Eggless Greek Simitia/ Koulouria

No, no, please... don't get scared by the name of the dish! It is just a beautiful looking braided bun, encrusted with sesame seeds! For this month's Eggless Baking Challenge, Priyaakka had challenged us to these beauty of a roll! And definitely, I enjoyed baking it as well as the family enjoyed it over a cup of hot chai! The Eggless Baking Challenge, the brainchild of Gayathri completes two years of successful running and I am glad to be a part of this beautiful group, enjoying each and every challenge I have been able to participate!

Without much ado, I guess I will move on to the way I made, with reference to the original recipe - especially for knowing more about the history of these cute looking rolls... :)





Ingredients:

1 1/2 dried instant yeast
110 ml plus 15 ml (1 tbsp) lukewarm water
1 tbsp sugar
325 gm all-purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for oiling the bowl
50 ml lukewarm fresh whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sesame seeds
2 tbsp honey, diluted with 2 tbsp water

Method:

Let us start with the dough. Mix the yeast with 15 ml water to a paste. Add the sugar on top. Now add the remaining water, the flour, olive oil, milk and salt in that order and bring it slowly into a dough. Knead on a neat surface for around 10 minutes till you have a soft and pliable dough, which is slightly moist but does not stick to the hands. Oil the bowl and keep the dough in it. Cover with cling film and leave the dough to double in size for around 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, roast the sesame seeds till a nice aroma comes. Do not roast for more time, otherwise it will be bitter. Keep it in a neat bowl alongside the diluted honey mixture.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Keep parchment paper on a baking tray.

Punch down the dough to release air and divide into 5 equal balls. On a clean surface, roll the dough into a long rope for around 70 cm. Bend into half and braid the strands. Seal edges into a round by pressing slightly or with some water. Dip both sides into the honey mixtures and then coat with sesame seeds. Place on the baking tin. Do the same for the rest of the dough. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve slightly warm!


Notes:

1. If the dough doesn't come through, you can add some more dough and water to adjust the consistency.
2. Do not add salt directly to the yeast, it will kill the yeast. That is why we add it last.
3. It is the best had on the day it is baked. The next day, Rasha had it slightly warmed with some jam on it, and she loved it. :)
4. Originally, a grape-based liquid called "petimezi" is used. I opted for honey for an easier substitution.