Anise Bread with brown sesame seeds - the perfect appetizer for the holidays

I am beyond excited to share this anise bread recipe with you. I get asked if I make my own bread all the time. Well, to be honest I didn’t until I found this superb recipe. Actually, my sister should take the credit since she is the one to pass it on to me. Thank you sis!

Photo from personal record mindyourbrownie

This bread is the Greek must-have in a festive meal. It contains anise and brown sesame, two ingredients that make it fragrant and special. It is customary to have it on a Christmas Day dinner but feel free to make it whenever you feel like it. It is perfect for special occasions too. The recipe is not as hard as it might seem at first. But it is quite long, so make sure to have about 2.5 hours ahead of you. I must be crazy, right? Not at all. The making is fairly easy and quick (about 20 minutes). Then, resting and rising take about 1 hour and baking another hour and 10 minutes. During these two hours of wait, you can spend your time however you wish. Not so bad after all. Everyone who has tasted this bread can’t have just one slice. I hope you will enjoy it as much as me.

Photo from personal record mindyourbrownie

Anise Bread recipe

makes a 28-30cm round loaf
 

Dough

1 kg all-purpose flour

½ kg hard flour (or bread flour)

9 gr instant dry yeast

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

70 gr brown sesame seeds

60 ml (2 oz) olive oil

650 ml (22 oz)  lukewarm water

5 pieces of star anise

1 walnut with its shell

 

The making

1. In a small bowl, mix 200 ml (6.5 oz) lukewarm water, the brown sugar and the dry yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes. Sieve all the flour.

2. In a large bowl, combine the sieved flour, the salt and the olive oil. Pour the dry yeast and water mixture in it and knead with your hands by adding the rest of the water slowly. The dough should be soft but not too sticky. Knead for another 5 minutes and add 40gr of brown sesame seeds.

3. After the dough has been formed, remove from the bowl and cut a piece the size of a medium orange to keep for decoration. Cover the bottom of a 28-30 cm (11-12 inch) cake tin with baking paper and spread the dough on top. Make 4 thick strips of the separate piece of dough you have kept and form 2 braids. Use water to stick them in the shape of a cross on top of the dough. Sprinkle the whole surface with water and add the rest of the brown sesame seeds. Put the 4 pieces of star anise on the top (however you like) and the walnut in the center.

4. Prick holes in the rolled-out dough with a toothpick. Cover the cake tin with some more baking paper and put a light kitchen towel on top. Put it somewhere warm. Let it rest and rise for 1 hour.

5. Preheat the oven at 200ºC (390ºF). Bake uncovered in a static oven for the first 20 minutes until the dough is light brown in color. Cover with baking paper and aluminum foil and continue baking for another 50 minutes. When it’s done, remove from the cake tin immediately (be sure to wear gloves) and let it cool down on a baking rack.

 

Note: if the dough is too sticky, add some flour until you get the right consistency. If it is very firm and dry, pour some extra water.