Thursday, January 30, 2014

Eggless Greek Simiti / Koulouri /Sesame Crusted Bread Rolls


Simiti / koulouri is a circular bread with sesame seeds on top . They are very common in Greece and  Turkey  . Simiti's size , chewiness / crunchiness ,  texture varies in each region . They are also called as Turkish Bagel  in USA . These little cuties makes a good filling breakfast .  As soon as i took it out from the oven , i had some cream cheese applied on the middle and ate it ASAP . Homemade warm breads are the best and this was out of the world. 

The outer part of the bread was crunchy and inside chewy . The flavor and taste of  roasted sesame and along with the slight sweetness from honey was out of the world.  

Are you getting tempted . I bet ,you will never regret baking these . 



For this months challenge on Baking Eggless group , +Priya Suresh from Priyas Versatile Recipes had suggested this recipe .  Congrats +Gayathri Kumar and each and every one from the group for entering the third year of successful eggless baking .




Recipe source - My Expat Kitchen 
Ingredients :

All purpose flour - 2 Cups
Yeast - 2  TSP
Sugar - 1 1/2 TBLS
Salt - 1 TSP
Warm Milk   +/-  1 Cup
Olive oil - 1 1/2 TBLS

For topping :

Honey - 3 TBLS
Water - 1/4 Cup
Roasted Sesame Seeds -  1/2 Cup



Instructions :
  • Mix all the dry ingredients separately and mix all wet ingredients ( use only 1 TBLS ) separately . 
  • Make a well in the dry ingredients and slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients .
  • Using a dough hook mix it for  7- 10 minutes .
  • When all the ingredients are mixed well and formed a dough , place it in the counter top.
  • Oil your hands knead the dough for couple of minutes .Sprinkle some flour over it and knead really well .
  • Place the dough in a greased bowl , Cover it with cling wrap. Keep it in a warm place . Allow it to proof for an hour .
  • Meanwhile Roast the sesame seeds till they are golden in color and allow it to cool completely.
  • Punch the dough and release the air.  Divide the dough and make equal portions.
  • Divide one portion of dough into two . Roll it out to form  2 ropes. Combine the edges and twist the dough to form a braided bread . Bring the ends together ,  pinch it and seal . 
  • Place the bread in the baking tray .
  • Pre- heat the oven at 350F. 
  • Mix the honey and water , generously brush it over the bread . (  I had little honey so i brushed it , original recipe ask to dip the bread in the liquid  mixture ) .
  • Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the bread .
  • And now its time to bake the simities . Bake the bread for  20 - 25 minutes till they turn golden brown.
  • Remove from oven , Allow it to cool . 
  • Serve it warm .


Notes -

  • This is my way of doing the bread . I know the yeast i use is still active . In case if you are not sure about the yeast you use ,  Replace half a cup of milk to warm water . Mix the sugar in warm water and sprinkle the yeast over it . Once the yeast mixture becomes frothy add it to the bread and proceed with the instructions .
  • Keeping the dough in a warm place is necessary . It helps the bread to proof . I kept it inside the microwave as it is so cold over here .
  • Original recipe called for grape juice . As i didn't have it i replaced it to honey .
  • Usually this breads needs to be dipped in the grape juice , I brushed it with honey as i was going out of honey .
  • This breads do not need second time proofing .








13 comments:

  1. so beautiful n perfectly made! :) Wow dea!

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  2. Looks perfect. Must try this recipe.

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  3. Had lots of it when I was in Turkey last year, sold almost at every corner of the streets. Your version is also so good for the wonderful outcome.

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  4. Love these amazing and delicious rolls...almost look like bagels. Thanks for sharing the yummy recipe! Following your blog, and on Google+
    Elisabeth@food and thrift

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  5. Oh wow! This looks so good! Happy to follow you!

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  6. Lovely Greek Rolls :) wonderful golden color and sesame seeds over it !

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  7. I've never tried Greek rolls like these before, but I love sesame seeds on breads! They add a little crunch and the flavor as it toasts in the oven while baking is so tasty...

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  8. I stopped by from Tasty Tuesdays because I was curious waht simitis were, and your picture looked so gorgeous! These sound delicious, if I ever get adverturous enough I might just try them. Thank for sharing! HUGS

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  9. Hey , these rolls just look amazing ! Very tempting indeed a keeper :)

    Lovely little space you have got lady, Glad to follow you Shey :)

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  10. Thank you for linking up at Tasty Tuesdays! Your post has been pinned to my Recipes from Tasty Tuesday board. I can't wait to see what you link up next week!
    Have a terrific weekend!
    Cathy
    APeekIntoMyParadise.com
    #TastyTuesdays

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  11. I love bread fresh from the oven, very tasty. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sundays, stop by and link up again this weekend!

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