Buttermilk Koulouria

Ingredients

• 500 g Stork Margarine
• 1 l Buttermilk
• 4 Eggs
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1.5 cup Sugar
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1 handful Aniseed
• 2 kg Self-raising Flour
• 1 Sesame Seeds
• 1 Dried Whole Cumin (Mavrokoko)

Method

1. 1

   Sieve all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. 2

   Add the stork to the dry ingredients and 'rub in' together using the 'Rubbing In' method. If the stork is very hard put it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften. Using your fingertips, rub the dry ingredients and butter together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, lift the mixture up as you rub it in so that the air keeps it cool, and shake the bowl every so often to bring the larger lumps of butter to the surface.

3. 3

   Add the eggs and aniseed to the mixture and mix in by hand.

4. 4

   Slowly add in the buttermilk, all the while kneading the dough.

5. 5

   Once the dough is ready roll it by hand into a long strip for about 2cm in diameter and 1m length.

6. 6

   Zig-zag the strip together so that the width is about 10-15cm. Then take a knife and slice the edges so that in the end you have little loaves.

7. 7

   Take the sesame seeds and cumin (mavrokoko) and rinse them in a sieve under cold water. Then take a wet dishcloth, lay it out flat and put the sesame seeds and cumin spread out on the cloth.

8. 8

   Take your loaf of koulouri and place it in the sesame and cumin turning it over to make sure all sides are covered.

9. 9

   Place the koulouri loaf on a baking tray. Don't put too many loaves on a tray as they grow.

10. 10

    Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F) and bake for 25 minutes, or until brown.

11. 11

    Once cooked take them out the oven and place them on a cooling rack.

12. 12

    Once they have cooled separate the individual rusks and place them on a baking tray next to each other.

13. 13

    Lower the oven to 120° C (250° F) and put the rusk back in for about 20 minutes.

14. 14

    The rusks are ready when they are golden brown. When ready just turn the oven off and let them dry out while the oven cools off.