Koulouria Thessaloniki’s: Greek Bread Rings

Koulouria Thessalonikis are Greek sesame bread rings that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. This classic is a part of everyday life and can be found in every bakery all around Greece.   

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These classic Greek sesame bread rings are covered in sesame seeds and look just like American bagels, but they are so much better! They are really easy to make, so your loved ones will think they came from a fancy bakery. You can make one batch or two because they keep fresh in the freezer for up to a month. They’re perfect for breakfast, snack or alongside a hearty stew.

What is Koulouri Thessalonikis?

Koulouri is a simple Greek bread that’s formed into a ring and covered with sesame seeds. There are variations, but traditionally there are few ingredients, and they are covered in sesame seeds.

Why you will love these Greek sesame bread rings!

• crunchy outside, that’s the perfect complement to the…
• soft inside, with…
• delicious nutty flavor from the toasted sesame seeds!
• Eat them for breakfast, snack or with a meal!

What are the ingredients?

• Dry active yeast –this gives the rings the rise you need to make soft bread
• Sugar –feeds the yeast
• ​Tepid water –make sure it’s lukewarm to activate the yeast
• All-purpose flour –also feeds the yeast
• Salt
• ​Olive oil –always use a good quality oil for the best flavor
• Raw sesame seeds –will toast while you bake your bread rings
• Water for topping –will help the sesame seeds stick to your rings

Tips and variations for bakery-style Greek bread rings

• Try a mixture of black and white sesame seeds, or use everything bagel seasoning. It’s not traditional but very flavorful.
• If you don’t have a mixer with a dough attachment, you can make this by hand and knead your dough
• Make sure your yeast is active! If not, your bread won’t rise. If you see a cloud form on top of your yeast mixture after proofing for about 10 minutes, it’s active!
• Save time on proofing your dough by putting it in the clothes dryer. Yes! The dryer! Run your dryer on high with towels in it for about 10 minutes. Pull out the towels and put your covered dough bowl in the warm dryer. Close the door, and just let it sit for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Your dough will rise nicely.
• Kids love to help make these bread rings! Layla helped me make the batch in my video, and it was a lot of fun.
• If you have a cast-iron pan and a pizza stone, place the cast iron pan on your oven’s lowest rack and the pizza stone on the middle rack. Place them in the oven while the oven is cold so that the pizza stone does not crack. Let them warm while the oven is preheating. As soon as the tray with the bread rings goes into the oven, carefully pour a cup of cold water into the cast iron pan in the bottom of the oven. This will create steam which will make the bread rings crusty and delicious. Doing this will help you create bakery-style bread rings. Crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.
• Use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour if it’s easy to find. Reduce the kneading time to 10 minutes.

How to make Koulouri Thessalonikis –Greek Sesame Bread Rings?

• Begin by proofing the yeast. Combine the yeast, water, and sugar and mix. Set aside about 8-10 minutes until the yeast is activated. Remember, it is ready when a puffy cloud forms over the water.
• ​Combine the flour with the salt in the bowl of a tabletop mixer and mix the ingredients to combine. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil. With the dough hook attachment, knead on low speed for 10 minutes. The kneading time will increase to 15 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth if kneading by hand.
• ​Place the dough in an oiled bowl and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or with plastic wrap. Set aside in the warmest place of your house to rise until doubled in size. This takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour. It may take longer if it is cold in your home.
• ​Preheat oven to 450 °Fahrenheit, 230 °Celsius.
• ​Don’t forget to put your cast iron pan and a pizza stone in now!
• Place the sesame seeds in a shallow, wide bowl.
• Cut the dough into ten equal pieces.
• ​Roll out each piece into long ropes. About 8-10  inches long. If the dough is sticky, drop some olive oil onto your work surface and rub it all over. Do not add flour. Adding flour will create dry bread rings.
• Form the ropes into rings.
• ​Place the rings onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Do not place more than five rings on a baking sheet.
• ​To make twisted, braided-looking bread rings, roll out each dough piece to about 14-16 inches in length, fold in half, and twist to create a rope. Pinch the ends together to form a ring.
• Brush the rings with water, dip the tops in the sesame seeds, or sprinkle them with the Everything Bagel Seasoning.
• Set them aside to rise for 20 minutes until they’re puffy.
• ​Bake one tray at a time. The single bread rings will take 15-20 minutes to bake. The twisted rings will take a little longer. About 25 minutes.

