Recipes Breakfast and Brunch Breakfast Bread Recipes Vasilopita (Orange Sweet Bread) 4.0 (2) 2 Reviews 3 Photos This is a delicious orange sweet bread recipe that has been passed down in my family for several generations. It is a Greek tradition to serve this bread on New Year's morning. A coin is placed in the bread while baking, and when served, the person who finds the coin is said to have good luck for the year. It still makes a wonderful breakfast bread to be served anytime! The aroma that fills your home while baking this recipe is heavenly! It is an all-day process to make this bread, but it is worth it! For Greeks, this is a bread version of Vasilopita, not the dessert cake variety. Submitted by Kathryn Dietz Published on June 19, 2020 Save Rate Print Share Close Add Photo 3 Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 31 mins Additional Time: 4 hrs 45 mins Total Time: 5 hrs 46 mins Servings: 12 Yield: 2 loaves Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients ½ cup orange juice ½ cup water 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 3 (.25 ounce) packages rapid-rise yeast 2 cups white sugar 1 cup unsalted margarine (such as Fleischmann's®), melted 4 eggs 1 orange, zested 7 cups bread flour, or more as needed 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 coins wrapped in aluminum foil 1 egg white 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions Mix orange juice, water, and cinnamon in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave until the mixture registers 110 degrees F (43 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir yeast into the orange juice mixture. Let stand until yeast is creamy and frothy, about 45 minutes. Combine sugar and margarine in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until creamy. Add eggs; beat on high speed for 30 seconds. Mix in yeast mixture and orange zest until well combined. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl. Add gradually to the mixture in the stand mixer, mixing with a bread hook until a soft, sticky dough forms, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to a large glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 2 to 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 round cake pans. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Put 1 wrapped coin in each piece; knead for 2 to 3 minutes and shape into a ball. Place 1 ball of dough in each cake pan. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise until puffy, 2 to 4 hours more. Whisk egg white and vanilla together in a small bowl. Brush over the top of dough. Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 30 to 55 minutes. Cook's Notes: If the mixture doesn't bubble in step 2, it is possible that your water was too hot. You'll have to start over. Cover bread with aluminum foil in step 9 if it appears to be browning too quickly. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 303 Calories 17g Fat 36g Carbs 3g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 303 % Daily Value * Total Fat 17g 21% Saturated Fat 3g 13% Cholesterol 62mg 21% Sodium 695mg 30% Total Carbohydrate 36g 13% Dietary Fiber 1g 3% Total Sugars 34g Protein 3g 6% Vitamin C 6mg 7% Calcium 65mg 5% Iron 1mg 4% Potassium 88mg 2% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.