CHRISTOPSOMO - The Bread of Christ

December is a time for baking bread and many types of biscuits.  The fruity and very special Christopsomo is my favourite to make because it is the bread of Christ.  I make it on the eve of Christmas, it is a time for the women of the family to be together in the kitchen, to talk, to sing kalanda (carols) and to bake our bread for the next day.  In my home I keep the tradition from when I was young and before we start we make the sign of the cross and then with gentle hands we mix the ingredients.  My mother would decorate the top of the bread with a cross from two long strips of dough and then placing a walnut  (complete walnut with shell) at each point of the cross, it looks so special and I make my bread just the same way.

On Christmas day before dinner my husband makes the sign of the cross over the bread before he breaks it open to give a piece to all the family gathered around the table and we are content to know we are blessed. Xonia Polla!  (wishing you many years).

Ingredients

4 ½ cups of plain flour
1 cup of currants
1 cup of small walnut pieces
½ cup of sugar
3 tablespoons Ouzo
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons dry yeast
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Finely grated rind/zest of one medium-sized orange

*4 whole unshelled walnuts for decoration

Preparation

1. Mix yeast with one teaspoon of sugar, and ½ cup of warm water, then leave to for 30 minutes to go frothy.
2. In a very large mixing bowl, sift the flour, then add the sugar, salt, cinnamon and clove  then create a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.
3. Add the yeast mixture to the well and start mixing together.
4. Add the Ouzo and slowly pour ½ cup of warm water to the mix, kneading well all the time. Once the water has been absorbed into the dough, slowly add the olive oil and work it into the dough.
5. When the dough has taken shape, add the orange rind and knead it into the dough, then add the currants and walnut bits and continue to knead the dough until it forms a soft and sticky doughy ball.
6. With a sharp knife, cut off a piece of dough big enough to make two long strips to form a cross decoration
7. Knead the dough mass for about 10 minutes more and place on a round or square greased baking high sided baking pan/tray and use the palm of your hand to shape it to fit and evenly fill the entire bottom of the pan.
8. Divide the small piece of dough and roll out into two strands of equal length that will be long enough to form a cross on top of the bread.  To make sure the cross shape sticks use a little water and press down the edges carefully, then press an unshelled walnut at each of the four the ends of the cross.  Brush with a little milk to give he bread a glaze when baked.
9. Cover the dough in the pan with a cloth and put aside in a warm place to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours until it has doubled in size.
10. When the dough has risen, place the pan in a pre-heated oven t 350°F (180°C) and bake for 60 minutes  until a brown crust has formed.