Vasilopita is a New Year’s Day bread or cake in Greece that contains a hidden coin or trinket which gives good luck to the receiver. It is baked and shared each year on January 1st and observed in honor of our St. Basil the Great, archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia (Modern Turkey) hence its name “Vasilopita” meaning “Basil’s Bread.”
Ingredients
Unsalted butter 1cup (2 sticks)
Sugar 1cup
Eggs 3 extra-large
Zest of one orange
Orange juice 1/2cup
Milk 1/2 cup
Mahleb 1/2 teaspoon crushed/powdered
Gum mastic 2 teaspoons crushed/powdered
Dry yeast 1tbs
Flour 4-5 cups
Egg 1 for eggwash
Sesame seeds
Almond flakes
A clean coin wrapped in foil
Method
- Boil half of the mahleb in 1/3cups water and let cool it to lukewarm
- Grind with a pestle and mortar 1tbs mastic with 1tbs sugar (if you don’t grind with sugar the mastic will stick together to a gum).
- Mix in the lukewarm mahleb water the dry yeast with 1tbs sugar to activate the yeast
- As soon as the yeast activates, add the milk, orange juice and zest, the eggs, melted butter, sugar, mastic and the rest of the mahleb. mix well
- Sift the flour and gradually add it to the wet mixture to make dough.
- Knead the dough for 5 minutes and shape it to a ball, place it in a buttered bowl, cover and let it rise double in size.
- When dough is doubled you stretch the sides, fold and knead again on floured surface. Add the coin and place it in a well buttered baking pan, cover and let rise again.
- Whisk 1 egg with 2tbs water and egg-wash the surface of the cake. Garnish with almonds and sesame. Bake in 160C (320F) for 50 minutes
Recipe Chef Tony Kavalieros approved as traditional by Mary Panagakou
Photo Tony Kavalieros
Watch the video here
Read about the History and Tradition for Vasilopita here
Made this for New Years and it was so delicious! However, it came out under-cooked in the middle and I think this may be due to a confusion about how much flour to use. The recipe says 4-5 cups, but in the video the kneading is done with quite a lot of flour on the counter. How much flour on the counter; is that part of the 4-5 cups? The dough was very, very wet, but like I said, the bread came out super yummy. With the flour clarification, I would totally bake this recipe again next year. Happy 2024!
Dear Emily, thanks for your message!!
Those kind or recipes can change for many reasons, weather, humidity, the way your oven works, even the temperature of your ingredients (this is the reason you find the comment… let all the ingredients take room temperature) The dough has to be smooth and non sticky to your hands so you add as much flour as it takes, I start with 4,5 cups and then maybe it will take one more. The fact that was still uncooked in the center is because of the oven. It’s a thick heavy cake so it is better to have lower temperatures and longer time. Check it with the good old trick with a toothpick.
I hope my answer helps, Happy New year and happy baking!!
Tony