hold their boiled eggs in on the Easter table.

As he requested it a bit late I did an online search and found this. My husband said it tasted just like he remembered. As the recipe says, DO NOT omit the Mahleb! It may be hard to find but it does make the recipe perfect. Also, using the same braiding technique mentioned on smaller sections of dough and connecting the ends to form a small circle produces a lovely "egg cup." when you do this the same cooking time applies.

Thank you bunches for sharing your mother's recipe. I'm sure she won't be upset once she learns that it has received so many stars ;) WHERE TO PURCHASE MAHLEB: you can purchase it on-line by going to The Spice House. (Ani is registered with them.) TIPS by D McM from Toronto: Use mahleb in similar quantity to how you use nutmeg in any bread or pastry recipe. Mahleb does wonders when added to the dough of shortbread, pound cake, pie crusts and waffles.
 

Ani, God Bless you for sharing this coveted recipe! I lost my grandmother's recipe for choereg :( No doubt I was thrilled to find this, which turned out as good as I remember grandmas. I had to use about 8 cups of flour for this recipe, and instead of the butter/margarine combo, I used all butter and the result was superb! Thanks again for sharing. 
  
... This is a great recipe. Only problem was the dough was too soupy, I had to add about 1 to 2 cups of flour (to the halved recipe)