No, no, please… don’t get scared by the name of the dish! Simitia or Koulouria 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… 🙂 Recipe adapted from here
Originally, a grape-based liquid called “petimezi” is used. I opted for honey for an easier substitution.
Eggless Greek Simitia/ Koulouria
Servings 4 -6
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
Instructions
- 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 to one hour
- 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
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.
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.
Looks too good ..Yummy dear 🙂
Thank you so much Chikku… 🙂
looks delicious . bread looks so nice and soft
Thank you so much Nammi…
Waah such a lovely bread….
Thank you so much Razina…
Looks too good and yummy. Very well prepared
Thank you so much Nandoo…
looks too good with loads of Sesame seeds!.. Love the texture of it
Thank you so much Veena…
Very nice bread. Looks perfect.
Thank you so much Viki…
Perfect rafee
Thank you so much Ramya…
soft bread with sesame. looks too good.. nicely done 🙂
Thank you so much Laxmi… 🙂
wow… looks so yum n soft, bookmarked!!
Thank you so much Preeti…
Looks so yum..
Thank you so much Asiyakka…
I love these !!!look delicious !!
Thank you so much Gloria…
What a lovely soft bun!
Thank you so much Beulah…
Yummy
Thank you so much Shobana…
Soft porous bun. Lovely even without eggs.
Thank you so much Eliza…
Something new to me, so bookmarked!!!
Thank you so much dears…
So perfectly made …….so soft and yummy bun ……..
Thank you so much Remya…
Though the name sounds complicated, the buns are super easy and soft looking. Should try this someday for sure!
It is really easy… do try it dears… 🙂
Where do you get the time to join these challenges Rafee…I think u have assigned an someone to bake all these :))) just kidding.. sambhavam kollam peru kadichal pottathad anangilum 😉
Haha… I only do and bake them, Meena… please don't say that! 😛 Thanks a lot dee… 🙂
Lovely looking buns…very nicely made
Thank you so much Kaveri…
I think this is Simit which v had frm Istanbul… it was found everywhere on the streets… luvd it..neatly done Rafee
Yes, it is similar to those buns, only thing is that their nationality is different! Thanks a lot Hasna…
Wow,it looks great.very new recipe to me.
Thank you so much Chitra…
Looks so delicious and yummy…
Thank you so much Priya…
Another wonderful baked good, lovely buns!
Thank you so much Ambreen…
As Meena said peru kadichal potathathanenkilum sambavam adipoli..I too have same doubt where do u get time for these?
It is all about managing in between somehow dear… I baked these for chai time this Friday… athraye ullu.. thanks a lot dear…
Just loving the cute rolls Rafeada.. well not scared with the name 😀 but i was trying to abbreviate the name of the Dish 😉 .. any how just a great version of baking rolls, something new for me.. 🙂 thanks for sharig love 😉
Hehe Monu… 😉 Thanks a lot for coming by… 🙂
So soft from inside…Like it!
Thank you so much Dipthi…
Great twist for a great outcome.
Thank you so much Nava…
Eggless baking comes in handy during lent period for us. So I know now where to check the recipes for 🙂
Thank you so much Shibi… 🙂
Lovely and beautifully baked buns!!!
Thank you so much Sona…
looks so so nice dear! 🙂 well made! 🙂 new one for me but good recipe!
Thank you so much Sangee…
Nicely done!!
Thank you so much Pankthi…
Hey there! I'm glad you liked my koulouria and eggless at that! I have to try them without egg too 🙂