Armenian Easter Bread

The oh-so-special braided Armenian Easter bread called choereg or some times choreg. It's a sweet, buttery yeast bread, fragrant with an addictive spice called mahleb or some times mahlab. Best of all, the pastry may be made in advance and keeps just beautifully. Many thanks to Cyndi, a Kitchen Parade reader, for sharing her family's special Easter bread!

A Celebration Bread for Easter. Meal Prep Friendly, Tastes Better and Better Over a Few Days & Freezes Well. Aren't Old Family Recipes the Best?! So Good!!

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EXTRAS
~ How to Braid Bread Dough ~
~ Use a Heating Pad for a Warm Place for Bread to Rise ~

COMPLIMENTS!

• "Tasted just like my family's choreg." ~ Jennifer
• "...the bread was completely worth making, and I’m having some trouble resisting it." ~ PastryChefOnlne
• "I'm Armenian from Armenia ... I'm all new to yeast dough ... turned out awesome" ~ deja vu

Her Grandmother's Recipe

Last summer, a note and a recipe arrived from a reader. Here's the story of her grandmother’s braided Easter bread, in Cyndi's own words.

In Cyndi's Words

“I have been cooking many of the traditional Armenian foods that my grandmother made. I pride myself on the choereg.

“Armenian Choereg is a traditional bread served at Easter, sometimes with red eggs placed amid the braids. It is found in Armenian and Greek groceries in New York and New Jersey (where I am from) and gets snatched up fast because it is so good. That is one reason I started making it.

“I make choereg all year long and my family goes wild for it. It is a really great bread to have for breakfast and the flavor goes great with coffee. Plus it freezes well so you will have plenty on hand to serve with coffee if unexpected guests drop by, always a plus.

“My grandmother made this bread and put the recipe in her little recipe book. Her measurements used tea cups and coffee cups as measuring devices so I blended Grandma’s recipe with one from my aunt's church cookbook.

“The dough is extremely forgiving but the mahleb (also spelled mahlab) is absolutely essential. Mahleb has a great flavor. I am willing to bet once you try it, you will use it in other baked goods like I do now! It’s great in muffins and even pancakes or waffles.

“Mahleb is made from the cherry pits from a special Middle Eastern cherry. As it bakes, the flavor really blossoms, you will smell it when the bread is baking. It is just very unique smelling and tasting – in a good way. A Middle Eastern store grinds it fresh for me but you can just use a spice grinder or a mini food processor. But I hope you will enjoy mahleb’s exotic flavor. It is really special.”

And Now, My Story: Falling in Love with the Spice Called Mahleb

That first year, I made Cyndi’s grandmother’s recipe twice in a couple of weeks. I was ready for adoption into a happy Armenian family!

The dough is made in the usual fashion and easy to handle. Once baked, the bread starts off light and fluffy and aromatic, you can’t wait to slice off the first bites.

Over the next few days, the bread stays fresh (though not as light) and the flavor begins to deepen. Does it improve? It just might. This makes it an especially good bread for gifts, for taking along to visit family over the Easter weekend, for making late in the week and serving Easter morning, say.

Plus, I adore mahleb! I bought a small jar of the mahleb pits and ground them in a spice grinder. Its flavor is quite subtle. You won’t be wondering, "What is this spice?" Instead, you’ll be saying, "Gosh, this bread is good." You may not even know it’s the mahleb that makes it so good.

You could substitute another spice – cardamom, say, or nutmeg. The bread would be very good, just not choereg.

Thank you, Cyndi, for sharing your family’s recipe!

Where to Buy Mahleb? It's Not Easy to Find.

• Back in 2009 when this recipe was first published, Penzey's sold small jars of the cherry pits to grind yourself, but sadly, no more.
• You might check an international grocery, especially one that carries food items from Turkey or Greece. Look for a ground spice some times called mahlab, mahalab, mahlep, mahaleb or mahlepi.
• Once upon a time, a small packet of ground mahleb (mahlab) spice (affiliate link) had good reviews on Amazon and it worked great for me; delivery time may be tricky, some times stated in weeks not days, other times in days.
• These days (as of 2025) there are other mahleb sources on Amazon, just scroll the page for other offerings.

