Gluten-Free Tsoureki

4.75 from 4 votes

Gluten-Free Tsoureki is a delicious traditional Greek Easter bread with a distinct citrucy flavor and a squishy-soft texture! A great addition to the Easter menu.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Rising Time2

Total Time3 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: gluten-free greek easter bread, Gluten-free tsoureki

Servings: loaf

Calories: 2596kcal

Author: Natasha Levai

Cost: 5$

Equipment

Ingredients

Psyllium Gel

16 grams whole psyllium husk or 14g powder, see my psyllium husk guide for details
310 grams room temperature water

Dry Ingredients

90 grams tapioca starch or arrowroot starch
100 grams potato starch or cornstarch
160 grams sorghum flour or buckwheat or brown rice flour
8 grams baking powder
6 grams xanthan gum or guar gum
6 grams salt
110 grams granulated sugar
7 grams instant yeast not active dry yeast
zest of 1 orange or 1 tablespoon of store-bought orange zest
zest of 1 lemon (optional) or ¾tbsp of store-bought lemon zest
2 teaspoon cardamom or mahlepi

Wet Ingredients

2 egg yolks use the whites to brush the loaf before baking and the rest for Rocher Coco
1 egg
70 grams oil any neutral vegetable or seed oil
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or mastiha

You Will Also Need

sesame seeds for topping

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Start by adding water and psyllium husk to a medium-sized mixing bowl, then whisk until well combined. Let the mixture sit for a couple minutes to allow psyllium husks to form a gel.
16 grams whole psyllium husk, 310 grams room temperature water
In a large mixing bowl, add all of the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
90 grams tapioca starch, 100 grams potato starch, 160 grams sorghum flour, 8 grams baking powder, 6 grams xanthan gum, 6 grams salt, 110 grams granulated sugar, 7 grams instant yeast, zest of 1 orange, zest of 1 lemon (optional), 2 teaspoon cardamom
Separate the egg yolks and add them to the bowl with the psyllium gel. Then, add vanilla, oil, and the remaining whole egg. Whisk until fully incorporated.
2 egg yolks, 1 egg, 70 grams oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Add the wet and dry ingredients together and mix using an electric mixer with dough hooks for about 5 minutes until the dough looks smooth. It will have a sticky consistency, so you will need to wet your hands or use extra flour when handling it.
Separate the dough into three equal parts (about 320g per part) and shape each one into a ball. Use extra gluten-free flour to prevent sticking while shaping.
Roll each ball into a rope of about 13-14in/35cm and place them onto a piece of parchment paper parallel to each other. Braid the loaf as you see in the pictures. If the loaf turns out too long, compress it carefully until it fits the length of the baking pan.
Transfer the braided dough to the baking pan (9x5in/23x12cm) together with the parchment paper. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and leave it to rise for 1.5-2.5h until the dough comes up to the top of the pan.
Note that the perfect temperature for proofing dough is 74F/25C. You can place the loaf into the oven with the light on to create an ideal environment and promote faster proofing!
Start preheating the oven to 350F/175C about 20 minutes before the dough is done proofing. Brush the loaf with some leftover egg whites and top with sesame seeds.
sesame seeds for topping
Bake Tsoureki for 1 hour. Check on the bread after 30 minutes and cover it with foil shiny side up if the top starts to brown too much. Once Tsoureki is done, take it out of the oven and let it sit in the baking pan for 15-20 minutes, then carefully lift the bread out, remove the paper, and transfer the loaf to a cooling rack.
Handle the loaf carefully while it's hot to prefer misshaping it. Let gluten-free Tsoureki cool entirely before slicing. Enjoy!

Notes

Tips:

Don't add extra flour to the dough even if it seems too wet. Instead, use flour while shaping to prevent sticking.
Use a digital kitchen scale for the best results!
You can skip braiding and bake the dough in a loaf shape instead.
Add raisins or candied peel for extra sweetness and a bite.

Nutrition