Kolouri

Kolouri

30 min bake, 210°C

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf

flour               500g
milk                200g
water               125g
olive oil           54g
dried yeast         7g
sugar               2g
salt                3g
mastic              0.5g
mahlapi             1g
ground fennel       0.3g
ground aniseed      0.3g

Topping
white sesame        27g
black sesame        3g
aniseed             2g

Use strong white bread flour.
Milk and water should be tepid.
Mastic is powdered, from Chios. Mahlapi is powdered.
Topping aniseed is whole seeds, not ground.

Recipe

1. Mix the yeast and sugar into the warm milk. Leave for a few minutes while you sift the flour into a bowl. Add the olive oil and rub it in until it looks like breadcrumbs.

2. Add the salt, ground fennel, aniseed, mastic, and mahlapi. Mix through.

3. Pour in the yeast mixture and bring together with your fingers. Gradually add the water until all the flour is incorporated into a dough.

4. Knead on a floured surface for 15–20 minutes until soft and elastic.

5. Coat lightly with olive oil, put back in the bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for at least an hour until doubled.

6. While it proves, boil the sesame seeds, drain, and spread on a tray with the aniseed topping.

7. Once proved, knock the air out by folding the dough until smooth. Shape into a 12-inch loaf, brush with milk, then roll in the seed mixture.

8. Transfer to a lined baking tray. Score into 4–5cm sections with a dough cutter or sharp knife. Cover and prove for another hour. After 40 minutes, preheat the oven to 210°C.

9. Place a small oven-safe dish with half a cup of water on the bottom rack for steam. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.