ΒΑΘΜΟΣ ΔΥΣΚΟΛΙΑΣ
εύκολο
ΧΡΟΝΟΣ
30'
ΑΤΟΜΑ
4
ΥΛΙΚΑ
- 2 kg wheat flour
- 150 ml lukewarm sunflower oil & a bit more for the baking pan
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 sachets dry yeast
- 5 g mastic, powdered
- 2 sachets mahlab, powdered
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp clove, powdered
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 liter water (approximately)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2–3 cloves
- sesame seeds for coating
- 4 glasses sugar
- 3 glasses water
Περιγραφή
These are fluffy, syrup-soaked rolls that were made on the feast day of Saint Demetrios, in the village of the same name on Lemnos. They are fluffy, syrup-soaked rolls, Lenten treats that are traditionally served at the festival, on the very day of Saint Demetrios’ feast. In earlier times, the Saint Demetrios katimeria were baked in wood-fired ovens and, instead of sugar, molasses was used in the syrup. It is a rare recipe, different from the one made in the rest of Lemnos, where katimeria are usually not leavened, but a kind of pancake that is eaten either drizzled with molasses or honey, or served with grated Kalathaki Lemnou cheese.
Εκτέλεση
For the katimeria, boil the water together with the bay leaves, the cinnamon stick and the cloves for 1 minute, just enough to come to a boil and to perfume the water. Let it cool or add a little cold water so it becomes lukewarm. Strain and discard the spices. Put half the water in the mixer and add all the remaining ingredients. Knead with the hook, adding as much additional water as needed so that you get a dough as soft as bread dough, one that can be shaped and does not stick to the hands. Let it rest for 15 minutes and then shape into small batons. Sprinkle plenty of sesame seeds on the work surface and roll the batons over them so that they are covered with as much sesame as possible. Cut them into 4 cm pieces. Roll each piece over a grater, pressing it so that a pattern is created and each piece takes on a rectangular shape. Place the katimeria in a baking pan, leaving some space between them so they do not stick together as they rise. Pour enough sunflower oil into the pan (careful, not olive oil, because it does not let them rise and makes the taste very heavy), enough so that each piece is submerged in the oil to about halfway up. Leave them covered with a large towel to rise for about 20 minutes in the pan. Then brush them with a little sunflower oil using a pastry brush and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C with fan for about 25 minutes, until the katimeria are nicely golden.
For the syrup: Boil the syrup ingredients for 5 minutes from the moment it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it become lukewarm. Pour the lukewarm syrup over the hot katimeria that have just come out of the oven. Once they have absorbed the syrup, they are ready to serve.
For the syrup: Boil the syrup ingredients for 5 minutes from the moment it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it become lukewarm. Pour the lukewarm syrup over the hot katimeria that have just come out of the oven. Once they have absorbed the syrup, they are ready to serve.