Greek Vasilopita - New Year's Bread

5 from 1 vote

Greek Vasilopita - New Year's Bread

Vasilopita is a very soft, airy, and buttery sweet bread. With delicious aromas of orange, vanilla, Mastic, and Mahlep. With a hidden coin inside for New Year's luck.

Prep Time45

Cook Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: bread

Servings:

Calories: 332kcal

Equipment

8-inch Springform tin

Ingredients

570 grams (4⅔ cups) bread flour
120 grams (1 stick + 1tsp) butter
50 ml milk
140 grams (⅔ cup) sugar
3 medium-sized eggs lightly beaten
18 grams (2 tablespoons) dry yeast
60 ml lukewarm water
1 orange zested
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ teaspoon Mastiha powder or ½ teaspoon Mastiha tears
2 teaspoons Mahlep powder may use Cardamom or Anise instead
coin

To Decorate On Top:

1 egg white
white sesame seeds
black sesame seeds or poppy seeds
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

Heat the milk, sugar, butter, orange zest, vanilla, Mahlep, and Mastiha (if using tears see Notes below) in a saucepan over low heat. Just until the sugar and butter melt. Then set aside to cool.
Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water.
Add both mixtures together with the eggs to the bowl of your electric mixer with the hook attachment on. Start beating over low speed.
Gradually incorporate the flour. Keep beating until you get a stretchy and elastic dough (about 10-15 minutes).
Place dough in an oil-greased bowl and cover with a dampened tea towel.
Turn on the oven to 100°C / 210°F fan for 2 minutes. Then turn it off and place the bowl inside.
Let the dough rise inside the warm oven until doubled in size. For about 1½ to 2 hours.
Press the dough down to remove the air. Then transfer the dough to a working surface and shape it into a round ball first then flatten it to a disk shape. Press the coin underneath to insert it into the dough.
Add the dough to a round 8-inch (20 cm) Springform tin greased with butter.
Allow the dough to rise until doubled again. You may place it back in the oven.
Remove the pan from the oven once the dough has doubled in size again.
Preheat oven to 170°C / 340°F.
Make the egg wash. Mix the egg white with one tablespoon of water.
Brush the top of the dough with the egg white. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until nicely browned all over.
Make the glaze. Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter together with the 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Pour it all over the Vasilopita.
Cool. Place the cake pan on a cooling rack then allow the Vasilopita to cool inside the pan before removing.
Cut and serve when the Vasilopita has cooled down to room temperature.

Notes

If using Mastiha (Mastic) tears take 2 tablespoons of the sugar and pulse together in a small food processor until the tears are turned into powder. You can also grind the tears using a pestle and mortar, again together with sugar so it won't stick.

Nutrition