Vasilopita (Orange Sweet Bread)

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Description

This is a delicious orange sweet bread recipe that has been passed down in my family for several generations. It is a Greek tradition to serve this bread on New Year’s morning. A coin is placed in the bread while baking, and when served, the person who finds the coin is said to have good luck for the year. It still makes a wonderful breakfast bread to be served anytime! The aroma that fills your home while baking this recipe is heavenly! It is an all-day process to make this bread, but it is worth it! For Greeks, this is a bread version of Vasilopita, not the dessert cake variety.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 (.25 ounce) packages rapid-rise yeast
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted margarine (such as Fleischmann’s®), melted
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 orange, zested
  • 7 cups bread flour, or more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 coins wrapped in aluminum foil
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Mix orange juice
  2. water
  3. and cinnamon in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave until the mixture registers 110 degrees F (43 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer
  4. 1 to 2 minutes.
  5. Stir yeast into the orange juice mixture. Let stand until yeast is creamy and frothy
  6. about 45 minutes.
  7. Combine sugar and margarine in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until creamy. Add eggs; beat on high speed for 30 seconds. Mix in yeast mixture and orange zest until well combined.
  8. Sift flour
  9. salt
  10. and baking powder together in a bowl. Add gradually to the mixture in the stand mixer
  11. mixing with a bread hook until a soft
  12. sticky dough forms
  13. about 5 minutes.
  14. Transfer dough to a large glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in size
  15. 2 to 4 hours.
  16. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 round cake pans.
  17. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Put 1 wrapped coin in each piece; knead for 2 to 3 minutes and shape into a ball. Place 1 ball of dough in each cake pan. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise until puffy
  18. 2 to 4 hours more.
  19. Whisk egg white and vanilla together in a small bowl. Brush over the top of dough.
  20. Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached
  21. 30 to 55 minutes.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 31 mins

Total Time: 5 hrs 46 mins

Servings: 12

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