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    Home / Recipes / Vegan Sides

    Greek New Year's Bread

    Published: Dec 31, 2024 · Modified: Dec 31, 2024 by Kathy Carmichael · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Greek New Year's Bread is an oil-free sweet bread, almost like a cake, made every New Year as a good luck tradition for the upcoming year. My daughter turned my family's Greek New Year's Bread Recipe into an oil-free vegan version of our annual tradition.

    We are cutting the Greek New Year's Bread Recipe.

    Our family has a New Year's tradition of making Greek New Year's Bread every year. Throughout my childhood, my Aunt Alkisty baked the bread for our family. Then, my cousin, Alexis, took over, bringing my family a Greek New Year's Bread Recipe to our home every year before New Year's Day.  Since moving to Arizona, my daughter Kristyn has taken over the tradition by baking our family bread. 

    Jump to:
    • What is Greek New Year's Day Bread?
    • The Lucky Quarter Baked in the Bread
    • What Does Greek New Year's Bread Taste Like?
    • Who Won the Quarter This Year?  
    • Vegan Greek New Year's Bread Ingredients
    • How to Make the Greek New Year's Bread Recipe
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Tips
    • Vegan Recipes for the Whole Family
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    What is Greek New Year's Day Bread?

    Vasilopita is a Greek New Year's Day bread or cake in Greece which contains a hidden coin that gives good luck to the lucky recipient.  On January 1, my family celebrates a tradition of cutting the Greek New Year's Bread with a hidden coin.

    On New Year's Day, families cut the Greek New Year's Bread to bless the house and bring good luck for the new year.  And if there was ever a year to cut this bread, for good luck, it is New Year's Day 2024.

    The Lucky Quarter Baked in the Bread

    To hide a coin inside the bread, a coin is slipped into the dough before baking. A piece of bread is sliced for each family member by age from eldest to youngest.

    Slices are also cut for various symbolic people or groups, depending on the local and family tradition. For instance, in our family, we slice a piece of bread for the Lord, the house, and then begin with the eldest person in the family to the youngest. 

    This year, for instance, my sister got married, so we added her husband to our family list. 

    Because my daughter, Kristyn, is vegan, she transformed my Aunt Alkisty's original recipe to 'veganize it.' 

    What Does Greek New Year's Bread Taste Like?

    Greek New Year's Bread is often referred to as a cake because of its sweet taste. Like a Hawaiian roll, New Year's bread is moist with a sweet flavor. When toasted, it almost tastes like French toast. 

    My kids, who usually eat most of the loaf themselves, love to toast pieces for breakfast. And often, they even toast some for dessert. 

    Even though the New Year's bread tastes fabulous, the real fun is finding out who gets the quarter for a year of good luck. 

    Who Won the Quarter This Year?  

    This year, my daughter, Kristyn, got the quarter. It was the first New Year without my mom, which is difficult for all of us as we cut the bread this year.

    We are cutting the Greek New Year's Bread Recipe to reveal the quarter inside.

    Vegan Greek New Year's Bread Ingredients

    As many of you know, I'm not much of a baker. I love savory food, and sweets don't interest me much. My daughter, on the other hand, is quite a vegan baker. 

    • Dry Active Yeast: Dry active yeast
    • Oat Milk: I prefer oat milk, but any unsweetened plant milk works fine.
    • Sugar: Vegan sugar; yes, it is a thing, and it is unbleached and unprocessed. Also called raw sugar.
    • All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is versatile and can be used for a wide range of baked goods, while plain flour is best suited for delicate baked goods like pastries and cakes.
    • Salt: Because salt helps to control fermentation, it's better to catch this one sooner than later in yeast doughs,” says Laurie. Without salt, your dough will rise faster than it normally would, leading to less flavor development and a weaker structure.
    • Flaxseed Eggs: Flaxseed eggs combine flaxseed meal (ground flaxseeds) and water. The flaxseed meal absorbs the water and becomes gelatinous, like an egg white. These are a great vegan substitute when you don't want to use a chicken egg in a recipe.
    • Orange Zest: Orange zest gives the bread recipe immense flavor.
    • Orange Juice: I prefer fresh squeezed orange juice for the best flavor.

    How to Make the Greek New Year's Bread Recipe

    1. Warm 1 cup of oat milk so that it is warm to the touch but not hot.  You don't want to kill the yeast.  Add the two packets of yeast and one teaspoon of sugar.  Stir and let rise for 10-20 minutes.
    2. Make the flaxseed eggs in a separate bowl and set them aside.
    3. In a large bowl, combine the remainder of the sugar, flour, and salt.  Mix to combine.
    4. Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture.  Add the other cup of oat milk (warmed), orange zest, and orange juice into the well.  
    5. Once the flaxseed egg has set and the yeast has doubled in size, add these.  Combine by stirring with a wooden spoon.
    6. Flour a surface thoroughly.  Place the dough mixture on the surface and knead for 10 minutes.  Add more flour if it gets too sticky.
    7. Add the dough to a large bowl.  Cover with a towel and leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours to rise until it doubles in size.
    8. Once it doubles, punch the dough down and divide it into two portions. 
    9. Flour your surface again and knead each dough ball for about 5 minutes, adding a quarter wrapped in aluminum foil as you knead.  
    10. Add a little flour to the bottom of 2 9 inch round pans (to prevent sticking)
    11. Place one ball in each round 9" pans.  Put in a warm place and allow to rise for 1 hour.
    12. Score the bread with a design of your choosing.  
    13. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Then turn the temperature and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 
    14. Let cool for 10 minutes.