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Recipe Overview: Armenian Easter Bread

• These special bread loaves are a sweet, rich braided yeast bread, what bakers some times call a "celebration" bread because it's traditionally served during a particular holiday, here, Easter. The bread is enriched with eggs, butter and milk. It stands out from other breads because it's spiced with an aromatic spice called mahleb (see below for more names) ground from the seeds found inside pits from a special kind of cherry instead of the perhaps more familiar cinnamon or cardamom or nutmeg. The dough is both easy to mix in a stand mixer and easy to handle, important since after its first rise, the dough is turned into three long strands and braided for a lovely, distinctive appearance, especially when sprinkled with white sesame seeds.
• Other Names for the Bread: Choereg or Choreg or Chorag
• Other Names for the Distinctive Spice: Mahleb or Mahlep or Mahlepi

• When to Serve = It's traditional serve the bread at Easter but of course, there's no saying it can only be made then. In fact, some Armenians also make the bread for Christmas.
• Diet Needs & Choices = Like most rich yeast breads, Armenian Easter Bread is vegetarian.
• Distinctive Ingredients = Yeast + Butter + 3 Eggs + Mahleb Spice + Anise Spice
• Ingredient List = all the above + sugar + milk + King Arthur all-purpose flour
• For Garnish = 1 egg white + sesame seeds
• Kitchen Tools = A stand mixer is recommended for mixing, please see Is a Stand Mixer Better for Kneading Bread Dough?. The dough may also be mixed and kneaded by hand.
• Importance of King Arthur Flour = This is not a sponsored post. Cyndi alerted me to her experience that using King Arthur's all-purpose flour just results in a "better" bread. I found the same thing to be true. Good news, King Arthur may be ordered online directly from King Arthur Baking Company. But I also find the flour at Walmart, Whole Foods and my local grocery store in St. Louis, Schnucks Markets.
• Hands-On Time = Allow about 45 minutes of hands-on time over about 8 hours.
• Total Time = Allow about 8 hours, start to finish for mixing, the first rise, braiding the dough, the second rise and baking.
• Tasting with our Eyes = Braided loaves are just so pretty, if you can braid long hair or dandelion stems 😉 you can braid bread dough.
• Texture = The bread's texture is soft and tender, it does firm up as the days pass though stays fresh.
• Taste = The mahleb spice is most distinctive and lovely.
• Techniques = The braiding technique is quite simple, see How to Braid Bread.
• Makes = 2 large braided loaves or 3 medium braided loaves
• So good! I hope you love it!


• I'd make Choreg more often except that in my own family, Hot Cross Buns are the Easter celebration bread.
• Not quite what you're looking for? Check out my other recipes for yeast bread.

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Finding a Warm Place for Bread to Rise

HEATING PAD Many thanks to readers who suggested using a heating pad to help bread rise when I published the recipe for my mother’s Homemade Yeast Rolls last month. It works like a charm!

For the first rise for Armenian Easter Bread, I wrapped the bread bowl in a heating pad inside a Dutch oven, that way the heat surrounded the bread dough. My heating pad also has an auto shutoff, oops, it needs checking every so often!

But this is a great way to create a warm spot for letting bread dough rise, especially when you don’t want to heat up rest of the house.

Thank you, thank you!

UNDER-CUPBOARD LIGHTS Another way? Does your kitchen have under-cupboard lights? That's what I'm now using for both the first rise and the second rise. I just put the bowl and then the baking sheet on top of a flour bin to position them right underneath the lights. Works like a charm!

How to Braid Bread Dough with Step-by-Step Photos

Braided loaves of bread are so pretty, yes?!

Good news, braiding bread dough is quite simple – and the results spectacular! Don't stress this. If you can braid hair, you can braid bread dough.

For simplicity, I use three strands to braid the dough here. It's also possible to braid dough with four (so lovely), five and six strands. Google it!

upper left | After the first rise, deflate the dough by pressing a clenched fist into the dough. Divide the dough in half (for two loaves) or into thirds (for three loaves). Divide each piece into three roughly equal portions. With your hands, one by one, roll the three portions into long, round strands.
upper right | Gently press the three strands together at one end, this will be the start of the braid.
lower left | Now braid! Just cross one piece over the other until you run out of dough.
lower right | Tuck each end under the braided loaf and move to a baking sheet. Cover and let rise for the second time until puffy.

