Koulouri Thessalonikis (Κουλούρι Θεσσαλονίκης)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •two large rimmed baking trays
• •wide shallow dish for the petimezi bath
• •wide tray for sesame seeds
• •kitchen scale

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the dough

   Put the flour, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl and stir. Add the lukewarm water and olive oil, then mix until no dry flour remains. Sprinkle in the salt and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, springy, and only lightly tacky. It should feel lean, not rich.

   If the dough smears badly on your hands, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Too much flour makes a hard koulouri, and we don't need that trouble before breakfast.
2. 2

   Let it rise

   Shape the dough into a ball, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for 50 to 60 minutes, until puffed and almost doubled. It does not need to collapse under your finger. A gentle spring back is enough.

3. 3

   Prepare the coating

   Line two large baking trays with parchment. Spread the sesame seeds in a wide shallow tray. In a second shallow dish, stir the petimezi into the water until dissolved. If you're using sugar, dissolve it fully. This sweetened water is the step that decides the dish: it makes the sesame grip the whole rope and bake into a tawny crust instead of falling off in sad little piles.

   Use raw sesame seeds. They toast in the oven on the dough, which keeps them fragrant instead of bitter.
4. 4

   Shape the rings

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide it into 10 pieces, about 85g each. Roll each piece into a rope 45 to 50cm long. Bring the ends together into a ring about 14cm across, overlap the tips slightly, and pinch firmly so the seam holds.

5. 5

   Dip and sesame

   Dip each ring into the petimezi water, lifting it gently so it keeps its shape. Lay it straight into the sesame tray and press both sides and the outer edge into the seeds. The ring should look fully coated, not politely sprinkled. Set the koulouria on the prepared trays with space between them.

6. 6

   Proof briefly

   Cover the trays lightly and let the rings rest for 15 to 20 minutes while the oven heats to 220C, or 200C fan. They should puff a little but still keep their clean ring shape. Do not wait for a full second doubling, or the crust loses its bite.

7. 7

   Bake hot

   Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the trays once, until the sesame is golden, the underside is browned, and the rings sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes. Koulouri is at its best warm or the same day, when the outside still answers your teeth.

Chef Tips

• •Use strong bread flour if you can. Plain flour will make an acceptable ring, but the chew will be softer and less like the street carts of Thessaloniki.
• •Smell the sesame before you use it. Fresh sesame is nutty and sweet; stale sesame tastes dusty or bitter, and no clever method fixes that.
• •Petimezi gives the deepest color and an old-city flavor, but sugar water is a real kitchen answer when petimezi isn't in the cupboard. Λίγα και καλά: dissolve it fully and coat the rings generously.
• •Koulouri is same-day bread. Freeze leftovers once cooled, then warm them at 180C for 6 to 8 minutes so the crust wakes up again.
• •Eat it with Greek coffee, a wedge of feta, olives, or nothing at all. Many schoolchildren have eaten it plain from a paper bag, and they were not suffering.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be mixed and refrigerated after 30 minutes of room-temperature rising for up to 12 hours. Bring it back toward room temperature before shaping.
• •Measure the sesame and prepare the trays the night before. Keep the sesame covered and dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 82g)