Christopsomo – Greek Christmas Bread

Christopsomo – Greek Christmas Bread is such a great idea. It is flavoured with star anise and mahlepi. The bread also has chopped walnuts in the dough. Together the spices and nuts make a great bread.

This recipe uses just those ingredients to give the flavour and texture to the bread. However I have seen many recipes that include dried fruits and other nuts as well. So you can adapt the recipe to your requirements. I ought, also, to say that you can use this as a template and use any spices that suit your palate. Some alternative spices that come to mind are all spice, mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Star anise has a great flavour. It usually comes in hard, star-shaped form. But for this recipe it is best ground to a powder. However if you cannot find ground star anise a great substitute is aniseed powder or the whole aniseeds. Although aniseed is from a different plant species it has many similarities to the flavours of star anise.

The bread has two doughs. The first dough is uses those nuts and spices. The second dough is a ‘dead’ dough, meaning no yeast. The second dough forms a cross over the top of the bread. On top of the bread there is usually a whole walnut in its’ shell. However I use two half walnuts. That’s only because I didn’t wish to buy a bag of whole nuts which I would never use.

Ingredients For Christopsomo

The ingredients list is fairly long but most are fairly common.

Flour – Bread flour is best for both doughs.

Water – For the main dough lukewarm water is best. For the plaiting/braiding dough cold water is fine.

Yeast – I use instant yeast but active dried yeast will also work well, as long as you activate it at the start. Fresh yeast will also be fine.

Sugar – This is not a particularly sweet bread, so the recipe has just a small amount of sugar.

Honey– Again just a little honey adds a slight sweetness.

Star Anise – Ground star anise is best. However using ground aniseed or even whole aniseeds will also work.

Mahlepi – A spice made from cherry stones, which is very popular in Greece and surrounding countries.

Olive Oil – Just a small amount in both doughs, it adds a little to the flavour profile.

Salt – to draw out the other flavours

Walnuts – chopped. These add great flavour and extra texture. A whole walnut, in the shell is usually on the top of the bread. But I use two walnut halves instead.

Egg – for an egg wash

Sesame Seeds – these are optional. For sprinkling on top of the bread.

Process for Making Christopsomo

Doughs

This isn’t a difficult recipe. It just requires making, and shaping two doughs. However it does take time since the main dough has to proof twice before baking.

It is best to use a stand mixer, if you have one, since the first dough is quite stiff and needs a good kneading. But you can do everything by hand if you wish.

For the first dough mix the water, oil, yeast, sugar and honey together. Then add in the flour, salt and spices. Knead the dough for about 8 to 12 minutes until nice and smooth. Then add in the chopped walnuts and knead to distribute throughout the dough.

Leave the dough to rise until it has doubled in size.

As that happens mix the ingredients for the second dough together and knead until smooth. Then wrap it and set is aside.

Shaping

When the first dough has risen to twice its’ size we can move on to shaping.

Firstly divide the second dough into 6 pieces form each piece into a long, thin, rope.

Form two plaits/braids using 3 ropes for each. They will have to be long enough to lay over the top of the main dough.

Deflate the first dough and then form it into a tight ball. Lay each of the dough ropes over the top, forming a cross and tucking the ends under the dough.

Place the shaped Christopsomo into a lightly greased 9 inch23 cm springform pan. You can do the bread on a baking tray instead if you wish.

Cover the shaped bread and leave it to rise for about an hour.

Then brush the top with beaten egg and sprinkle sesame seeds over if you wish.

Bake the bread, in a pre-heated oven, for about 40 minutes. Then place it on a cooling rack until completely cool.

My Christopsomo

My Christopsomo was in the oven for exactly 40 minutes. It rose well and took on a great colour.

I put it onto a wire rack and let it cool completely. Then I cut into the bread to enjoy a taste. The texture was perfect and it had an awesome flavour of anise. The choped walnuts added a great texture as well.

I like to eat mine just as it is. However I am sure it will be great, too, with some butter or cheese etc.

I can easily see why it is such a popular Christmas bread in Greece.

Another lovely Christmas bread is Norwegian Christmas Bread

Christopsomo – Greek Christmas Bread

Recipe by geoffcoo

Course: Bread, Christmas

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 675g(4 1/2 cups, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) bread flour

• 360ml(1 1/2 cups) lukewarm water

• 10g(3 tsp) instant yeast

• 25g(2 tbsp) caster sugar

• 25g(1 tbsp + 1 tsp) honey

• 10ml(2 tsp) olive oil

• 12g(4 tsp) ground star anise

• 1g(1/2 tsp) mahlepi

• 3g(1/2 tsp) salt

• 50g(1/2 cup) chopped walnuts

• 1 beaten egg, for an egg wash

• Sesame seeds to sprinkle(optional)

• 180g(1 cup + 3 tbsp, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) bread flour

• 85ml(6 tbsp minus 1 tsp) water

• 10ml(2 tsp) olive oil

• pinch of salt

Directions

• Place the water, oil, sugar, honey and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Mix them briefly to get them combined.
• Stir the mahlepi, star anise and salt into the flour.
• With the mixer on a low speed gradually add in the flour mixture until it forms a shaggy dough.
• Knead the dough on a medium speed for about 10 minutes, until the dough comes cleanly away from the bowl and is quite smooth.
• Add in the walnuts and knead until evenly distributed. I did this by hand, on my work surface.
• Form the dough into a tight ball and place it into a bowl. Then cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour, until it has doubled in size.
• Mix the water, flour, oil and salt, for the second dough, together until combined.
• Knead that dough until it is smooth.
• Wrap it in plastic wrap until the first dough has proofed.
• Divide the second dough into 6 equal pieces and form each piece into a long, thin rope(about 12 inches/30 cm).
• Take three ropes and join them together at one end, then plait/braid them together.
• Do the same with the other 3 ropes.
• Turn the first dough out onto the work surface and deflate it. Then work it back into a tight ball.
• Place the two plaited ropes over the dough to form a cross, tucking the ends under the dough.
• Place the shaped Christopsomo into a greased(I lined the bottom too) 9inch/23cm springform pan. You can place it on a baking tray instead if you wish.
• Cover the dough and leave it to rise again, for one hour.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/390F.
• Brush the top of the Christopsomo with beaten egg and sprinkle sesame seeds on the top.
• Bake the Christopsomo for 40 minutes.
• Remove it from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.