Koulouri

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gstrong white flour
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 10 gsalt
• 1 tbspsugar
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 300 mlwarm water

Dipping mixture

• 100 mlpetimezi, grape molasses
• 300 mlwarm water

Coating

• 250 gsesame seeds

Directions

1. Put the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl, keeping salt and yeast apart at first. Add the olive oil and most of the warm water. Bring it together into a dough and turn it out. Knead it for ten minutes until it is smooth and elastic. It should be firm rather than soft, since it must hold a thin ring shape.
2. Put it in an oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise for an hour. It should roughly double in size in a warm kitchen. Roll each piece into a rope about sixty centimetres long. The Greek ring is thinner than a simit, so roll the ropes thin.
3. Let the ropes rest for two minutes if they spring back as you roll. Fold each rope in half and twist the two halves together. Twist them fairly tightly along their whole length. Bring the ends together into a ring and press them firmly. Roll the join under your palm so it merges into the twist. Set the rings on a floured tray.
4. Prove them for twenty minutes while the oven heats. Petimezi is grape must boiled down to a thick dark syrup. Whisk it into the warm water until it is fully dissolved. The mixture should look like weak tea and taste faintly sweet.
5. Spread the sesame seeds in a wide shallow tray. Heat the oven to 220C with a heavy baking tray inside. Lift a proved ring and lower it into the petimezi water.
6. Turn it once so both faces are thoroughly wet. Lift it out and let it drip for a second or two. Lay it into the sesame and press it down firmly. Turn it and press the other side, and press the sides too. The ring should be almost invisible under the seeds.
7. Lay the coated rings on the preheated tray with space between them. Bake them for sixteen to eighteen minutes. They should be deep golden and the sesame should smell toasted. Let them cool for five minutes before eating. They are best within a few hours and go tough by the afternoon.

Technique

• Petimezi grape molasses in the dip is what distinguishes the Greek version.
• Roll the ropes thin, since koulouri is thinner and crisper than a simit.
• Cool them uncovered on a rack, since they should stay crisp.

Substitutions

• Diluted date syrup or dark honey if petimezi is unavailable.
• White sesame is standard, though a mix with black looks striking.

Variations

• Thessaloniki style, thinner and crisper.
• Made softer and thicker, closer to a simit.
• With a mix of black and white sesame.

History

Sesame bread ring sold from street carts in Thessaloniki and Athens, closely related to the Turkish simit.

Frequently asked questions

What is Koulouri?

Koulouri is a street food from Greece: sesame-crusted bread ring sold from morning carts. Sesame bread ring sold from street carts in Thessaloniki and Athens, closely related to the Turkish simit.

How long does Koulouri take to make?

Koulouri takes 30 min plus 90 min rising of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 rings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Koulouri?

Yes, within limits. Diluted date syrup or dark honey if petimezi is unavailable. White sesame is standard, though a mix with black looks striking.

What is the most important thing to get right in Koulouri?

Put the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl, keeping salt and yeast apart at first. Add the olive oil and most of the warm water. Bring it together into a dough and turn it out. Knead it for ten minutes until it is smooth and elastic. It should be firm rather than soft, since it must hold a thin ring shape.