The Bread of Christ, Christopsomo, transcends simple breadmaking and becomes a sacred symbol deeply intertwined with the fabric of Christmas traditions. This handmade bread, crafted with reverence and familial dedication, signifies the spiritual presence of Christ during the festive season. Its preparation is a ceremonial endeavor, involving a meticulous combination of flour, water, yeast, and symbolic elements such as crosses, nuts, or ears of wheat. As the first cut is made, a sincere prayer for prosperity resonates through the home, and each family member participates in the blessed sharing of the bread. Beyond its delightful taste, Christopsomo encapsulates the essence of cultural heritage, preserving ancient traditions and conveying a sense of continuity from one generation to the next. With each slice, Christopsomo embodies not only the flavor but also the enduring spirit of love, blessings and familial connection...
Easy
50 - 60 min
Bread of 30 cm diameter
Ingredients
- 500 g all - purpose flour
- 250 g wholemeal flour
- 250 g hard/ strong flour
- 15 g dry yeast
- 50 g olive oil
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp kardamon
- 1 tbsp anise powder (blend in a blender to bring out the flavour)
- 1/3 tsp mastic powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp clove powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 500 - 550 g/ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp hot water
How to
In a bowl, combine the flours, yeast, kardamon, mastic, cinnamon, clove powder and salt.
Dissolve the honey and sugar in the lukewarm water and add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Knead until you have a dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If necessary, add a little more flour.
Cover the bowl and wait until the dough doubles in volume.
Knead again and reserve the dough you need for decorating.
Shape the bread into a round loaf, decorate it with the designs of your choice and transfer it to a buttered and floured round baking pan (30 cm in diameter).
Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rise for 30 min.
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of honey in 2 tablespoons of water, brush the bread and bake in a preheated oven (set to fan) at 180oC - 355oF for 50-60 min.
Let it cool on a rack and Christopsomo is ready!
Merry Christmas!!!!
Note from Greek jar:
Every family has its own recipe for Christopsomo. Add the herbs and spices you like and make your own unique Christopsomo!
The process of mixing the ingredients and kneading can also be done in the mixer.
If you want your Christopsomo sweeter, increase the amount of honey and sugar.
I used three types of flour. You can use just one type or make your own combination.