Artos - Greek Celebration Breads

July 24, 2009

Prep 1 hr 30 min Total 6 hr

Artos - Greek Celebration Breads © kvalifood.com

A versatile enriched dough used for Greek festival and holiday breads. This master formula combines wild yeast starter with commercial yeast for authentic flavor and manageable timing. Regional variations honor specific celebrations and family traditions.

Ingredients

Makes 1 large loaf (master formula)

Master Dough

200 g barm or poolish
450 g unbleached bread flour
1 tsp (.25 oz) salt
1½ tsp (.17 oz) instant yeast
1 tsp (.11 oz) ground cinnamon
¼ tsp (.03 oz) ground nutmeg
¼ tsp (.03 oz) ground allspice
¼ tsp (.03 oz) ground cloves
1 tsp (.16 oz) minced orange or lemon zest or extract
1 tsp (.16 oz) almond extract
95 g large eggs, slightly beaten
75 g honey
55 g olive oil
170 g whole or low-fat milk, lukewarm (90–100°F (32–38°C))

Optional Glaze

2 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp orange or lemon extract
1 tsp sesame seeds

Directions

Remove the measured barm from the refrigerator 1 hour before making the dough. (If using poolish, make it the day before.)

Stir together the flour, salt, yeast, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Add the barm, extracts, eggs, honey, oil, and milk. Stir together with a sturdy spoon until the dough forms a ball.

Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to it, and knead, adding more milk or flour as needed to form a soft, but not sticky, ball. The dough should be tacky and very supple. Knead for approximately 10 minutes. It should pass the windowpane test and register 77–81°F (25–27°C).

Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough, rolling it to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until doubled.

Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a boule. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with baking parchment. Mist with spray oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap.

Proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with the rack on the middle shelf. Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and registering 190°F (88°C). It should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

To make the glaze, combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the honey and extract and turn off the heat. Reheat if necessary before applying. Brush the loaf with glaze and immediately sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Notes

Authentic spices: If available, substitute mahleb (from Santa Lucia cherry pits) for the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, and ground mastic for the clove.
Wild yeast or commercial: Use barm for deeper sourdough character, or poolish for a more neutral base; fermentation and proofing times remain the same.
Christopsomos variation: Divide dough into 2 pieces (one twice as large as the other), shape the larger piece into a boule, and chill the smaller piece. Before baking, form the smaller piece into two 10-inch strands and cross them over the boule to create a decorative cross. Coil the strand ends to form the cross design.
Lambropsomo variation: Mix in ¾ cup golden raisins, ¼ cup chopped dried apricots, and ½ cup blanched slivered almonds during the final 2 minutes of kneading. Instead of shaping as a boule, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and braid. Nestle 3 hard-cooked red-dyed eggs in the spaces between the braided strands.