“Koulouri” (plural “koulouria”) is the name of a type of bagel very popular throughout Greece, originally from Thessaloniki. Its Turkish equivalent, equally popular in its country, is called “simit.” They are ring-shaped and covered with sesame seeds. Their charm lies in the fact that they are crispy and golden on the outside, while spongy and tender on the inside.
Ingredients:
500 g of wheat flour
350 ml of lukewarm water
4 g dry yeast
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
Extra virgin olive oil
Sesame seeds (enough to generously cover a deep plate)
Optionally:
Some melted butter
Some grape molasses
Note: the preparation of the dough does not differ greatly from that for homemade bread, so it is worth reviewing some concepts explained in that post.
How to make and bake “koulouri” or “simit” at home:
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Put the flour with the salt in a bowl, and add the liquid while stirring. Mix in the same way as we would to make bread or pizza. When the flour has been completely integrated, proceed to knead by hand until obtaining a homogeneous and elastic dough. Add a little olive oil to the bowl, place the dough and cover with cling film. Let rise in a warm place of the house for approx. an hour, or until the dough has doubled in volume.
To prevent the dough from sticking later, lightly oil a smooth surface. Stretch the dough on it so that you can divide it into about 10 equal parts of approx. 80 grams each. Form each of them into a ball, and let them rest covered with a towel (a before, this is done in order to prevent them from drying out). Keep in mind that the surface where they rest must also be oiled or floured, otherwise they will stick.
Before proceeding to the next step, make sure you have ready: a bowl with water, another bowl with sesame seeds and a baking tray covered with parchment paper.
Next, form each koulouri or simit: to do this, start by stretching one of the pieces of dough until you obtain a rope about 30/35 cm long. Join the ends by pressing lightly. We will then have obtained a ring. Immerse it first in the bowl with water and then in the sesame bowl. The water makes it easier for the seeds to stick to the dough, creating a kind of “batter.” Place the koulouri on the tray lined with baking paper.
Repeat the process until the capacity of the tray is complete (having used half a kilo of flour, you will surely need a second tray or you will have to divide the work into two stages).
Again, cover with a towel and this time let them rise for half an hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Bake then for 15 or 20 minutes. The exact time not only depends on each oven, but on how golden and crispy you want your koulouria.
Tips and tricks:
- If they are not going to be consumed immediately, then it is a good idea to brush each koulouri with a little butter when you take them out of the oven. This way they will stay fresh and more attractive for longer.
- For the sesame “battering”, the dough is sometimes immersed in a solution of water and sugar (or water and grape molasses). This way you get a sweeter result and a more golden color. Many types of molasses (called pekmez in Turkish) are available in any Balkan or Middle-Eastern supermarket.