KOULOURA ROLLS & BUNS

      Title: KOULOURA ROLLS & BUNS
  Categories: Greek, Breads
       Yield: 1 Servings
  
            Karen Mintzias
       2 tb Dry or cake yeast
     1/2 c  Warm water
       2 c  Milk; warm
       3 tb Sugar; -OR-
       5 tb Sugar; if making Koulourakia
       3 tb Butter, margarine or oil
     3/4 ts Salt
       7 c  All-purpose flour; unsifted
       1    Egg
 
 MMMMM--------------------------TOPPING-------------------------------
       1    Egg yolk
     1/4 c  Sesame seeds
  
   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 F for 45 minutes.
   Remove from oven; allow to cool 10 minutes before
   removing bread from pan.
   
   To Shape Traditional KOULOURA:  Divide dough into 3
   long ropes.  Braid together.  Place braid in a greased
   tube pan or a large round baking pan. Stretch dough to
   make ends meet.  Use egg yolk to stick ends together.
   
   To Shape KOULOURAKIA Rolls:  Pinch off pieces of
   dough.  Roll on board with the palms of your hands to
   make a rope 6" long.  Twist it into a hairpin, coil
   the ends around each other and stick the tips together
   with a dab of egg yolk.  Or coil it like a snake,
   round and round; or roll into small round balls using
   the palms of your hands.  Do not flatten or press down
   as you roll.
   
   Source: The Complete Greek Cookbook - by Theresa Karas
   Yianilos Avenel Books, New York
   
   Typed for you by Karen Mintzias
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