Thessaloniki Sesame Koulouri

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the dough

   In a large bowl, combine the flour, active dry yeast, sugar, and salt. Pour in 300 ml of lukewarm water and the olive oil. Mix until a dough forms, then knead for about 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

   
2. 2

   Let the dough rise

   Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a clean towel, and leave it to rise in a warm place for about 60 minutes, until it has roughly doubled in size.

   
3. 3

   Shape the rings

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion into a rope about 50 cm long, fold it in half, twist the two strands together, and firmly join the ends to form a ring.

   
4. 4

   Coat them in sesame

   Pour 120 ml of water into a shallow bowl and put the sesame seeds in another. Briefly dip each ring in the water, let the excess drain off, and coat it thoroughly in sesame seeds. Place them back on the baking sheet and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

   
5. 5

   Bake until golden

   Bake in the preheated oven at 200 °C for about 18 minutes, until the sesame seeds are golden and the bread is firm on the outside. Let the koulouri cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before serving; serve slightly warm.