Many Greek traditions center around baking, and few are more deeply ingrained in Greek culture than the Christmas Bread, Christopsomo, literally Christ's bread.
This loaf is traditionally baked using the most expensive ingredients and served on Christmas Eve when the head of the household blesses the loaf and each person at the table gets a slice, drizzled with honey. Each region of Greece has its own variation, although it is customarily decorated with a cross wherever it is made.
Ingredients:
- 4 ½ C. All-Purpose Flour
- 2 ¼ C. Sugar
- 3 Tbsp. Cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. Ground Anise
- 2 tsp. Ground Cloves
- 3 Navel Oranges
- 6 Tangerines
- 2 Tbsp. Toasted Pine Nuts, Chopped
- 2 ½ C. Dried Currants
- 1 C. Golden Raisins
- 1 C. Olive Oil
- 4 Packets Dry Yeast
- ½ tsp. Sugar
- ½ C. Warm, but not Hot Water
- 4 C. all-purpose Flour
Soak the Fruit
Squeeze some of the oranges and tangerines to make ¾ c. juice. Soak the currants and raisins in the juice overnight, covered in the refrigerator.
Prepare the Aromatic Flour
Combine the 4 ½ C. flour, sugar, cinnamon, anise, cloves, and pine nuts in a large bowl. Add zest from some of the oranges and tangerines. Squeeze another ¾ c juice and combine with the olive oil in a small saucepan. Heat until very hot, but not boiling. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and combine. Set aside.
Make the Dough
Squeeze 2/3 C. more juice into a small saucepan and warm it, gently. Combine the dried yeast, ½ tsp. sugar, and water. Wait about ten minutes. Put the 4 C. flour in a bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour. If the yeast is bubbling (which means it’s alive and working), add the yeast mixture to the well in the flour. Add the warmed juice. Work the mixture into a smooth dough, adding more juice if necessary. Turn the dough out into a greased bowl, cover with a linen towel, and leave to rise in a warm place until the dough is almost doubled. This should take about an hour.
After an hour, punch down the dough. Combine the reserved raisins and currants with the flour and spice mixture. Combine with the yeast dough. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into oiled three loaf pans. Cover the loaf pans with the cloth and let rise another hour, until doubled again. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the Bread
Bake the loaves for 1 hour 10 minutes or until the loaves are brown. Cool on a rack.
Loaves will keep for at least three weeks. Makes three loaves.
