Tsoureki, Greek Easter sweet bread filled with chocolate

A sweet bread with a twist and a rich taste of chocolate, that is served on Greek Orthodox Christian Easter!

Ingredients

• For the yeast batter:
• 80 g water at room temperature
• 11 g dried active yeast
• 10 g granulated sugar
• 40 g bread flour
• For the dough:
• 30 g orange peel (use a peeler to peel the orange, not a zester which will extract only the zest)
• 130 g granulated sugar
• 70 g milk, lukewarm
• 2 large eggs
• 460 g strong flour
• ½ tsp mastic
• ½ tsp mahleb seeds
• ½ tsp salt
• 125 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• For the filling:
• 150 g dark chocolate (about 40-50% cocoa solids)
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 30 g granulated sugar
• 50 g Nutella
• For the top before baking:
• 1 egg
• Sliced almonds (optional)

Directions

1. Method:
2. 1. Make the yeast batter: In a stand mixer bowl, pour in the water and sprinkle over the yeast. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Add the sugar and flour. Whisk again to combine. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let it stand for 10-15 minutes. During this time the mixture will have bubbles on the surface and it will rise. If it doesn’t, your yeast is not “working” and you should start over.
3. 2. Make the dough: Place bowl with yeasted batter on mixer and adjust the dough hook. Add lukewarm milk, eggs, flour, mastic, mahleb, salt and knead at medium-low speed for 10 minutes. Start adding the butter piece by piece. Knead 10-15 minutes more. Check the dough by pulling it. It should be soft and stretchy.
4. 3. Transfer dough in a buttered bowl. Cover and let it rise at a warm place for 2-3 hours until double in size.
5. 4. To make the filling, melt chocolate and butter over low heat stirring constantly until smooth. Add cocoa powder, sugar and Nutella. Mix to combine. Mixture will be thick-ish.
6. 5. Roll the risen dough into a 40 x 50 rectangle. Spread with the chocolate mixture and roll into a log, starting from the 50 cm side. Cut in half lengthwise using a pastry cutter. Twist the two pieces together and join into a circle. Place into a paper lined 26 cm pan. Cover with a tea towel for 30 minutes. In the meantime, pre-heat oven to 160 C fan.
7. 6. After 30 minutes, brush the entire surface of the tsoureki with beaten egg, and then add if you like sliced almonds.Transfer in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Cool before cutting.
8. .