Tsoureki, Greek sweet Easter bread, rolls or muffins

The traditional Greek sweet Easter bread, tsoureki, baked in individual portions as either muffins or rolls. Made with eggs, butter, the perfect amount of sugar, and flavoured with masticha and mahlepi. The texture is light and fluffy, and the recipe is fail-proof!

Growing up Greek, Easter, or Pascha as we call it, is the biggest celebration of the year. Religion and tradition combine to make this holiday so special. We carry on the traditions today, attending church services, baking special things like koulourakia and galatopita, and preparing to host an epic Pascha gathering. Of course, one of the things that we bake, and offer to friends and family is tsoureki, the sweet Greek Easter bread flavoured with masticha and mahlepi. Here I have taken my most amazing tsoureki recipe and turned it into tsoureki rolls or muffins!

Why I love this recipe

It is based off of an amazing tsoureki recipe!

These tsoureki rolls and muffins are based off of this Mia Kouppa tsoureki recipe, which is an absolute winner! So many of you have used this recipe, and for many of you it was your first time making the sweet Greek Easter bread. Intimidation begone! With this tsoureki recipe, success is practically guaranteed!

Individual portions are easy to serve

Okay, full disclosure. Tsoureki is so good, and light and fluffy (when made well!), that it is easy to eat way too much of it in one sitting. By serving rolls or muffins, it becomes slightly easier to portion control. It is also easier to serve them this way!

Easy to make!

Traditionally tsourekia are braided into loaves, and although not super difficult, it does take some practice. If you want something even easier, then tsoureki muffins and rolls are for you! All you have to do is portion your dough, knead in your hands, and shape into balls.

Easy to share

Gifting tsourekia is a common practice at Pascha! This recipe results in about 13 individual muffins or rolls, which means that you can portion them out in many ways.

The recipe can be doubled

Need more tsoureki rolls or muffins? No worries – simply double the recipe and make twice as many!

Key ingredients

Flour To get the best result I use a high gluten content flour or all purpose flour when making my tsourekia muffins and rolls.

Active dry yeast To allow the dough to rise I use active dry yeast. Be sure to check the expiration date and do not use it if it is past that date.

Eggs I use eggs both in the dough and egg yolks to make the egg wash that I brush onto the rolls or muffins before baking. As always I use large size eggs in this recipe.

Sugar To sweeten the tsoureki muffin and rolls I add some granulated white sugar to the dough. You can always increase the amount if you prefer a sweeter bread. I like it just as it is though – sweet, but not overly so.

Butter I use unsalted butter to make my tsoureki muffins and rolls rich and flavourful.

Milk I have made this recipe using full fat and reduced fat milk (never skim though). I have also made the recipe with lactose free milk, which works out just fine.

Masticha A unique ingredient that gives so much flavour to tsoureki rolls and muffins. This comes from the resin of the mastic tree found in Chios, Greece. It is the basis of the original chewing gum!

Mahlepi Another key and unique ingredient! Mahlepi is the ground up stone of a particular type of cherry. It is nutty, very aromatic and has a unique flavour and fragrance.

Sesame seeds or slivered almonds I like to adorn my tsoureki muffins and rolls with either sesame seeds (a great option if you are worried about nut allergies) or slivered almonds. You can also go crazy and use both!

How to make

Making tsoureki is always wonderful! The smells that will fill your kitchen are out of this world! To learn how to make these super simple tsoureki muffins or rolls, simply follow these easy steps! The active time is not long – you just need to leave enough time for the dough to rise, twice 🙂

Step 1
Combine the yeast, water and sugar in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for approximately 30 minutes so that the yeast is activated.

Step 2
Meanwhile, in an electric mixer beat the sugar and butter.  When your butter-sugar mixture looks pale yellow in color and fluffy, stop mixing. This should take about 3-5 minutes.

Step 3
Add the eggs (they don’t have to be separated) one at a time, mixing well after each addition on medium high speed.  Once well combined, reduce mixer speed to medium and add the milk, mastiha and mahlepi, and finally the risen yeast mixture.  Mix until combined. 

Step 4
To this mixture add the flour, one cup at a time, and mix until just combined after each addition.  If you have a standing mixer with a bread hook attachment, you can use that for this part.  Otherwise, mix and knead your dough by hand in a large bowl. You will use about 4 cups of flour.  You should end up with a dough which is not too tough, meaning that it should be stretchy and easy to manipulate. It will be sticky.

Step 5
Once your dough is ready you must let it rise.  Keep your dough in a large bowl (remember that it will increase in size so be sure that your bowl is large enough) and cover it with a few kitchen towels to keep it warm.  

