Ingredients

• 500g/1lb 2oz strong white flour
• plus extra for dusting
• 7g fast-action yeast
• 10g salt
• 60g/2½oz butter
• softened
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• pinch gum mastic powder
• pinch mahlab (also called mechlebe or mahlepi
• available from specialist delicatessens or online)
• pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 orange
• zest only
• 150ml/5fl oz warm water
• 150ml/5fl oz milk
• handful sultanas
• 3 free-range eggs
• hardboiled in their shells with red food colouring
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten for egg wash

Directions

• Put the flour
• yeast
• salt
• butter and sugar into a large bowl. Add the mastic powder
• mahlab and cinnamon
• then the orange zest. Pour in half the water and milk and mix together briefly
• then keep adding the liquid and mixing until you have a soft glutinous dough.
• Mix the sultanas through the dough
• then tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until you have a pliable dough. Shape into a ball and rest for at least an hour
• or overnight in the fridge
• until doubled in size.
• Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Divide the dough into three and roll into three strands. Plait the strips together
• place on the baking tray and leave to rise for another hour
• or until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 210C/400F/Gas 6. Brush the top of the bread with egg wash and push the coloured eggs into the bread. Bake for 20-25 minutes
• then transfer to a wire rack to cool.