Kouloura Rolls & Buns
Submitted by Irish cook
Kouloura rolls and buns are traditional Greek yeast breads with a tender milk-and-egg crumb, brushed with egg yolk and topped with toasted sesame seeds. A timeless hand-shaped loaf or roll.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
30 minCOOK
45 minREADY
6 hrsKouloura is the everyday Greek yeast bread you’d find on a Sunday table or pulled apart for a sesame-studded snack with feta and olives. The dough is enriched with milk, butter, and a single egg, which gives the crumb a soft, slightly cake-like texture quite different from a crusty European loaf.
The long 20-minute knead is what develops the gluten properly. You’re aiming for smooth, elastic dough that springs back when poked. After two slow rises (the first about 4 hours, the second around an hour) you brush the tops with egg yolk and shower them with sesame seeds for that signature golden, nutty crust.
Pro Tips
- Make sure the warm milk and water are lukewarm only, around 105°F to 110°F (40°C to 43°C). Hotter and you’ll kill the yeast before it activates.
- Don’t shortcut the 20-minute knead. Underkneaded dough produces dense, gummy bread without the proper open crumb structure.
- Cover the rising bowl with a towel that’s been dampened with hot water (not just any towel). The trapped warm humidity helps the dough rise faster and prevents a dry skin from forming.
- Brush the egg yolk wash gently with your fingertips or a soft pastry brush. Heavy brushing deflates the proofed dough and you lose the rise you just earned.
Variations
- Use black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or nigella seeds in place of (or alongside) the white sesame for visual contrast.
- Shape into individual koulouri-style rings (think Greek street bread) for sesame-crusted breakfast loops.
- Add 1 teaspoon of mahlepi (ground cherry pit spice) to the dough for a more traditional Easter-bread aroma.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt yeast in warm water.
Set aside. Bring milk to boil. Add sugar, butter and salt.
Allow milk to cool slightly.
Put flour in a large bowl leaving about a tablespoon of it in the measuring cup for hands and make a hole in the center.
Pour liquid into it.
Add yeast and egg.
Start mixing with spoon or paddle, pushing flour from all sides into center.
Dough will be sticky until flour is absorbed.
Begin kneading dough in the bowl and then transfer it to a lightly floured board.
Continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic, about 20 minutes.
Place dough in a greased bowl.
Cover with towel dampened with hot water.
Set aside in a warm place to rise until bulk has doubled, about 4 hours.
Punch down in the middle.
Knead for a few minutes and shape into a round loaf or into individual rolls (see below).
Using fingers, rub top with egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Place in greased baking pans.
Let rise once more, uncovered, in a warm place, approximately 1 hour.
Bake in preheated oven at 375℉ (190℃) F for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven; allow to cool 10 minutes before removing bread from pan.
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