# Karpathian Psilokouloura

Karpathian Psilokouloura are a delicious crunchy treat from Karpathos Island, Greece, loved by all who visit the island.

- Total time: 10 min
- Cuisine: Greek
- Category: Baked Goods
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 0.5 kilo sesame seeds
- bit salt
- baking soda
- 1 kilo all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 0.5 nutmeg
- whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon spice mix
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup olive oil
- black sesame seeds
- whole cumin seeds
- anise seeds
- cumin seeds

## Instructions

1. Boil half a kilo sesame seeds with a bit of salt and baking soda.
2. Sift 1 kilo (or 8 cups) all-purpose flour.
3. Measure out 1 tablespoon of yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar, and dissolve it slightly in 1 cup of warm water to activate.
4. Cover the yeast mixture in plastic wrap for about 10 minutes.
5. With a mortar and pestle, grind whole spices (including one cinnamon stick, half a nutmeg, and whole cloves) into a coarse powder.
6. Add the activated yeast, 1 tablespoon of the ground spice mix, and 1 tablespoon of salt to the flour.
7. Add 1 cup of olive oil to the flour mixture.
8. Rub the flour between your hands until it is saturated in the oil.
9. Gradually add water to the mix, kneading until the dough is pliable and soft, but not too sticky.
10. Continue kneading until all dry bits are incorporated and the dough is homogeneous and smooth.
11. Fold the dough in on itself and make a dough cross.
12. Let the dough rest a bit, covered with a kitchen towel.
13. Prepare the sesame stations: on a clean kitchen towel, add sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, and whole cumin seeds for koulouria.
14. For psilokouloura, you need anise seeds and cumin seeds.
15. Once the dough has rested, roll out dough in portions and cut out strips with a rolling cutter.
16. Roll the strips into branches or "clonous" and use them to create unique designs.
17. For psilokouloura, dump the dough onto the sesame seeds, press firmly, and repeat on the other side.
18. Transfer the psilokouloura to baking sheets and bake.
19. For koulouria, measure out about 1/4 of a cup of dough for each one for even baking.
20. Roll out the koulouria dough straight onto the sesame so it adheres onto every side.
21. Shape your koulouria and bake at 350°F for a convectional oven or 375°F for a non-convectional oven until golden.

## Equipment

- mortar and pestle
- plastic wrap
- kitchen towel
- rolling cutter
- baking sheets
- convectional oven
- non-convectional oven

## Tips

- Grinding your own spices is much preferred because the dough will stay a nice light color.
- When adding water to the mix, keep adding until the dough is pliable and soft, but not too sticky.
- Fold the dough in on itself and always make a dough cross to ensure success.
- For psilokouloura, dump the dough onto the sesame and press firmly to make it stick.
- For koulouria, measure out about 1/4 of a cup dough for each one to ensure even baking.
- For koulouria, roll out the dough straight onto the sesame so it adheres onto every side.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThuydE1Q/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/c7b866ce-42f8-4c3c-8046-73f2c54b44ac
- Extracted: 2026-02-11

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt