ARMENIAN BRIOCHE-Choreg or Chorag
- Number of Servings: 40
Ingredients
Yeast, bakers, 2.25 ounce (remove)Water, tap, .5 cup (8 fl oz) (remove)Granulated Sugar, 1.25 cup (remove)Granulated Sugar, 1 tsp (remove)*Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched, 7 cup (remove)Butter, unsalted, 8 tbsp (remove)Egg, fresh, 5 large (remove)*Shortening, Crisco, 2 tbsp (remove)*Canola Oil, 4 tbsp (remove)2 TBSP powdered mahlebEgg Yolk, 2 large (remove)*Sesame Seeds, 20 tbsp (remove)*Poppy seed, 10 tsp (remove)
Mix yeast, water, 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 tablespoons of flour together rill smooth. Proof about 10 minutes, till foamy on top.
Beat eggs together in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, shortening, 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil and mix. Add mahlab, yeast mixture and alternate with flour and milk. Mix together and knead with a dough hook of an electric mixer, or by hand on a floured work surface till dough is smooth and elastic and does not stick to your hands. If needed add 1/2 cup more of flour.
With remaining 1 Tablespoon oil, grease a large non-aluminium bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn once to coat top with oil. Cover with kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let double (about 2 hours), punch down center, cover let rise again 1 ½ hours then punch down and let rest 10 minutes
Divide dough into 2 equal parts. On a lightly floured work surface divide each part into 20 pieces. Make round balls of dough and place on foil covered baking sheets, Let stand 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 brush with egg yolks and sprinkle with seeds. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Check bottoms, if golden it is probably done. Make a note of the length of time to cook to bake till perfectly done and use as a guide for the remaining dough.
Note:the filling is great,but I usually just make shapes with the dough and bake as is.
DATE NUT FILLING
1 pound(16 ounce pitted chopped dates)
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
2-3 tablespoons honey
Mix filling together . Flatten out each piece of dough fill centers of each piece, pinch seams together and place on sheet ,seem side down ,and bake as above.
2-
Choreg
8 1/2 cups flour
1 pint milk
1/2 lb shortening
1 stick butter
5 eggs, beaten
1 pkg dry yeast
1/4 cup water
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp mahleb
at least 1 tsp crushed anise seed
at least 1 tsp crushed fennel
1 egg for brushing on top
sesame seeds
1 tsp liquid anise
Do This:
Preheat the oven to 375 just before baking.
Dissolve the packet of yeast in lukewarm water.
Melt the shortening and butter together. You can do this on the stove or in the microwave.
Heat the milk to lukewarm temperature.
Place the flour in a very large bowl, and use your fingers or a spoon to create a well in the middle. Fill this well with eggs, sugar, salt, baking powder, mahleb, anise, fennel, milk, shortening, and yeast. Did I mention that you need a very large bowl for this?
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until it stops sticking to your hands. I promise that it will stop sticking to your hands at some point.
Cover the bowl with a towel, and let the dough rise for about 3 hours.
Punch the dough down, and divide it into 6 equally-sized balls. Cover again, and let rest for half an hour.
Roll each ball into a log, and cut into 6 pieces.
Shape into braids (diagram coming soon!) and place on a baking sheet. Let these sit for an hour.
Using a pastry brush (or your fingers), paint the tops of the choregs with egg, and sprinkle with seeds.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Remove the choregs from the baking sheets, let cool for a few minutes. Serve warm with Armenian string cheese.
Braiding the dough can be a little bit annoying, but if it gets sticky and unwieldy, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes. I promise that it’s totally worth it to make the braids. When the choregs are baked and you can pull off neat little bite-sized pieces, you’ll be happy that you bothered to braid them.
Special note for Chicagoans: I picked up the mahlab and sesame seeds (and some other cool things) at Middle East Bakery & Grocery. It’s an amazing little store right near the corner of Foster & Clark, and I am totally in love with it. Go. Now.
Number of Servings: 40
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user NADWEB.
Beat eggs together in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, shortening, 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil and mix. Add mahlab, yeast mixture and alternate with flour and milk. Mix together and knead with a dough hook of an electric mixer, or by hand on a floured work surface till dough is smooth and elastic and does not stick to your hands. If needed add 1/2 cup more of flour.
With remaining 1 Tablespoon oil, grease a large non-aluminium bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn once to coat top with oil. Cover with kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let double (about 2 hours), punch down center, cover let rise again 1 ½ hours then punch down and let rest 10 minutes
Divide dough into 2 equal parts. On a lightly floured work surface divide each part into 20 pieces. Make round balls of dough and place on foil covered baking sheets, Let stand 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 brush with egg yolks and sprinkle with seeds. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Check bottoms, if golden it is probably done. Make a note of the length of time to cook to bake till perfectly done and use as a guide for the remaining dough.
Note:the filling is great,but I usually just make shapes with the dough and bake as is.
DATE NUT FILLING
1 pound(16 ounce pitted chopped dates)
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
2-3 tablespoons honey
Mix filling together . Flatten out each piece of dough fill centers of each piece, pinch seams together and place on sheet ,seem side down ,and bake as above.
2-
Choreg
8 1/2 cups flour
1 pint milk
1/2 lb shortening
1 stick butter
5 eggs, beaten
1 pkg dry yeast
1/4 cup water
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp mahleb
at least 1 tsp crushed anise seed
at least 1 tsp crushed fennel
1 egg for brushing on top
sesame seeds
1 tsp liquid anise
Do This:
Preheat the oven to 375 just before baking.
Dissolve the packet of yeast in lukewarm water.
Melt the shortening and butter together. You can do this on the stove or in the microwave.
Heat the milk to lukewarm temperature.
Place the flour in a very large bowl, and use your fingers or a spoon to create a well in the middle. Fill this well with eggs, sugar, salt, baking powder, mahleb, anise, fennel, milk, shortening, and yeast. Did I mention that you need a very large bowl for this?
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until it stops sticking to your hands. I promise that it will stop sticking to your hands at some point.
Cover the bowl with a towel, and let the dough rise for about 3 hours.
Punch the dough down, and divide it into 6 equally-sized balls. Cover again, and let rest for half an hour.
Roll each ball into a log, and cut into 6 pieces.
Shape into braids (diagram coming soon!) and place on a baking sheet. Let these sit for an hour.
Using a pastry brush (or your fingers), paint the tops of the choregs with egg, and sprinkle with seeds.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Remove the choregs from the baking sheets, let cool for a few minutes. Serve warm with Armenian string cheese.
Braiding the dough can be a little bit annoying, but if it gets sticky and unwieldy, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes. I promise that it’s totally worth it to make the braids. When the choregs are baked and you can pull off neat little bite-sized pieces, you’ll be happy that you bothered to braid them.
Special note for Chicagoans: I picked up the mahlab and sesame seeds (and some other cool things) at Middle East Bakery & Grocery. It’s an amazing little store right near the corner of Foster & Clark, and I am totally in love with it. Go. Now.
Number of Servings: 40
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user NADWEB.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 192.6
- Total Fat: 8.1 g
- Cholesterol: 43.0 mg
- Sodium: 10.3 mg
- Total Carbs: 25.4 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
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