Vasilopita

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Servings: 1 Difficulty: Advanced
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Traditional Greek sweet bread with orange, cinnamon, and mastiha for New Year celebrations
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This traditional Greek Vasilopita is a rich, aromatic sweet bread essential for New Year’s Eve celebrations. Infused with warm cinnamon and delicate mastiha, it features a soft, tender crumb and a golden, glossy crust. The dough is enriched with melted butter and eggs, creating a luxurious texture that pairs beautifully with coffee or tea. Traditionally baked with a hidden coin, the person who finds it in their slice is said to have luck in the coming year. While it requires patience for rising, the result is a fragrant, comforting loaf that brings family together. Serve it fresh from the oven or stored for a few days, as the flavors deepen with time. This recipe captures the authentic taste of Greek holidays, making it a memorable centerpiece for your festive table.

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Vasilopita

Author: chefs-mate Cooking Method: Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Advanced
Servings: 1 Calories: 1473.7

Description

This traditional Greek Vasilopita is a rich, aromatic sweet bread essential for New Year's Eve celebrations. Infused with warm cinnamon and delicate mastiha, it features a soft, tender crumb and a golden, glossy crust. The dough is enriched with melted butter and eggs, creating a luxurious texture that pairs beautifully with coffee or tea. Traditionally baked with a hidden coin, the person who finds it in their slice is said to have luck in the coming year. While it requires patience for rising, the result is a fragrant, comforting loaf that brings family together. Serve it fresh from the oven or stored for a few days, as the flavors deepen with time. This recipe captures the authentic taste of Greek holidays, making it a memorable centerpiece for your festive table.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Dissolve the active dry yeast in 1/4 cup of the lukewarm milk.
  2. Add the remaining milk, beaten eggs, grated orange rind, and caster sugar to the yeast mixture.
  3. Sift 3 cups of plain flour, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground masticha into a large warm bowl.
  4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yeast mixture.
  5. Stir to blend in the flour, gradually adding the warm melted butter until a dough forms.
  6. Mix the dough with your hands until it comes away from the sides of the bowl.
  7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding the remaining flour as needed.
  8. Knead for 10 minutes to develop the gluten.
  9. Place the ball of dough in a clean bowl brushed with a little melted butter.
  10. Turn the dough over to coat the top with butter and cover the bowl with a cloth or plastic wrap.
  11. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
  12. Punch down the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface.
  13. Knead lightly and shape into a round loaf.
  14. Place the loaf on a large greased baking sheet or in a greased 25 cm (10 inch) deep cake tin.
  15. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled again, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  16. Glaze the top with the well-beaten egg reserved for glazing.
  17. Arrange blanched almonds on top to denote the New Year (e.g., 2024), pressing them in lightly.
  18. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 45 minutes until golden brown and cooked through when tested.
  19. If the bread browns too quickly, place a piece of greased brown paper on top.
  20. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 1

Amount Per Serving
Calories 1473.7kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 28.3g44%
Saturated Fat 16.3g82%
Cholesterol 65.7mg22%
Sodium 1568.2mg66%
Total Carbohydrate 269.3g90%
Dietary Fiber 9.2g37%
Sugars 48.4g
Protein 31.4g63%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

Tradition dictates that a clean coin is inserted into the dough before baking (or carefully inserted after baking through a slit in the base) so that the person who finds it in their slice has luck in the New Year. Ensure the coin is food-safe if baking it inside.

Masticha (mastic) is a resin from the mastic tree, native to the Greek island of Chios. It provides a unique pine-like, slightly sweet flavor. If unavailable, you can omit it or use a tiny pinch of mastic gum ground into powder.

Store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen for longer storage.

Keywords: vasilopita, greek bread, new year, mastiha, cinnamon, orange zest, yeast, sweet bread, holiday baking, traditional, enriched dough, coin bread, christmas, january 1st, st. basil, almonds, glazed, festive, homemade, aromatic
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