Chorek (choreg) is a very traditional Armenian sweet bread that is typically made around Easter and even Christmas. It is enriched with eggs, butter, milk, and sugar to make it slightly sweet, rich, and tender-crumbed.

Closeup of spiral-shaped Armenian sweet bread (chorek/choreg) topped with sesame seeds.

(This recipe for chorek / choreg was originally published in April 2011, but was updated with new photos and content in 2020).

Many cultures have variations of sweet bread. Sweet bread often refers to a bread that is not particularly sweet but is rather enriched with fat, eggs, and sugar. This yields a softer crumb with a hint of richness and sweetness.

Enriched breads are also more yellow-hued due to the addition of eggs. Every culture that has a version of sweet bread typically has something unique to their recipe that sets its apart, including Armenian chorek (choreg). Here are some other sweet breads from around the world!

Brioche (French): uses a bit less sugar than some other cultural sweet breads, and can be shaped a variety of ways. Brioche à tête is formed in a fluted round pan, while Brioche Nanterre is made in a standard loaf pan.
Challah (Jewish): often made for Shabbat and major Jewish holidays. It's traditionally braided, and usually features 3, 4, or 6 strands for increasingly complex-looking braids.
Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread): often has red dyed Easter eggs pressed into the braided dough. It occasionally includes other seasonings such as chopped nuts, orange zest, and/or mahleb.
Pane di Pasqua (Italian Easter Bread): often features citrus and/or anise flavors, and is braided into a ring with dyed Easter eggs pressed into the dough.
Massa Sovada or Pão Doce (Portuguese): usually a round dark loaf served with butter.

A large platter of Armenian chorek (choreg) sweet bread with sesame seeds.

What is mahleb?

The Middle Eastern spice mahleb or mahlab is the ingredient in Armenian sweet bread that sets it apart from others. Mahleb comes from the stones of St. Lucy’s cherries. Its aroma is reminiscent of cherry, almond, flowers, and rose water.

It imparts a sweet/sour and nutty flavor with a slightly bitter aftertaste. It’s a common addition to breads, pastries, and other sweet confections of the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.

Mahleb is more readily available around Easter and can be purchased at Middle Eastern or Greek markets, or even online. Once ground, it looses its flavor and aroma rapidly. Store it in an air-tight container and refrigerate or freeze for longevity. You may also purchase the spice whole and grind it yourself before each use.

If mahleb is unavailable it can technically be omitted from the choreg recipe, but I don't recommend that! You'll miss the traditional sweet aroma that makes choreg unique. Make an effort to source this ingredient if you are interested in making Armenian sweet bread.

Ground mahleb (Middle eastern spice) on a small white plate.

How to make it

The first step to make chorek (choreg) is to combine warm water with active dry yeast and sugar. Allow the yeast to bloom and soften. Because of the addition of sugar (yeast's favorite food!) the mixture should get frothy and release carbon dioxide. Make sure your bowl isn't too small or it may overflow.

Frothy yeast bloomed in water with sugar, spoon holding some up to show the bubbles.

In a medium mixing bowl beat together the remaining sugar, eggs, whiskey or brandy, and vanilla extract. Slowly beat in simmering milk, being careful to gently heat the egg mixture so the eggs don't curdle. Then whisk in melted butter and finally the yeast mixture.

The wet ingredients for choreg whisked together in a metal mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, mahleb, baking powder, and kosher salt.

*A Note on Measuring Flour* Weight measurements are most accurate. This is what I recommend, and what I use. To measure in cups, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off, don't scoop. Scooping flour packs the flour into the cup, and you will end up with a lot more flour than you expected. If measuring in cups start with closer to 9 and add more if needed. Again, weight measurements are ALWAYS most accurate and will ensure the best results, avoiding human error in measuring.

Create a well in the center of the dry mixture and add the wet ingredients. There's a lot, it may overflow out of the well but that's fine. Use a large spoon to mix from the center outward, and allow the dry mixture to absorb the wet mixture.

Adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients for chorek in a metal mixing bowl.

Get in there with your hands at this point, and continue mixing and kneading until all the liquid is absorbed into the dry ingredients. You should have a soft, supple, slightly tacky dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased extra large bowl with room for the dough to double in size. If the bowl you mixed the dough in is large enough you can leave it in there, but it will expand a lot!

Chorek dough in a large metal mixing dough, prior to proofing.

Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and set it in a warm place to rise. I usually heat the oven for just a minute, then turn it off and put my dough in the warm but not hot oven.