More Celebration Breads for Easter

Is anyone else fascinated by the special breads that people across the world make for holidays? I call them "celebration breads".

I pour through this cookbook, Celebration Breads: Recipes, Tales, and Traditions (affiliate link) by Betsy Oppenneer. It's so inspiring!

Hot Cross Buns are the traditional Easter bread in my family, those are the sweet, spiced buns that show up everywhere during Holy Week and even before. My personal tradition is to make them on Good Friday!

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READER RECIPE: CHOEREG (ARMENIAN EASTER BREAD)

Hands-on time: about 45 minutes over about 8 hours
Time to table: 8 hours
Makes 2 large or 3 medium loaves (see ALANNA's TIPS)

• 1/4 cup tepid water (see TIPS)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 package (2-1/4 teaspoons, 7g) yeast

• 12 tablespoons butter (170g, 6 ounces, usually 1-1/2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3 large eggs

• 4 cups flour, King Arthur all-purpose flour strongly recommended (see TIPS), 500g or fluffed to aerate before measuring
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (125g) sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground mahleb (see TIPS)
• 3 teaspoons ground anise, optional but recommended
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt (omit if using salted butter)

• 1 large egg white whisked with 1 teaspoon water
• Sesame seeds, optional but pretty

PROOF THE YEAST In a small bowl, mix the water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over top and let rest until bubbly.

MIX THE DOUGH In a saucepan, melt the butter in the milk; let cool a bit, enough so that it won't cook the eggs or kill the yeast. Whisk the eggs in the bowl of a standing mixer with the dough hook attached (or whisk by hand if the dough hook doesn’t reach the eggs). Mix in the butter, milk and yeast mixture. Add the flour, sugar, mahleb, anise and table salt and thoroughly combine.

KNEAD Knead the dough for a minute or two right in the stand mixer, adding a little more flour a teaspoon at a time if the dough is wet or sticky. (No standing mixer? No problem. Just mix the dough with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand for about 8 minutes.)

FIRST RISE Form dough into a round, transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, rubbing the round against the sides. (Giving the dough a light oil covering prevents the surface from cracking as it expands as it rises.) Cover with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk. “Punch the dough down” – except, don't actually "punch" the dough, this is bread-baker code for gently inserting a fist into the dough once or twice to release its air.

BRAID THE LOAVES (For easy-to-follow photos, see How to Braid Bread, above.)

• With a sharp knife cut dough into two or three pieces for two or three loaves.
• Cut each piece into three roughly equally pieces.
• With your fingers, roll each piece, stretching it to form a long thin rope (for a long loaf) or a shorter fatter rope (for a shorter loaf); repeat with two more pieces, making the three roughly equivalent.
• Working on a clean smooth surface, gently press the ends of three ropes together.
• Braid the three pieces into a loaf, braiding the ropes just like braiding hair.
• For a neat appearance, tuck the ends under the loaf.

Transfer each loaf to a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat or lightly greased if the baking sheet can be a bit sticky, leaving two to three inches between the loaves.

SECOND RISE Cover the loaves with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 – 60 minutes.

BAKE Heat oven to 350F/180C. Brush the loaf tops with the egg-water mixture, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the tops are a golden brown and the internal temperature has reached 190F/90C. Remove from the oven, let cool 5 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks to finish cooling.

SERVE & SAVOR Once completely cool, wrap loaves in foil until ready to slice and serve. Amenian Easter Bread will stay fresh for at least 5 days.

FREEZING BREAD The bread freezes well but do double-wrap. I use wax paper for the first layer, wrapping it tightly around the loaves, shaping it to fit, then foil around that. Some times I'll still use a freezer bag. The layers prevent "freezer burn," that's the formation of ice crystals that breaks down the bread structure.

