Koulouri - Thessaloniki Buns

Ingredients:

150 gr. Bread flour 350 gr. 

 1/2 gr. salt 

35 gr. granulated sugar 2

75-300 gr. water, at room temperature 

16 gr. dry yeast 

For the coating:

80 gr. sesame (alternatively you can use black sesame, sunflower seed, pumpkin seed etc) 

2 tbsp. granulated sugar 

500 gr. about lukewarm water 

Method:

1. Preheat your fan oven to 200 C/220 C regular oven.

2. Add the water with the yeast to mixer bowl and mix with a spoon so that it dissolves well. Leave the yeast to act for 10 minutes. 

3. Add all the other ingredients to the bowl, except the salt. Once the ingredients start to homogenize then we will add the salt. But not before.

4. Now beat all the ingredients using a dough hook for 8-10 minutes until we create a soft elastic dough that can be easily worked. 

5. When the dough starts to come off the bottom of our bowl then it is ready. 

6. We prepare a large bowl by lubricating its walls with some olive oil, and then we put our dough there to "rest", covering it with a film, for about 1 hour or until it doubles in volume. 

TIP: We do NOT want to leave the dough for longer, because our dough will not be successful. It is very important to be careful about the time of the first proving.

7. Next put about 500 grams of lukewarm water and sugar in a bowl and stir until the sugar melts and sugar water is created. 

8. Then we empty our sesame and any additional seeds onto a small plate. 

9. Before working the dough we prepare our workbench by lubricating it with a little more olive oil.

10. We empty our dough onto the prepared work surface and cut it into pieces of 80 gr. This will give us about 10 buns. 

11. We work each piece and roll it into a sausage shape though be careful we do not want it to be too narrow in width. 

10. Once we achieve the desired size, then we will join the two edges and form classic circle shape, making sure that they all have the same size and diameter, so that they are baked evenly. 

11. Once we form the kouloria, we "baptize" them in the bowl with lukewarm water and immediately after we place it on the plate with the sesame and seeds and then help by hand to cover all the sides with the seeds.

12. Once they are ready, place them on baking sheets that we have prepared in advance and bake for 15-20 minutes until they get a nice colour. 

TIP: They are preferably eaten hot when they are freshly baked!

Good appetite and good luck!