Christopsomo (Greek Christmas Bread) Recipe

By
Nancy Gaifyllia
Nancy Gaifyllia
A resident of Greece, Nancy Gaifyllia is a cook who writes about the country's regional specialties.
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Updated on 05/29/22
Greek Christmas bread recipe

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
Prep: 4 hrs
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 4 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 32 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
251 Calories
8g Fat
38g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories 251
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 69mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 2mg 9%
Calcium 28mg 2%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 148mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Christopsomo, or Christ's Bread, is considered a sacred tradition in many Greek Orthodox homes and the care with which it is made is said to ensure the well-being of the home in the year to come. Only the purest and most expensive ingredients are used. The bread is often decorated with pieces of dough formed into representations of the family's life (boats, animals, etc.). Ingredients are for simple loaves and directions for a decorated loaf can be found below.

In Greek, Christopsomo is spelled Χριστόψωμο (pronounced hree-STOHP-soh-moh).

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dry yeast

  • 1 cup warm water, 105 F/40 C

  • 8 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup warm red wine

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup orange juice

  • 1/4 cup brandy

  • 2 tablespoons orange zest

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 1/2 cups raisins

  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

  • 1/3 cup pine nuts

  • 1 tablespoon anise seeds, crushed, or 1 tablespoon of grated gum mastic

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Topping:

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

  • 2 whole walnuts (in shells)

  • Sesame seeds

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Greek Christmas bread
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  2. Mix the yeast with 1/2 cup of the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the flour. Stir until dissolved and set aside for 10 minutes, until it bubbles.

    Mix in yeast
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  3. In a large mixing bowl, sift the salt with 2/3 of the flour. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture, the remaining warm water, and the wine.

    Sift flour and salt
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  4. Mix until a soft dough forms, cover with waxed paper and a damp towel, and set aside to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until doubled in bulk.

    Let dough rise
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  5. Punch the dough down and knead for several minutes until any air pockets are gone.

    Punch dough down
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  6. Sift in the remaining flour, add the oil, orange juice, brandy, and grated orange peel.

    Sift in flour
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  7. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, raisins, walnuts, pine nuts, gum mastic or anise, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until blended, and add to the dough.

    Mix raisins and walnuts in
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  8. Knead well until the dough is firm and doesn't stick (about 10 minutes), cover, and allow to rise for 1/2 hour.

    Knead well
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  9. On a lightly buttered baking pan, shape the bread into two circular loaves, about 8 inches in diameter. Cover with a dry cloth and a damp cloth over that, and place in a warm place to rise again, until doubled in size.

    Put on baking pan
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  10. Using a floured knife, score a cross into the top of the loaves, and place one whole, unshelled walnut at the center.

    Score dough
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  11. Brush the bread with milk and scatter with sesame seeds.

    Brush bread
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  12. Place a pan with at least 1 inch of water in the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450 F/230 C. Place the bread in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then remove the pan with the water, reduce heat to 390 F/200 C and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes.

    Place in pan
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  13. Remove from oven, brush lightly with water, and cool on a rack.

    Brush buns
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Tips

  • Use a mortar and pestle to crush the anise seed.
  • To decorate your Christmas bread, at step 6, pull a fistful of dough from each loaf. Pat the dough back into shape to rise. When risen, use the small pieces of dough to create designs: roll them out into strips and coil around whole walnuts pressed into the top in the shape of a cross, or make them into the shapes of your choice and place on top of the loaves. Continue with the recipe. Brush with beaten egg instead of milk to get a brighter glaze.

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