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Choreg on a plate with eggs and a towel

Choreg

Note that prep time is broken down as follows: Day 1: 25 mins prep, 8 hours rising overnight Day 2: 60 mins prep, 60 mins rising.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine Armenian
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings 40 -70 choregs

Ingredients

  • 2 packets dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup warm water
  • 2 cups salted butter
  • 3 cups milk I used whole
  • 5 lb bag King Arthur Flour
  • 1 tbsp mahleb (optional--may add more if desired)
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 8 extra large eggs

For the tops:

  • 1-2 eggs for egg wash
  • about 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine yeast and water and reserve. The yeast should start to bubble up. If it doesn't bubble, the yeast isn't good, and should be discarded.
  2. In a saucepan on the stove, melt butter.
  3. Once butter is melted, turn off heat and add milk to the melted butter, and set aside.
  4. While butter is melting, in another very large bowl (I used a big lobster pot) combine flour, salt, and mahleb if using, and set aside.

  5. In a large bowl, whisk sugar and eggs together, and set aside.

  6. Add the butter/milk mixture, egg/sugar mixture, and yeast/water mixture with the flour in the very large bowl.
    hand mixing ingredients
  7. Knead ingredients until completely combined, about 5-10 minutes. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap (wrap should completely touch your dough to prevent a skin from forming as it rises). Set aside in a warm place for 4 hours to overnight (I recommend overnight). The dough should double in size.
    dough covered in plastic
  8. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down once and let it sit covered in a warm spot for an additional 30 minutes.
    risen dough
  9. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375 F degrees.

  10. Take a small handful of dough, and roll it out into a log about 1/2 inch thick. You can flour the surface or your hands to help if dough is sticky.
    rolling dough
  11. Tie the dough into a knot, and place it on a cookie sheet. Repeat with all the dough; depending on how big your choregs are, you will need to do this in batches, and need 5-6 cookie sheets. Leave at least 1-2 inches between choregs. Let choreg sit on cookie sheet for 30 minutes.
    choreg dough in a knot
  12. Beat 1-2 eggs with a splash of water or milk for the egg wash. Brush tops and sides of choreg with egg wash, and then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating once, or until tops just turn brown.

    choreg dough on parchment
  13. Remove pan from oven. Carefully slide the parchment paper off the baking sheet, and cool choregs on parchment. 

    cooked choreg
  14. Once completely cooled, store in airtight storage bags or containers. They should keep for about 1 week at room temperature, or can be frozen for 3-4 months.  

Cooking tip: cut enough parchment paper for all batches of choreg. After the first two baking sheets go in the oven, continue forming choregs and placing them on the parchment. This will allow them time to rest and rise while the other batch is cooking. When the other batch comes out of the oven, remove the choregs to a baking rack, and place the next parchment (carefully) on the baking sheet.