Vasilopita New Year Bread Recipes

VASILOPITA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup milk, yeast and 1/2 cup flour. Cover and let the sponge rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Place 6 cups flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the sponge, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 3/4 cup melted butter, 3 eggs and 2 cups milk. Mix thoroughly to make a stiff dough.
• Transfer the dough into a greased springform pan. Brush dough with melted butter, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 60 to 90 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash.
• When dough has risen, insert a clean silver coin into the loaf. Brush dough egg wash and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Bake in preheated oven until deep golden brown, about 40 minutes.

VASILOPITA (GREEK NEW YEAR'S BREAD)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in one cup of warmed milk with one teaspoon sugar. Allow to double in volume for 10-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir together 7 cups of flour, the salt, and the 3/4 cups sugar in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center. When the yeast has finished doubling, add to the well in flour mixture, as well as olive oil, 4 beaten eggs, the rest of the milk, and the orange zest.
• Mix with a wooden spoon until dough is smooth.
• Turn dough out on a well floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed if the dough is too sticky.
• Place in an oiled bowl, turning once to coat the top. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
• Punch dough down and divide into two portions. Knead each for a few minutes and place in two well-oiled 9-inch circular pans. Allow to rise until doubled in size for about one hour in a warm place.
• Using a very sharp knife or clean razor blade, carve decorative patterns into the top of each loaf, such as with lines radiating out from the center.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the top of each loaf with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees F and bake for another 30 minutes or until the tops of each loaf turn a deep chestnut brown.
• Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack after removing it. At this point, you can insert a clean coin into the bottom of the loaf using a toothpick or skinny knife to push it in.
• Cut into wedges and serve.

VASILOPETA (GREEK NEW YEAR'S BREAD)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, add milk and salt.
• Stir in 3 C flour, batter will be lumpy.
• Let rise in a warm place about 90 minutes till double in volume.
• Mix in sugar, eggs, yolks, butter and lemon peel.
• Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough (7-8C).
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5- 10 minutes till smooth and elastic.
• Shape into a ball and place in large greased bowl,turning to bring greased side up.
• Cover and let rise till doubled, about 60-70 minutes.
• Punch down dough and knead 1-2 minutes; let rest 10 minutes.
• Grease 2 bread pans.
• Cut dough into 2 equal pieces.
• Cut one piece into 3 equal pieces and roll each into a 15 inch cylinder.
• Braid the 3 cylinders, pinching the ends to seal.
• Tuck ends under and place in prepared pan.
• Repeat with remaining half of dough.
• Cover loaves and let rise till double in volume, about45 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350, brush top of loaves with beaten egg, and bake 45- 50 minutes till bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• If bread seems to be getting too brown after 20 minutes or so, cover them loosely with foil.
• Remove from oven and cool on wire racks 5 minutes.
• Remove loaves from pans and cool completely.

VASILOPITA (NEW YEAR BREAD)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of the milk.
• Add remainder of milk, eggs, orange rind and sugar.
• Sift 3 cups flour, salt and spices into a warm bowl and make a wellin the centre.
• Pour in yeast mixture and stir to blend in flour, gradually adding warm melted butter.
• Mix dough with hands until it comes away from sides.
• Turn on to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding remaining flour as required.
• Knead for 10 minutes.
• Place ball of dough in a clean bowl brushed with melted butter.
• Turn dough over to coat top with butter and cover bowl with a cloth or plastic wrap.
• Leave to prove (rise) in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
• Punch down and turn on to lightly floured surface.
• Knead lightly and shape into a round loaf.
• Place on a large greased baking sheet or in a greased 10 inch deep cake tin.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Glaze with well-beaten egg and arrange blanched almonds in numbers to denote the New Year, pressing in lightly.
• Bake in a moderately hot oven for 45 minutes until golden brown and cooked when tested.
• If bread browns too quickly place a piece of greased brown paper on top.
• Cool on a wire rack.

VASILOPITA (GREEK NEW YEAR'S BREAD)

Steps:

• Add the sugar, baking powder, olive oil, 1 cup of the grated cheese, and water to the large bowl of a stand mixer attached with a whisk. Whisk on low speed to combine.
• Remove the whisk and add the hook attachment to the stand mixer.
• Over medium-low speed, add the flour, one cup at a time. Knead for about 5 minutes or until you have a workable dough (it will be somewhat wet still).
• Cover the dough with a towel and set aside for now.
• Make the cinnamon mixture. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the cinnamon, sugar, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg.
• Prepare and lightly grease the bottom of a 10-inch round springform pan.
• Divide the dough into 11 equal size portions and form them into balls (you may need to flour your hands or a clean surface to help you shape the dough without sticking too much).
• On a clean lightly floured surface, working with one ball of dough at a time, use a rolling pin and roll out the dough to a thin 10-inch round. Place the first round of dough on the bottom of the prepared pan. Brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon mixture and follow with a generous sprinkle of grated romano cheese.
• Repeat with two more layers of dough. If you're adding the coin for good luck, wash it well and dry it then wrap it in a piece of foil and place it on top of layer of dough you just laid down.
• Continue shaping the dough balls into 10-inch rounds and layering the dough rounds on top of each other in the pan, making sure to brush each layer with the melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon mixture and grated cheese until the very last layer.
• Lay the last layer of dough on the very top. Combine the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of water (or milk) and whisk. Brush the last layer of dough with a little melted butter and the egg wash. Finish with a sprinkle of the sesame seeds.
• Heat the the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake on the middle rack for 1 hour and 45 minutes, until the vasilopita is a rich golden-brown. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before moving it from the baking pan to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

VASELOPITA - GREEK NEW YEARS CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 10 inch round cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light. Stir in the flour and mix until the mixture is mealy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Combine the baking powder and milk, add to the egg mixture, mix well. Then combine the lemon juice and baking soda, stir into the batter. Pour into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and sprinkle the nuts and sugar over the cake, then return it to the oven for 20 to 30 additional minutes, until cake springs back to the touch. Gently cut a small hole in the cake and place a quarter in the hole. Try to cover the hole with sugar. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate.
• Serve cake warm. Each person in the family gets a slice starting with the youngest. The person who gets the quarter in their piece, gets good luck for the whole year!