‘Zacharena’ koulourakia from Symi

The Easter cookies from the southeastern Aegean land of Symi are circular and crisp. Their dough contains yeast, but the texture is not similar brioche; they turn retired overmuch crunchier than you mightiness expect. They are ever flavored with orangish blossom water and mastic, and the dough needs to remainder for respective hours. In the end, they are dusted with powdered sugar.

Chef: Nena Ismyrnoglou

Preparation: 40’ Resting: 4 hours & 20 minutes Baking: 20’

Ingredients

(for astir 45-50 pieces)

• 800 g all-purpose flour

• 320 g caller food (the benignant sold successful a jar), astatine country temperature

• 1 packet adust yeast

• 180 ml lukewarm water

• 90 g sugar

• 1/2 tsp crushed mastic gum

• 1/4 tsp salt
40 ml orangish blossom water

For finishing

• orangish blossom water

• powdered sugar

Method

Make a speedy starter: In a bowl, dissolve the yeast successful the lukewarm water, adding 1 tablespoon of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of the flour. Mix until you person a sticky batter, then permission it successful a warm spot for astir 20 minutes, until it rises.

In different bowl, harvester the remaining flour, the remainder of the sugar, the mastic, brackish and butter. Mix and hitch the ingredients betwixt your palms until you get a crumbly mixture. Add the starter and the orangish blossom water, then knead until you person a steadfast dough. Cover the vessel with a towel and permission it successful a warm spot for astir 3 hours, until it has risen.

Take small pieces of dough, rotation them into ropes, and articulation the ends to signifier circular cookies. Arrange them connected baking sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving space betwixt them arsenic they will rise. Cover loosely with integrative wrap oregon a towel and fto them remainder successful a warm spot for astir 1 hour, until they puff up.
Preheat the oven to 180°C, utilizing accepted top and bottommost heat.

Bake the cookies for astir 20 minutes. Let them cool, then lightly sprinkle them with orangish blossom water (or concisely dip them successful a vessel of it) and acceptable them speech to adust completely. Dust with powdered sugar and store successful a adust place.

This story archetypal appeared successful Kathimerini’s nutrient supplement, Gastronomos.