Nov 01, 2021

Laiik Makes Greek Food: Koulouri Thessaloniki

This month, we make a Greek street food staple -- Koulouri Thessalonikis -- a sesame seed-sprinkled, slightly sweet round bread. Some historians even trace the koulouri's origins back to antiquity and to the origin of street food. Grab your Laiik shoes, head to the market for the ingredients, and come make Koulouri Thessalonikis with us.

Execution time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Waiting time: 60-90 minutes

Portions: 8-10

Ingredients

150 grams hard flour
350 grams all-purpose flour
8 grams salt
40 grams sugar
300ml water at room temperature
18 grams dry yeast

For the topping

300 grams sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sugar
500 ml luke-warm water

Execution

In a mixing bowl, add the dry yeast to the water, and mix until dissolved. Leave for 6-7 minutes.
Add all the rest of the ingredients to the bowl (hard flour, all-purpose flour, salt and sugar), and knead with a mixer or by hand, until the dough becomes soft, elastic and easy to work.
Move the dough to a well-oiled bowl. Allow to rest, for between 60-90 minutes at room temperature, until approximately double in size.
Preheat the oven to 200DegC, on the convection setting
Fill a bowl with the luke-warm water (500ml), add 2 tablespoons sugar, and mix until dissolved
Add the sesame seeds to a flat tray
Oil up your working surface, and cut the dough into approximately 80-gram pieces
Form the dough balls into long strips and join at the ends to form the circular koulouri
Dip the circular dough into the sugar water, and then into the sesame tray, until fully covered by sesame - then place in a tray lined with baking paper.
Cook in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until golden in colour
Serve plain, or with cheese and jam.

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