Choreg
Choreg: braided Armenian Easter bread with mahleb and nigella seeds
ArmenianChoreg is baked in Armenian homes for Easter from Yerevan to Beirut, Marseille and Los Angeles: soft, slightly sweet braided loaves scented with mahleb, the ground kernel of a wild cherry, glazed with egg and scattered with nigella or sesame seeds. Families bake big batches on Holy Saturday and share them with neighbours after church. A common mistake is adding too much flour to a sticky dough, which makes dry, heavy bread. Chef's tip: let the dough rise slowly, even overnight in the fridge; the flavour develops and the cold dough is easy to braid.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅜ lb plain flour
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground mahleb
- 1 cup warm milk
- 4 oz buttermelted
- 2 eggs
For the topping
- 1 egg yolkbeaten with 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp nigella seedsor sesame seeds
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅜ lb plain flour, ⅓ oz fast-action dried yeast, 3 ½ oz sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 ½ tsp ground mahleb. Add 1 cup warm milk, 4 oz butter and 2 eggs and knead for 10 minutes into a soft, smooth dough. Common mistake: adding lots of extra flour; it should be soft.
10 minStep 2: Cover and rise for 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge, until doubled.
Step 3: Divide into 12. Roll each into 3 thin ropes of 30 cm and braid, tucking the ends under. Place on lined trays.
Step 4: Rise for 45 minutes, until puffy. Heat the oven to 350°F (fan 325°F).
45 minStep 5: Brush with 1 egg yolk and sprinkle with 1 tbsp nigella seeds. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until deep golden and the bases sound hollow.
25 minStep 6: Cool on racks. Keep wrapped for 3 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does choreg take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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