Greek Sesame Bread rings recipe (Koulouri Thessalonikis)
Incredibly crunchy on the outside with an amazingly soft and slightly chewy centre.. These delicious Greek bread rings covered with toasted sesame seeds are definitely the most popular street food one can find in Greece. And with good reason!
If you’ve ever found yourself walking the streets of Athens or Thessalonikis then you can’t have missed on all the street vendors selling these popular sesame bread rings. These famous Greek Koulouria are sold almost everywhere! On every street corner and every bakery, being probably the most popular breakfast for Greeks, along with a cup of coffee. Traditional Greek sesame-crusted bread rings can be served with either sweet or savoury accompaniments. I just love enjoying them with feta cheese or Graviera and Kalamata olives as a filling snack or cutting them in half crosswise, spreading with butter, honey or jam for breakfast. Simply delicious!
By Eli K. Giannopoulos
Ingredients
Vegan
∙ Makes 10-11
Baking & spices
8 g Active yeast, dry
500 g All purpose flour
2 tsp Salt
200 g Sesame seeds
1 tsp Sugar
Oils & vinegars
3 tbsp Olive oil
Liquids
300 g Water
1 Water
Instructions:
1.To prepare these Greek sesame bread rings recipe, start by making the dough. In the mixer’s bowl add the lukewarm water, the yeast and sugar and stir. Wrap well with plastic wrap and set aside for about 8-10 minutes, until the yeast starts bubbling. Into the same bowl, add first the flour, then the salt and olive oil. Using the dough hook, mix all the ingredients at low speed for about 7 minutes, until the dough becomes an elastic ball. When done, remove the dough from the hook and check out its texture. It should be smooth and elastic and slightly sticky. If it is too sticky, add just a little more flour (1/2 tsp), mix and check again.
2.Coat lightly a bowl with some olive oil, place the dough inside and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit in warm place for about 30 minutes. Knead the dough again at medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes.
3.Turn the dough onto a working surface and divide into 10 pieces. Take one piece of the dough and roll out into a rope approx. 35cm long. Form a circle and join the ends pinching them together. Place the bread ring on a large baking tray, lined up with parchment paper and repeat with the rest of the dough. (You will need two large baking trays.)
4.Bake in preheated oven at 200C for about 15 minutes, until nicely golden brown and crusty.
Enjoy!
