READY IN 6+ hrs

Choereg (Armenian Easter Bread)

Read Reviews (39)

"Ok...so my mother would just kill me if she knew I made our family recipe for Choereg public. But my policy is 'why keep a good thing to myself'. Choereg is a traditional, slightly sweet bread, especially made for Easter. It is delicious for breakfast with a nice cup of coffee. It takes some level of skill, but anyone used to handling yeast should not have a problem. You can find Mahleb at Middle Eastern grocery stores, especially around Easter. It will be with the spices. Please do not omit it, as this is what gives it its distinctive flavour and aroma." — Ani

Directions

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, butter and margarine. Heat until butter and margarine are melted, but do not let it boil. Stir in 1 cup of sugar until dissolved, then set aside to cool to lukewarm.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dissolve 2 teaspoons of sugar in warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface, and let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl, and stir a little to break up the yolks. Slowly pour in the heated milk mixture while whisking constantly, so as to temper the eggs and not cook them. Add the yeast mixture, and stir just until blended.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, mahleb, and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the wet mixture. Stir until it forms a sticky dough. Pour onto a floured surface, and knead in additional flour as needed to make a more substantial dough. Knead for about 10 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, and set in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
When the dough has doubled, punch down again, and let rise until doubled. It will only take about half as long this time.
Separate the dough into 5 even portions, then separate each of those into thirds. Roll each of those into ropes about 12 inches long. Braid sets of three ropes together, pinching the ends to seal, and tucking them under for a better presentation. Place the loaves onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Loaves should be spaced 4 inches apart. Set in a warm place to rise until your finger leaves an impression behind when you poke the loaf gently.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush the loaves with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until nicely golden brown all over.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 6 hrs
COOK 25 mins
READY IN 6 hrs 25 mins

Footnotes

Hint
You may preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) while mixing, and then turn it off and let it cool down to about 100 degrees. Place your dough in there to proof with the oven light on, and it will rise much faster.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Apr 08, 2007

Ani, God Bless you for sharing this coveted recipe! I lost my grandmother's recipe for choereg :( No doubt I was thrilled to find this, which turned out as good as I remember grandma's. I had to use about 8 cups of flour for this recipe, and instead of the butter/margarine combo, I used all butter and the result was superb! Thanks again for sharing.

—Suzie

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Apr 24, 2011

When it comes to baking my cooking skills drop considerably so I may have done something wrong. I had to add almost 3 cups of flour because the dough was not a dough but the consistency of thin oatmeal you would have for breakfast. It was about right then but of course it was a little heavy then. I have not tasted it yet but I bet it will taste ok but it will not be lite and/or fluffy.

—StevenofDallas

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44 Ratings

Apr 16, 2008

This recipe was wonderful and easy to follow. I used all butter instead of half butter and half margarine. My husband requested I make this as his grandmother is Armenian and many of his Aunts make it in smaller loaves than this recipe calls for to hold their boiled eggs in on the Easter table. As he requested it a bit late I did an online search and found this. My husband said it tasted just like he remembered. As the recipe says, DO NOT omit the Mahleb! It may be hard to find but it does make the recipe perfect. Also, using the same braiding technique mentioned on smaller sections of dough and connecting the ends to form a small circle produces a lovely "egg cup." when you do this the same cooking time applies.

—Michelle Rudd

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Sep 12, 2008

Thank you bunches for sharing your mother's recipe. I'm sure she won't be upset once she learns that it has received so many stars ; ) WHERE TO PURCHASE MAHLEB: you can purchase it on-line by going to The Spice House. (Ani is registered with them.) TIPS by D McM from Toronto: Use mahleb in similar quantity to how you use nutmeg in any bread or pastry recipe. Mahleb does wonders when added to the dough of shortbread, pound cake, pie crusts and waffles.

—CYBERGIFTS

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Apr 16, 2006

Ani's mother would probabably kill her for divulging the formula... my grandmother never wrote them out! This is a great recipe. Only problem was the dough was too soupy, I had to add about 1 to 2 cups of flour (to the halved recipe) Norm Grandparents were the Azadians, Syracuse, NY

—Norman L Jones Sr

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Mar 22, 2011

You can replace the mahleb with 2 tbsp. freshly ground orange peel and decorate the top after brushing with egg with whole almonds.

—tsaneto

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Apr 12, 2008

Added about 2 extra cups of flour, otherwise perfect!

—Julina

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Apr 11, 2011

I have not made this particular recipe. However, I spent an entire weekend trying to duplicate my grandmother's recipe which of course was not written down. I found several recipes...this one being close if not dead on to the base recipe that I used. (Some from the internet, one from the St. James Armenian Church recipe book (Richmond, VA). After a couple of close encounters, I remembered that my grandmother used evaporated milk. When I substituted evaporated milk for whole milk, it tasted identical to my grandmother's. My grandmother would put M&M's, colored sugar, and gummy candies on top of the bread (likely for us!). We loved the way that it smelled in the kitchen. She made it at Christmas as well as Easter. Oh, how I miss her cooking--both the smell and taste of it! These also make WONDERFUL dinner rolls that your guests will love. So, don't relegate them to the holidays! Thanks you for sharing this recipe.

—Leisa D

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Nutrition

Calories
248 kcal
12%

Carbohydrates
26.8 g
9%

Cholesterol
59 mg
20%

Fat
13.8 g
21%

Fiber
0.8 g
3%

Protein
4.5 g
9%

Sodium
230 mg
9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Choereg (Armenian Easter Bread)

Serving Size: 1/30 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 30
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 248
** Calories from Fat: 124

% Daily Value *
** Total Fat 13.8g 21 %
** Saturated Fat 5.5g 27 %
** Cholesterol 59mg 20 %
** Sodium 230mg 9 %
** Potassium 68mg 2 %
** Total Carbohydrates 26.8g 9 %
** Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3 %
** Protein 4.5g 9 %
** Sugars 7.5g
** Vitamin A 10 %
** Vitamin C < 1 %
** Calcium 5 %
** Iron 15 %
** Thiamin 22 %
** Niacin 21 %
** Vitamin B6 2 %
** Magnesium 3 %
** Folate 35 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.