The Greek Politiko Simiti / Koulouri - My 400th post

Yayy!!! My 400th post!!! Thanks to all who have supported me and looking forward for the same in future... So to today's recipe - Simiti is the breakfast bread served in many places in Greek. These simiti are the breakfast choice of the Athenians.. These are irresistible... From Little Expat Kitchen – “The Greek word simiti/σιμίτι (plural: simitia/σιμίτια), comes from the Turkish word simit, which comes from the Arabic word semid, which in turn comes from the ancient Greek word semidalis/σεμίδαλις (simigdali/σιμιγδάλι in modern Greek), meaning semolina”. We loved the texture of the bread and also the flavor the sesame seeds and the grape syrup!! I have never heard of this bread before until Gayathri announced this as a challenge for this month's Eggless Baking Group from here.. It was sure a great learning and so excited that I tried it!!


Ingredients

All Purpose Flour - 650 grams
Instant Yeast - 3 tea spoons
Powdered Sugar - 2 table spoons
Salt - 1 tea spoon
Honey - 1 table spoon
Olive Oil - 2 table spoons
Luke Warm Milk - 220 ml
Warm Water - 1/2 cup
Sesame Seeds - 1 cup
Black Poppy Seeds - 2 table spoons
Grape Essence and color - 3 - 5 drops
Water - 3/4 cup
Molasses - 2 table spoons





Method
To the mixing bowl, add luke warm milk and powdered sugar. Sprinkle yeast on it and mix it well with your fingers. Set this aside for 5 - 10 minutes until it is frothy
Sieve together flour and salt
To the yeast solution, add olive oil and the dry ingredients and mix it well
Knead it well until it becomes a smooth, soft and elastic ball which is just short of sticky
Oil a bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl. Apply little oil over the top to make sure that it does not dry out
Cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 45 minutes to an hour. By this time it would have become more than double in size
In the meantime, toast the sesame seeds on low flame for around 4 - 5 minutes it becomes lightly golden. Make sure to stir it continuously as it will taste horrible if burnt
Allow the sesame seeds to cool on a plate
Mix together grape essence, color, molasses and water and make the solution. Keep this in a wide bowl

Line the baking tray with parchment paper and set aside
After the dough has risen, make 12 portions of the dough. I used a measuring scale to get even sized ones.
Take each portion and make a smooth ball, roll it to a 70 cm rope
Make a 'u' of the rope and put one side of the rope over the other until you get the design
Now join both end to form a ring. You can add little water to make sure the dough ends stick



Slowly drop the shaped simiti into the grape solution and make sure the entire simiti is well wet
Immediately transfer the simiti to the sesame seeds plate
Coat both sides with sesame seeds and arrange it on the parchment lined baking tray
Arrange the simiti with gap in between as they will rise
Cover and keep this aside for 20 minutes
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C
After 20 minutes of rising, bake it in the preheated oven for around 18 - 22 minutes. Mine took 20 minutes exact
Remove from the oven and transfer to the cooling rack
Enjoy warm!!!



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