Koulouri – Greek Sesame Bagels for Breakfast Recipe
Koulouri is a classic Greek street breakfast – large, thin sesame-coated rings of bread sold from carts on the sidewalks of Athens and Thessaloniki. They are slightly crisp on the outside and soft inside, perfect with coffee or as a snack on the go. You can eat them plain, sliced and spread with cream cheese, or filled with tomato and olives.
These homemade koulouri bring the flavor of Greek street breakfasts straight to your kitchen: thin, sesame-crusted rings that are simple to make, freeze well and are perfect both plain and filled with your favorite spreads or vegetables.
Chef's tips
Do not add too much extra flour while kneading – a slightly soft, elastic dough will give you lighter, fluffier koulouri. Make sure the sesame seeds are well moistened so they stick in a thick, even layer and don’t fall off after baking.
How to serve
Serve warm with Greek yogurt and honey, or slice and fill with cream cheese, tomato slices, cucumber and olives for a quick Mediterranean-style sandwich. They also pair wonderfully with feta, olives and a drizzle of olive oil as part of a simple mezze plate.
Ingredients
- wheat flour type 550 - 500 g
- water lukewarm - 280 ml
- instant yeast or 20 g fresh yeast - 7 g
- sugar - 2 tablespoons
- salt - 1 teaspoon
- olive oil for the dough - 3 tablespoons
- sesame seeds for coating - 80 g
- water for soaking the sesame - 100 ml
- sugar syrup you can use honey diluted with water - 3 tablespoons
Preparation
- Pour the lukewarm water (280 ml) into a bowl, add the sugar and yeast, stir and set aside for 10 minutes until foam appears on the surface.
- Put the flour and salt into a large bowl and mix. Pour in the foamy yeast mixture and the olive oil. Knead the dough by hand for 8–10 minutes, until it is smooth, elastic and slightly springy. If it is very sticky, add a little flour, but try not to overdo it.
- Lightly grease a bowl with olive oil, place the dough inside, cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until it doubles in volume.
- In a shallow bowl, mix the sesame seeds with 100 ml of water – the seeds should be moist so they stick better to the dough. In a small bowl, mix the sugar syrup or honey with a little water to thin it.
- Turn the risen dough out onto the counter and gently deflate it by pressing with your hand. Divide into 8 equal pieces. From each piece form a rope about 40–45 cm long, then join the ends to make a large ring.
- Quickly dip each ring in the diluted sugar syrup or honey, then coat thoroughly in the moist sesame seeds. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving some space between them.
- Cover the rings with a kitchen towel and leave to rise again for 20–25 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat).
- Bake for 15–18 minutes, until the koulouri are golden and lightly browned. After baking, transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool – they taste best slightly warm.
Storage
Koulouri najlepiej smakują w dniu pieczenia, ale można je przechowywać w szczelnym pojemniku w temperaturze pokojowej do 2–3 dni. Dobrze znoszą mrożenie – po rozmrożeniu odśwież je kilka minut w piekarniku lub tosterze.
