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View Full Version : Greek Koulouria Sesame Rings - with pics


RevZiLLa
02-19-2012, 05:42 PM
When I posted the recipe up a little over a week ago, I didn't have pics. Made these yesterday with a slightly altered method and took pics...



Greek Koulouria Sesame Bread Rings


I tried these in Athens and Thessaloníki and love the toasted sesame flavor. There are a couple bakeries in Baltimore and Los Angeles that make them, but I haven't had any for 7 or 8 years. Time to take matters into my own hands!



Sponge

2 cups bread flour
2 ¼ cups water, 110 to 120 degrees F
1 envelope instant yeast
1 scant tablespoon sugar
Put flour, sugar, and yeast into a bowl. Warm water to 115 to 120 degrees and stir it into the bowl to make a loose batter. Don’t worry about lumps too much. Cover and let sit in a warm place for 20 minutes, until soft and foamy.



Dough

5 cups all-purpose flour (or more)
2 teaspoon salt (http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?id=359)
6 tablespoons olive oil
Mix flour, salt, and olive oil with all of the sponge from above and knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes, 6 minutes by machine. You might need to add a little more flour. The dough should be soft, smooth, and elastic, but no more than barely sticky. Cover and let rise for about an hour, until doubled in bulk.



Shaping

1 cup sesame seeds or a shaker of seeds
Medium bowl of water or a sprayer of water
Punch the dough down and knead it lightly. Roll dough out to a 14 by 16 rectangle and cut into sixteen 14” strips with a pizza cutter. Roll the strips to make them round (don’t get obsessive) and join the ends to form rings and press the ends together.

Put some water into a bowl and put sesame seeds onto a plate. Dip the rings into warm water one at a time and then into sesame seeds to cover them on both sides. OR, just spray the rings with water and sprinkle seeds on one side liberally. Press down to get the sesame seeds embedded into the dough just a bit.

Put rings onto a parchment lined baking tray and let rise covered for 45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees near the end of the rise.

Bake
Bake for 10 minutes, spraying water onto the rings and into the oven every two minutes to create steam. Turn the oven down to 350. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes until the Koulóuria are golden brown and the sesame seeds are lightly toasted.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cool the rest of the way on wire racks.


I tried spraying the rings with water instead of dipping them. Used less sesame seeds and just sprinkled on top...bcause I didn't have enough on hand. Simplified the baking steps a bit.

Pictures are sponge just mixed, sponge activated, dough first knead, dough risen a bit more than expected...two pics, Cutting the strips to make the rings, (forgot a pic of the rings formed but before risen) Koulouria risen, Koulouria baked.

jestridge
02-19-2012, 06:32 PM
Looks good kinda remaine me of a bagel

cowgirl
02-19-2012, 06:33 PM
I'm bookmarking this one too Revzilla...looks wonderful!
I remembered to pick up bread flour in town this weekend... hope to make your Greek Easter bread first!

Thanks for sharing these recipes with us. :thumb:

RevZiLLa
02-19-2012, 06:57 PM
They're lighter and bigger in diameter than bagels. I need to relearn how to make bagels....

Can't wait to see your pics when you make it, Cowgirl!

Garyclaw
02-20-2012, 09:45 AM
Hey, Thanks for the pix Rev. Those look beautiful!

fingerlickin'
02-20-2012, 04:07 PM
Those look great. How do you eat these things? Like a bagel? Cream cheese, butter? or just eat it as bread.

RevZiLLa
02-20-2012, 04:11 PM
I like to warm them up in the toaster oven and have some cheese (warmed up a bit to release flavor) on the side. A lot of folks will make them part of a Continental Breakfast and dip an edge into jam. I have never tried them with cream cheese, but I love sesame bagels with it, so why not?

fingerlickin'
02-20-2012, 04:13 PM
I like to warm them up in the toaster oven and have some cheese (warmed up a bit to release flavor) on the side. A lot of folks will make them part of a Continental Breakfast and dip an edge into jam. I have never tried them with cream cheese, but I love sesame bagels with it, so why not?

I'll have to put this on my ever growing to do list! I love sesame seeds myself. Thanks for posting!

RevZiLLa
02-20-2012, 04:15 PM
Here's a tip. I like to use very active yeast...instant yeast or bread machine yeast (same thing). You will see ascorbic acid listed as an ingredient in the yeast if it is instant yeast. Ascorbic acid really wakes yeast up! If you can't find it, pick up some Fruit Fresh and give your wet ingredients one shake per loaf (per 3 to 4 cups of flour in the recipe) before you mix. Fruit Fresh is mostly ascorbic acid.

RevZiLLa
03-10-2012, 06:00 PM
I have changed the method a bit on this and would have just edited the thread starter post, but am not able to after this long. Easier shaping and cornstarch wash to stick the sesame seeds better.



Greek Koulouria Sesame Bread Rings


I tried these in Athens and Thessaloníki and love the toasted sesame flavor. There are a couple bakeries in Baltimore and Los Angeles that make them, but I haven't had any for 7 or 8 years. Time to take matters into my own hands!


Sponge

2 cups bread flour
2 ¼ cups water, 110 to 120 degrees F
1 envelope instant yeast (http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?id=62)
1 scant tablespoon sugar
Put flour, sugar, and yeast into a bowl. Warm water to 115 to 120 degrees and stir it into the bowl to make a loose batter. Don’t worry about lumps too much. Cover and let sit in a warm place for 20 minutes, until soft and foamy.


Dough

5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon salt (http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?id=359)
6 tablespoons olive oil
Mix with the sponge from above and knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes, 6 minutes by machine. You might need to add a little more flour. The dough should be soft, smooth, and elastic, but no more than barely sticky. Cover and let rise for about an hour, until doubled in bulk.


Shaping

1 cup sesame seeds or a shaker of seeds
Medium bowl of water or a sprayer of water
½ cup water and ½ teaspoon cornstarch boiled in microwave to thicken (watch for boil over!)
Punch the dough down and knead it lightly. Roll dough out to a 14 by 16 rectangle and cut into sixteen 14” strips with a pizza cutter. Roll the strips to make them round (don’t get obsessive) and join the ends to form rings and press the ends together.

OR, just shape into hamburger buns, dip your finger in water, poke a hole through the center and twirl on your finger to stretch to size!

Put some water into a bowl and put sesame seeds onto a plate. Dip the rings into warm water one at a time and then into sesame seeds to cover them on both sides.

OR, just spray the rings with water and sprinkle seeds on one side liberally. Press down to get the sesame seeds embedded into the dough. Let the water dry and brush lightly with cornstarch mixture to “glue” your sesame seeds onto the rings.

Put rings onto a parchment lined baking tray and let rise covered for 45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees near the end of the rise.

Bake
Bake for 10 minutes, spraying water onto the rings and into the oven every two minutes to create steam. Turn the oven down to 350. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes until the Koulóuria are golden brown and the sesame seeds are lightly toasted.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cool the rest of the way on wire racks.

deepsouth
03-10-2012, 07:46 PM
wow, those look awesome.