    Recipe FAQs

    What is the tradition of cutting Vasilopita?

    Greek families cut the vasilopita at some point during New Year's Day. Many do so after the clock strikes midnight. The person who cuts it is usually the head of the household, and they cut the sign of the cross three times on the cake. This is said to bring luck and blessings to the home.

    What does the Greek word Vasilopita mean?

    The Greek word Vasilopita is directly translated as “Sweet Bread of Basil.” When the Vasilopita is prepared, a coin is baked into the ingredients. Sweet flavoring is added to the bread, which symbolizes life's eternal sweetness and joy.

    What is the significance of cutting the cake?

    The circular shape of a cake represents the cycle of life while cutting and sharing it signifies unity and togetherness. The sweetness of the cake is associated with bringing happiness and joy to the person celebrating their special day. It's like sharing a piece of joy with everyone present!

    Tips

    • Plan ahead; this recipe takes a long time to make. It's a commitment! Don't try to rush or cut corners, or it won't turn out right.
    • Wash the quarter and wrap it several times in plastic to keep the bread clean.
    • The plant milk must be warm for the bread recipe.
    • Allow the flaxseed eggs to sit so they thicken properly before adding to the other ingredients.
    • The optimum rising temperature for most doughs is around 22 °C to 25 °C or 72 °F to 77 °F. The yeast or sourdough starter is sufficiently active at this temperature to raise bread, pizza, or bun dough. At higher temperatures, the raising agent is too active, and the dough does not have enough time to develop.

    Try starting a fun family tradition, and make this Greek New Year's Bread recipe. You don't need to be Greek to share in the fun!

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    If you love this Greek New Year's Bread recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

    📖 Recipe

    cutting the greek New Year's Bread

    Greek New Year's Bread

    Kathy Carmichael
    Greek New Year's Bread is an oil-free sweet bread, almost like a cake made every New Year as a good luck tradition for the upcoming year. My daughter turned my family's Greek New Year's Bread into an oil-free vegan version of our family's annual tradition.
    4.80 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 40 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 359 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 packages active dry yeast
    • 2 cups oat milk or almond milk
    • ¾ cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 7 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 4 flaxseed eggs 4 Tablespoon flaxseed and 12 Tablespoons of water
    • zest of one and a half oranges
    • 4 tablespoons orange juice

    Instructions
     

    • Warm 1 cup of oat milk so that it is warm to the touch but not hot.  You don't want to kill the yeast. 
    • Add the two packets of yeast and one teaspoon of sugar.  Stir and let rise for 10-20 minutes.
    • Make the flaxseed eggs in a separate bowl and set aside.
    • In a large bowl, combine the remainder of the sugar, flour, and salt.  Mix to combine.
    • Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture.  Add the other cup of oat milk (warmed), orange zest, and orange juice into the well.  
    • Once the flaxseed egg has set and the yeast has doubled in size, add these. 
    • Combine by stirring with a wooden spoon.
    • Flour a surface thoroughly. 
    • Place the dough mixture on the surface and knead for 10 minutes. 
    • Add more flour if it gets too sticky.
    • Add the dough to a large bowl.  
    • Cover with a towel and leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours to rise until it doubles in size.
    • Once it doubles, punch the dough down and divide it into two portions. 
    • Add a little flour to the bottom of 2 9 inch round pans (to prevent sticking)
    • Place one ball in each round 9" pans.  Put in a warm place and allow to rise for 1 hour.
    • Flour your surface again and knead each dough ball for about 5 minutes, adding a quarter wrapped in aluminum foil as you knead.
    • Put in a warm place and allow to rise for 1 hour.
    • Score the bread with a design of your choosing.  
    • Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. 
    • Then turn the temperature and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 
    • Let cool for 10 minutes.

    Notes

    • Plan ahead; this recipe takes a long time to make. It's a commitment! Don't try to rush or cut corners, or it won't turn out right.
    • Wash the quarter and wrap it several times in plastic to keep the bread clean.
    • The plant milk must be warm for the bread recipe.
    • Allow the flaxseed eggs to sit so they thicken properly before adding to the other ingredients.
    • The optimum rising temperature for most doughs is around 22 °C to 25 °C or 72 °F to 77 °F. The yeast or sourdough starter is sufficiently active at this temperature to raise bread, pizza, or bun dough. At higher temperatures, the raising agent is too active, and the dough does not have enough time to develop.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 359kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 9gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 216mgPotassium: 148mgFiber: 4gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 93IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 4mg
    Tried our recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Kathy Carmichael

    Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂

    www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me/

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.80 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sandee

      January 02, 2025 at 9:01 am

      5 stars
      I enjoy your good recipes! Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Kathy Carmichael

        January 02, 2025 at 10:38 am

        Hi Sandee, thank you so much for your support. I'm glad you enjoy the recipes. Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe. Happy New Year!

        Reply
    2. Sri

      January 09, 2021 at 5:17 pm

      Kathy such nice family pics. Hope you get your New Years wish and your mom gets to move closer this year.

      Reply
      • Kathy Carmichael

        January 10, 2021 at 8:35 am

        Thank you so much! Happy New Year to you!

        Reply

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