Rhodes Sesame Ring Cookies (Koulouria Rodou)

Mainland koulourakia are usually finished with just an egg wash for their characteristic shine, but the Rhodes version takes a different route, coating the shaped rings fully in sesame seed before they ever reach the oven, giving a nuttier, crunchier finish that marks these out clearly as an island variation rather than a plain repeat of the mainland cookie.

The dough itself follows much the same logic as any koulourakia, a buttery, orange-scented base shaped by hand into rings or twists, but the sesame coating changes both the flavour and the texture of every bite in a way that is worth trying even if you already have a favourite mainland version.

As with any koulourakia, the shaping is the part of the process that takes real time, and it is genuinely more enjoyable done with company than alone.

Key preparation steps

1. Make a buttery, orange-scented dough.
2. Shape into rings or twists.
3. Brush with egg wash and roll fully in sesame seed.
4. Bake until deeply golden.

The dough

Butter creamed with sugar, then eggs beaten in one at a time, followed by orange zest and juice, with flour and a little baking powder folded in gently to a soft, workable dough, exactly as with mainland koulourakia. Fold in only until combined, since overworking the flour toughens the finished cookie.

Shaping and the sesame coating

Roll small portions of dough into ropes and shape into simple rings, twists or coils, whichever your family tradition favours, keeping the thickness consistent across the batch so everything bakes evenly. Brush each shaped cookie generously with beaten egg, then roll it in a shallow tray of sesame seeds, pressing gently so the seeds coat the whole surface rather than just the top.

Baking

Bake in a moderate oven until deeply golden and the sesame coating has toasted to a rich, nutty brown, around eighteen to twenty minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before storing, since they firm up further as they cool.

What matters in this dish