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Koulouria Thessaloniki's: Greek Sesame Bread Rings (Bagels)

Yield: 10 bread rings

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Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ​1 and 1/2 cups tepid water
• 4 cups (580 grams) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ​1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup (or more) raw sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning
• 1/2 cup water for topping

Instructions

1. ​Begin by proofing the yeast. Combine the yeast, water, and sugar and mix. Set aside about 8 minutes until the yeast is activated. It is ready when a puffy cloud forms over the water.
2. ​Combine the flour with the salt in the bowl of a tabletop mixer and mix the ingredients to combine. Add the yeast mixture and the olive oil. With the dough hook attachment, knead on low speed for 10 minutes.
3. ​This can also be done in a large bowl by hand. The kneading time will increase to 15 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth.
4. ​Place the dough in an oiled bowl and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise until doubled in size. This takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour. It may take longer if it is cold in your home.
5. ​Preheat oven to 450 °Fahrenheit, 230 °Celsius.
6. ​Tip: If you have a cast iron pan and a pizza stone place the cast iron pan on the lowest rack of your oven and the pizza stone in the middle rack. Place them in the oven while the oven is cold so that the pizza stone does not crack. Let them warm while the oven is preheating. Doing this will help you create bakery style bread rings. Crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.
7. Place the sesame seeds in a shallow, wide bowl.
8. Cut the dough into 10 equal pieces.
9. ​Roll out each piece into long ropes. About 8 inches long. If the dough is sticky, drop some olive oil onto your work surface and rub it all over. Do not add flour. Adding flour will create dry bread rings.
10. Form the ropes into rings.
11. ​Place the rings onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
12. Do not place more than 5 rings on a baking sheet.
13. ​To make twisted, braided looking bread rings, roll out each piece of dough to about 14-16 inches in length, fold in half and twist to create a rope . Pinch the ends together to form a ring.
14. Brush the rings with water and dip the tops in the sesame seeds or sprinkle them with Everything Bagel Seasoning.
15. Set them aside to rise for 20 minutes until they're puffy.
16. ​Bake one tray at a time. The single bread rings will take 15-20 minutes to bake. The twisted rings will take a little longer. About 25 minutes.
17. ​Tip: As soon as the tray with the bread rings goes into the oven, carefully pour a cup of cold water into the cast iron pan in the bottom of the oven. This will create steam which will make the bread rings crusty and delicious.
18. ​Serve these with olive oil, butter, or cheese and jam. These also are perfect to use as buns for sandwiches.
19. ​Enjoy!

Notes

Use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour if it's easy to find. Reduce the kneading time to 10 minutes if using the bread flour.

Everything Bagel Seasoning is very flavorful and can be used as a topping.

Freezer Instructions: Bake the bread rings and allow them to cool completely. Transfer them to freezer bags and store in the freezer for up to a month. When ready to serve, thaw them completely and warm the breadrings in the oven until warm and toasted.

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Serve your Greek Sesame Bread Rings…

You can serve them with cream cheese and jelly or anything you would put on a bagel for breakfast. For a snack or light lunch, serve with feta cheese or olive oil. If your serving these bread rings with dinner, they will go perfectly with a chicken stew or your favorite hearty soup.

To save some for later, wait until your bread rings are completely cooled. Put them in an air-tight container or freezer bag, and they’ll last in the freezer for one month. When you’re ready to eat them, let them thaw completely on the counter. Toast at 400˚ F, and they’ll come out just as warm, crisp and fresh as they did the day you baked them.