Step 6
Your dough should double in size.  Depending on the temperature of your home, this can take between 3-4 hours.   Punch your dough down to release the air. Note that the dough is very sticky!  This is normal.  You are now ready to shape your tsourekia rolls or muffins.

Step 7
Divide your dough into 100 gram pieces; you should end up with 12 – 13 portions. Knead each portion in your hands, and then roll it into a ball. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving at least 2 – 3 inches between each roll.

Step 8
Cover the rolls with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft free place, for approximately 2-3 hours.

Step 9
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 10
Once you are ready to bake your tsoureki rolls or muffins you can either transfer the portions into large muffin cups (lined with parchment paper) or leave them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Step 11
Once the tsourekia have risen, prepare your egg wash; mix together egg yolks with milk and brush carefully on top of the tsourekia.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds or sliced almonds (or both).  Place your tsourekia in the middle of the oven for 15 – 20 minutes, until golden in colour.

Step 12
Once baked, allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Baking tips

A kitchen scale is so helpful

One item that will really help you in your baking journey is a kitchen scale. Whether it is using gram measurements for your ingredients, or portioning out your dough the way you will in this recipe, a reliable kitchen scale is so helpful. I love this particular kitchen scale for a few reasons: it is easy to use, it is not expensive, it is reliable, and it is easy to store. I use it all the time!

How to activate your yeast

Mix the yeast and sugar in lukewarm water, somewhere between 100 – 110 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a way to measure the temperature, just be sure that the water is warm (not hot!) to the touch.  When I have the time, I usually place tap water in a bowl and leave it on the counter for an hour or so and that seems to work.

If, after 10 minutes or so, you don’t see bubbling or a foam like substance on the surface of your water, then it is a sign to toss your yeast. You should not continue with the baking because there is a good chance your dough won’t rise, and that will be so disappointing!

Where to find masticha and mahlepi

Both mahlepi and mastiha can be a little difficult to find, and even in Greek markets, they are often only available during the holidays.  If you cannot find these two key ingredients in shops near you, you can certainly order them online. Please note that the amounts indicated in the recipe below are for the crushed, or ground, mastiha and mahlepi.

If possible, purchase whole masticha and mahlepi

I prefer to crush and grind these special ingredients myself using either a mortar and pestle or a coffee / spice grinder. That way I ensure freshness and maximum flavour. It is also a way to make sure that your ground ingredients have not been mixed with filler, to increase volume while diluting the flavour.

Your mixture will curdle…that is fine!

At a certain point, when you are making your dough your mixture might look a little gross…kind of like curdled milk. This may occur at the point where you add the eggs and milk to your beaten butter mixture. This will happen if the eggs are a little too cold, causing the soft butter to seize up. Don’t panic, this is totally fine!

Don’t overmix the dough

Once the flour is combined with the wet ingredients, mix for the shortest time possible; just enough to bring the wet and dry mixture together. This will avoid your bread (or any baked goods) from becoming tough.

Give your dough a cozy, safe place to rise

I usually place my dough on the stovetop and turn on the overhead light from the kitchen fan; the light gives off a little bit of heat.  Otherwise, you can keep it in the oven (off, of course) to eliminate any draft you may have and to ensure that wandering children or pets don’t get to it! I always cover it with either plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.

Recipe variations

Instead of making tsoureki muffins, you can make the traditional tsoureki loaves. I like to braid mine, and sometimes I adorn the top with a red dyed egg.

Some people like to flavour their tsoureki dough with orange and / or cardamon. If you want to give this a try, I would suggest adding about 1 tablespoon of grated orange zest to your dough, and perhaps a teaspoon or two of ground cardamon.

There are also vegan versions of tsoureki available – I cannot recommend one because I have not tried any of these recipes. I am not sure how they will turn out as the egg and butter are such key ingredients in tsoureki, but maybe one day I will try one and report back!

How to store

Tsoureki rolls and muffins can remain at room temperature for several days. Any longer and I usually keep them in the refrigerator or I wrap them well and freeze them. I allow them to come to room temperature before serving, and sometimes I will heat them up a bit in the microwave.

Serving size

This recipe will make 12 – 13 tsoureki rolls or muffins, each one weighing 100 grams. It is best to use a kitchen scale to portion out your dough. I really love this kitchen scale, it works super well and is pretty inexpensive.

Related recipes

Tsoureki, Greek Easter bread (Τσουρέκι) The only recipe you will need for the classic Greek sweet Easter bread.

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Tsoureki Paximadia or Tsoureki Biscotti Turn leftover tsoureki into paximadia; perfect for coffee dunking, and will last a while!

Tsoureki and feta grilled cheese The original amazing grilled cheese sandwich!! This one took the internet by storm guys, and I hope you try it!

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