Chorek dough in a large metal mixing bowl after proofing, doubled in size.

Different ways to shape chorek

Chorek (choreg) is generally prepared into smaller shapes as opposed to large loaves. Most commonly, it is braided with 3 strands which represent the Holy Trinity. These three-strand-braided breads can vary in size from smaller individual loaves, to somewhat larger ones that can be sliced and shared. It can also be shaped into snails, twists, or my personal favorite: chorek people!

I believe chorek people are an invention completely unique to my grandmother. Ever since I was little, I remember her making people shapes out of chorek for all of her grandchildren. I'm so lucky to have such a creative grandma! Chorek people look a lot like gingerbread men, but they are made of yeasted dough and therefore require a bit more effort to shape than using a cookie cutter.

It's pretty easy though, and especially fun for children (or me) to eat these adorable people-shaped sweet breads. Just remember to remove the clove eyes before eating 🙂 Someday, I would love to make a full batch of chorek people, and create a whole community called Chorek Land. Kind of like Candy Land but exponentially more awesome. Read on to learn how to make the different shapes.

Armenian sweet bread (chorek) shaped like people.

How to make a braid

Roll out a piece of dough between your hands and the work surface until you have a ½-to-¾-inch thick rope. Cut off ⅓ of the length of the dough and attach it to the center of the longer piece by pressing the pieces together.

Ropes of dough shaped like the letter T on a wooden cutting board.

Very loosely braid the ropes together (the braid will proof and get bigger later, so don't braid tightly). Press the ends together to "seal" the braid.

Braided dough on a wooden cutting board.

How to make a snail/spiral

Roll out a piece of dough between your hands and the work surface until you have a ½-to-¾-inch thick rope. Gently and loosely wrap the dough around itself starting from the center and moving outward. Tuck the end under the dough and gently press to seal it closed.

Dough shaped into a spiral or snail shape on a wooden cutting board.

How to make a chorek person

Lightly flour your work surface and hands, and roll out a piece of dough between your hands and the work surface to create an even cylinder. Pat the dough out into a rectangle with the long sides on the left and right. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut a slit at the bottom (for the legs), 2 slits on either side (for the arms) and another 2 slits slightly above the arms (for the head).

Tuck under the pointy ends of the arms. Adjust the dough around the head to either make it look like hair (for a girl), or tuck the points under the head to make it round (for a boy). Use whole cloves for the eyes, and red M&Ms for the mouth.

Collage of photos showing how to assemble a person shape out of chorek dough.

Very carefully use a large floured spatula or bench scraper to transfer chorek people from the work surface to the baking sheet. They are more fragile than the other shapes. You can make adults and children by making different-sized chorek people.

A man and woman chorek (choreg) person on a parchment lined baking sheet, before baking.

A baking sheet with 3 spiral shaped choreks and 2 person-shaped choreks, prior to baking.

Please keep in mind that chorek people typically bake faster than some of the other shapes, so keep an eye on them so they don't dry out. Remove the clove eyes before eating.

A man and woman chorek person on a parchment lined baking sheet, after baking.

Baking chorek

Arrange the choreks on parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheets. Depending on the shapes and sizes you make you will likely need 3 to 4 baking sheets. Don't arrange the shapes too close to each other, because they will expand. Allow the shaped breads to rise for about 15 to 30 minutes in the slightly warm oven (or another warm-ish space).

Brush the tops and sides of all the choreg breads with an egg wash mixture made with 1 whole egg, an egg yolk, and a little sugar. This is always how my grandmother did it so I'm not messing with tradition.

Top the egg-washed braids and snails with sesame seeds. The chorek people don't require sesame seeds. Bake the trays in batches 2 at a time for about 28 to 32 minutes, rotating from top to bottom and front to back halfway through.

Chorek should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container, but can be warmed up before eating, if desired. They can also be frozen, thawed, and enjoyed at a later date. Refresh previously frozen chorek for a few minutes in the oven before serving.

A sheet pan of braided baked choregs topped with sesame seeds.

Other recipes you may like

Have you ever tried chorek (choreg) or other culturally diverse sweet breads from around the world? I'm always fascinated to learn how different people celebrate holidays through food.

For Armenians chorek is pretty non-negotiable at Easter. Nearly every Armenian family will feature chorek on the Easter menu, and sometimes on their Christmas menu too!

Close up of a chorek (Armenian sweet bread) cut in half to show a cross-section.

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Chorek / Choreg (Armenian Sweet Bread)