Greek New Year Bread (Vassilopitta)This recipe is for a light, sweet, Greek New Year Bread that is traditionally served on New Year's Day. I found it in a recipe book purchased after a wonderful holiday in Greece several years ago when I fell in love with the fish and sweet dishes.This Greek New Year Bread recipe was a little gem at the back of the book that has now become a family tradition. I make it on New Year's Eve and we cut it at midnight straight after the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" (which means "Old long ago"). 
There is a lucky coin baked into the Greek New Year Bread, so cutting the bread and finding the coin is all part of the ritual. A slice is cut for each person in turn to see if they have been lucky enough to get the coin - as well as get a lovely slice of sweet bread.You can make this one of three ways depending upon the equipment you have and your choice. You can make it fully by hand, with a bowl food mixer fitted with dough hooks or with a food processor. The quantities given here are for a loaf suitable for 12 to 20 portions. You can just double them if you have a big party, but do remember to add extra cooking time. The whole preparation and cooking time is about three to three and a half hours as the dough needs time to rise and prove. When you serve it, have butter and jam to hand. Ingredients
Yield = one 8" diameter loaf or 2 smaller loaves. ToolsElectric mixer or food processor (both optional)Large bowl Small bowl Fork A warm place for proving the dough. An airing cupboard/ hot press is suitable. Alternatively an oven warmed to 100 to 130 F will do the job. Loaf tin - traditional is a round, cake type, tin; 8" for this quantity. Skewer - to test when the loaf is baked. Cooling rack MethodTake half the milk (2 fl oz) and pour it into the small bowl. Warm the milk gently until it is at about blood heat. If you have a microwave, try about 20 seconds on 60% power and see how that does.Crumble the fresh yeast, or scatter the dried yeast, over the milk. Add a tablespoon of the flour and whisk with a fork until the lumps are largely gone. Cover with cling film and place in your warm cupboard. Over the next ten or fifteen minutes the yeast will begin to ferment so it is ready to start work on your mixture. Sift the rest of the flour into a large bowl (if working by hand), the mixer bowl or the food processor receptacle. Add the salt. Mix gently to disperse the salt. If you are using the mixer with dough hooks, all the mixing is done as the slowest speed. For a food processor, use the plastic dough blades if you have them, and medium speed if you can control it. Beat the eggs in a cup. As you are mixing the flour, add the eggs slowly. By hand, pour the egg mixture in four lots, with machinery, slowly dribble in as the mixer runs. 
Melt the butter so it is just liquid but not hot. If you have a microwave, break the butter into smaller cubes, say 1/2" to 3/4", and heat for 1 minute on 50%. You should find that about half the butter has melted. Just stir the mixture and the residual heat will melt the rest. Add this slowly to the dough mixture, mixing thoroughly. 
Now fetch your yeast solution, it should have a good frothy head showing that the yeast is active. Mix thoroughly and pour steadily into the mixing dough. At this stage the mixture is still relatively dry and 'mealy'. 
Add the rest of the milk slowly. You are looking for the point where the mixture becomes one uniform dough and just lifts away form the bowl, but is not so wet that it is sticky. 
If you over do the milk you can add a bit more flour to absorb it. Knead or mix it some more until the dough is nice and elastic. Cover the bowl with cling film and place in the warm spot to rise. You need it to at least double in size. I put mine on top of the lagged hot water tank covered with a towel to keep the warmth in, the yeast really loves that and gets to work in an hour to an hour and a half.
 While that is proving prepare your tin(s) by buttering the inside. When the dough has doubled turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently by hand. This is sometimes called 'knocking back'. Form it roughly into a round shape to fit your tin and press a coin into the base close to, but not at, the edge. Press the dough into the tin and cover with cling film. Return to the warm spot to rise again. 
Now put the oven on to warm up to 375 F.After ten to 20 minutes proving, brush the top of the dough with beaten egg or milk and scatter sesame seeds liberally over it. Pop it into the oven. Bake for about 20 mins if using two loaf tins, 30 to 35 mins if using the 8" round tin, and 45 mins if using double quantities and larger tin. Poke the skewer right into the center of the loaf and, if it comes out clean, then the loaf is done. Slide a flat knife round the edge of the tin to release and of the egg coating that is sticking to the tin and turn the loaf out onto a rack to cool.
Enjoy!
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