Description
Koulouri Thessalonikis is a traditional Greek sesame-covered bread ring, often enjoyed as a breakfast snack or street food. This recipe features a soft, elastic dough that is boiled briefly in a sugar water solution before being coated generously with sesame seeds and baked to golden perfection. The result is a chewy, slightly sweet bread with a crunchy sesame crust—a delightful treat with a rich cultural heritage from Thessaloniki, Greece.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 16 g Dry active yeast (0.56 oz)
- 300 ml Water (10 fl.oz), lukewarm
- 150 g Strong flour (5.3 oz) (Bread flour)
- 350 g All-purpose flour (12.3 oz)
- 50 g Granulated sugar (1.8 oz)
- 10 g Salt (0.35 oz)
- Olive oil (for greasing the bowl)
Coating and Boiling Ingredients
- 500 ml Water (17 fl.oz)
- 2 Tbsp Granulated sugar
- 200 g Sesame seeds (7 oz)
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a bowl, combine 300 ml lukewarm water with the dry active yeast. Let the mixture rest for 5-6 minutes until the yeast becomes foamy, indicating it’s active and ready for use.
- Mix Dough: Add the strong flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt to the mixing bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix on medium-high speed for 7-8 minutes until the dough pulls away from the bottom of the bowl.
- Hand Knead (Optional): If no stand mixer is available, knead the dough by hand for about 15 minutes until it becomes soft and elastic, pulling away from the surface.
- Proof Dough: Generously grease a bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough into the greased bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 1 to 1½ hours until doubled in size.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (392°F) in preparation for baking.
- Prepare Coating Mixture: In one bowl, combine 500 ml water with 2 tablespoons of sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. In another bowl, place the sesame seeds for coating.
- Divide Dough: On a clean work surface, cut the risen dough into approximately 10 equal pieces.
- Shape Dough Balls: If dough is sticky, lightly brush the surface with olive oil to prevent sticking. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and cover with a towel to avoid drying out.
- Form Rings: Roll each dough ball into a long roll then join the ends together to form a circular ring, ensuring even size and shape across all pieces.
- Dip in Sugar Water: Fully immerse each ring into the sugar water bowl, coating it completely.
- Coat with Sesame Seeds: Immediately transfer the wet rings to the bowl with sesame seeds and gently coat each one thoroughly using a spoon to press seeds onto the surface.
- Bake: Place four coated koulouria on baking pans lined with parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven for 17-20 minutes until golden brown. Watch closely to avoid over-browning.
Notes
- Use lukewarm water for activating yeast to help it foam properly.
- Do not add more flour during hand kneading to avoid tough dough; oil your hands or surface lightly instead.
- Cover shaped dough balls to prevent drying during shaping process.
- Even coating of sesame seeds enhances texture and flavor, so press seeds gently but thoroughly onto the dough.
- Baking time may vary depending on your oven; check for an evenly golden color.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 1 to 1½ hour for proofing)
- Cook Time: 17-20 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Koulouri, Greek bread, sesame bagel, Thessaloniki, traditional Greek snack, sesame seeds, homemade bread ring
