Cyprus Koulouri Bread
Servings one loaf, Total Time 3 hours
I love Cypriot Koulouri. It not only brings back childhood memories but is also incredibly delicious. Its dense crumb and light aromatic flavor, thanks to mastiha and mehlepi, make for an ingenious combination of aromatics. Koulouri is a traditional staple bread in the Cypriot repertoire that is proofed twice, resulting in its light texture. Covered in sesame seeds, it comes in oblong loaves with marked portions for easy breaking apart. You can eat it fresh, toasted, or make an elegant sandwich by slicing it thinly and adding olive oil, grilled halloumi, and sliced tomato. I also enjoy making a Cyprus grilled cheese sandwich using kefalotyri cheese and a cup of roasted tomato or mushroom soup on the side.
Ingredients:
500g bread flour, 00
21gr active dried yeast
325gr warm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 pieces of mastic
5 seeds of mehlepi
3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
Steps:
Start by measuring your ingredients and arranging them in the order you will use them.
Boil the sesame seeds in a small pan with one cup of water for 1 minute. Once done, drain the water and spread the sesame seeds on a tray.
Grind the mastic and mehlepi separately using a mortar and pestle, adding a teaspoon of flour to each to get a fine grind.
Pour 225 gr of the warm water into a two-cup measuring cup, whisk in the sugar and yeast into the water, and leave it to activate.
Sift the flour into a large bowl and create a well in the center. Pour in the extra virgin olive oil and rub with your hands to make a crumbly texture.*
Add the salt, the mastic, and mehlepi.
Pour 225 grams of warm water into a two-cup measuring cup, whisk in the sugar and yeast, and let it activate.
In a large bowl, sift the flour and create a well in the center. Pour in the extra virgin olive oil and rub with your hands to make a crumbly texture. Add the salt, mastic, and mehlepi. Pour in the water and yeast and mix well using a spatula. Keep adding more water until the dough comes together nicely. When it starts to come together, finish mixing it with your hand. The dough should be slightly wet.
Transfer the dough onto a work surface dusted with little flour and knead it for about ten minutes until you get a soft, elastic dough. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, grease it with one teaspoon of olive oil, cover it with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel, and set it aside to rest in a warm area for at least an hour until it has doubled in size.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and grease with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel, and let it rest in a warm area for at least an hour until it has doubled.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on your work surface. Punch it down to remove the air and fold it in on itself several times until the dough is smooth.
Preheat your oven to 450F.
Shape the dough into a long loaf, approximately 12 inches long. Mix a quarter cup of milk with one tablespoon of flour and brush your dough. Transfer the loaf to the tray with the sesame seeds and roll it so it is covered in seeds. Place the loaf onto a baking tray lined with non-stick parchment paper. Use a dough cutter or bench scraper to cut the dough into 10 pieces, with a space of 2 cm between each piece. Push the loaf to bring it together and align it on the tray.
Cover the loaf with a clean kitchen towel and let it proof for a second time for 30 minutes.
Boil two cups of water and pour it into an oven-proof dish. Place the dish at the bottom of the oven. This will help the bread to rise.
Bake the loaf for 25-30 minutes until it is golden brown. Allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before tearing it apart. Enjoy!