ALANNA’s TIPS I have halved Cyndi’s recipe, enough for three medium or two large loaves. Her full recipe will fill a KitchenAid mixer to the max, you might need to a spatula to keep the dough from creeping up the dough hook. "Tepid" water is the perfect temperature for proofing yeast, not too hot, not too cold. I use the "baby bottle" test, if the water feels warm to the inside of my wrist, it’s perfect. If it feels cold, the water’s too cold, if it feels hot, it’s too warm. For a funny story about tepid water, see my recipe for Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Dried Cherries. It still makes me laugh! Flour is flour, right? Well, if so, then why do I recommend the King Arthur flour? Shouldn’t one all-purpose flour be interchangeable with another? Turns out, not. King Arthur All-Purpose Flour has 11.7% protein while my usual Pillsbury All-Purpose Flour has 10.5% protein. The difference doesn’t sound like much but adds up to a full ten percent more protein. Cyndi recommends the King Arthur flour for the bread. I accidentally made it once once with Pillsbury. The bread tasted fine but was "ropier" to work with. For this choereg recipe, King Arthur flour just works better. UPDATE A baker from Armenia had good luck with Nordic flour with 13% protein. Thanks for chiming in with these important details! Look for the spice mahleb (also spelled mahlab) in an international market that carries Greek or Armenian groceries. But if that fails, Amazon to the rescue. This packet of ground mahleb (mahlab) spice has good reviews on Amazon. (affiliate link) and I've had good luck with it too. Check that page, there are alternative sources. Are you kneading bread by hand? You might want to read this, Is a Stand Mixer Better for Kneading Bread Dough?.

FOR MORE INFO If you "skipped straight to the recipe," please scroll back to the top of this page for ingredient information, ingredient substitutions, tips and more. Confused about salt, these days? No wonder, it is confusing. Check my FAQs for an explanation. If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.kitchenparade.com/2009/04/armenian-easter-bread.php .

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Slice, assumes 36: 124 Calories; 5g Tot Fat; 3g Sat Fat; 28mg Cholesterol; 34mg Sodium; 15g Carb; 1g Fiber; 5g Sugar; 3g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 3 & PointsPlus 3 & SmartPoints 5 & Freestyle 5 & myWW green 5 & blue 5 & purple 5 & future WW points

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Seasonal Cooking: Easter Ideas Across the Years

KITCHEN PARADE
Hot Cross Buns (<< this week's family favorite) Armenian Easter Bread (Choereg) Twice-Smoked Ham Ham 101: What to Know Before Buying a Ham Spicy Raisin Sauce for Ham Real-Food Brisket Easy Creamy Scrambled Eggs for a Crowd Five-Minute Fruit Salad Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole with Hash Browns & Eggs Easy Green Chile Egg Casserole DIY Substitute for Baker's Joy Strawberry Milk How to Steam Eggs Carrot Cake Smoked Salmon Quiche Rainbow Salad Sweet Lemon Vinaigrette
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A VEGGIE VENTURE
Lemon Asparagus Honey Carrots Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic Cauliflower with Lemon Dressing Asparagus Tapenade (< this week's healthy favorite!) Sautéed Balsamic Peppers Lemon Spinach Napa Cabbage, Herb & Mango Salad with Asian Dressing How to Roast Peppers (< totally useful!) Roasted Pepper Soup Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing ♥ Roasted Zucchini with Orange & Lemon Asparagus Noodles Weight Watchers Asian Zero Points Soup My Favorite Asparagus Recipes Pioneer Woman's Green Bean Casserole Easy-Easy Slow Cooker Honey Carrots Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for April
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If you like Kitchen Parade's recipes, you'll love A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables with more from-scratch recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, home to the famous Alphabet of Vegetables and vegetables in every course, seasonal to staples, savory to sweet, salads to sides, soups to supper, simple to special.

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More Easter Inspiration

• THE RECIPE Twice-Smoked Ham How & why to smoke a smoked ham a second time. (PIN This)
• DON'T FORGET Spicy Raisin Sauce for Ham My grandmother's recipe, always-always served with the Easter ham, the Christmas ham, the Sunday ham. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Hot Cross Buns Sweet buns traditional for Easter.
• ANOTHER TAKE Homemade Yeast Rolls My mom's soft, golden "ice cream pail" buns.

• THE RECIPE Estonian Deviled Eggs It's got a secret ingredient! (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Simple Egg Salad with a Twist Classic egg salad for sandwiches and more, with an easy twist. (PIN This)

• THE COLLECTION Easter Recipes From brunch to bunny hunts and much more.
• ALL THE HOLIDAYS All the Holidays Year-round food for fun and celebration.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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