Preparation:
- For the sourdough starter, add in a bowl the OLYMPOS Milk of Life 3.7% fat, the fresh yeast, the sugar, and the special flour for tsoureki, and mix very well so that the mixture does not form lumps.
- Turn on the oven at 30° Celsius for 1 minute, then turn it off and let the sourdough starter rest until it doubles in size.
- In a food processor, add the mastic (4 tears), kakoule, mahleb, salt, 3 tbsp sugar from the 300 g sugar and beat very well.
- Once they become a powder, pour them into a bowl.
- Add the OLYMPOS Natural Orange Juice, the remaining sugar, the eggs, the sourdough starter, and the liquid vanilla, and mix very well.
- Slowly add the special flour for tsoureki and mix until you have a pliable dough.
- Melt the OLYMPOS Cow Milk Butter and slowly incorporate it into the dough.
- Cover and allow the dough to rest until it doubles in size.
- Divide the dough into 9 balls of 180 g each
- Cover them with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
- Roll out the balls and shape them into strips one by one and form a braid with 3 strips at a time for each tsoureki.
- After rolling the balls and shaping the third and the filled tsoureki into strips, press the strips and roll out them with the rolling pin and with a piping bag fill each strip with the praline chocolate and close it carefully.
- Form into a braid and place them next to each other in a 25×30 cm baking pan.
- Cover with a plastic wrap and let them rest until they double in size.
- Brush them with egg wash (egg diluted with 1 tbsp of milk) and sprinkle with sesame seeds and almond slivers.
Good luck!!!