Koulouria -- Greek Sesame Galettes

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 5 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup sesame seeds
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Recipe

• 1 in a small container, stir the yeast into 1/2 cup of warm water, then whisk in 1/4 cup of flour to make the sponge. leave it in a warm place for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
• 2 when sponge is ready, in a large mixing bowl whisk together the remaining flour & the salt, then make a well in the center.
• 3 into the well, add the sponge, along with 3-4 tablespoons water, the oil & sugar, gradually incorporating the flour into the other ingredients.
• 4 knead for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is smooth & elastic, then leave it in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• 5 when ready, punch the dough down & divide it into 8 pieces. lightly flour a working surface and hands & roll each piece into a sausage shape, then let rest 10-15 minutes.
• 6 after that, roll the dough into a longer sausage shape ~ you will probably have to let the rolls rest once more in order to stretch them to the length they need to be, 20-25 inches long.
• 7 during the 15 minutes that the dough is resting for the last time, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then spread the sesame seeds in a large baking dish & have the egg whites ready in a wide, shallow bowl.
• 8 dip the long rolls into the egg & then roll them in the sesame seeds. twist 2 of them together & join the ends to form a ring about 4-5 inches in diameter. shape the remaining rolls in the same way, then let them rise for about half an hour.
• 9 about half way through this rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees f.
• 10 when ready, bake the galettes for 15-20 minutes or until golden & slightly crisp on the outside. let cool on a wire rack & serve at room temperature the same day or freeze for later use. simply reheat before serving any that have been frozen & then defrosted.