Turkish Simit Recipe
This Turkish Simit recipe offers a deliciously crisp and chewy sesame-crusted bread ring that is a popular street food and breakfast staple in Turkey. Made from simple ingredients like flour, yeast, and molasses, these simits are hand-shaped, coated with a sweet molasses mixture and toasted sesame seeds, then baked to golden perfection. Perfect with tea or as a sandwich base, simits bring a delightful crunch and subtle sweetness to your table.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 simits 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough:
- 500 g flour
- 2 teaspoons dry instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 300 ml lukewarm water
For the Coating:
- ½ cup grape or date molasses
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 300 g toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, and salt. Gradually pour in the lukewarm water and mix by hand until combined. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic, and non-sticky. Alternatively, use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to knead the dough. Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Prepare the coating: In a medium bowl, whisk together the grape or date molasses, water, and flour until smooth. Set this molasses mixture aside. In another bowl, place the toasted sesame seeds ready for coating the dough rings.
- Shape the simit dough: Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and transfer it onto a floured surface. Shape the dough into a log and cut it into 6 equal pieces. Then cut each piece into two, resulting in 12 pieces total. Take two pieces and roll each into a rope about 20 inches (50 cm) long. Place the two ropes side by side and pinch the ends together. Twist the ropes in opposite directions to create a braid, then join the two ends by pinching them together to form a ring. Repeat this braiding and ring formation for the remaining dough pieces.
- Coat the simit dough and bake: Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip each simit ring first into the molasses mixture, ensuring it is well coated, then roll it in the toasted sesame seeds until evenly covered. Place the coated simit rings onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the simits turn golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Use lukewarm water to activate the yeast properly for good dough rise.
- Toasting raw sesame seeds enhances their flavor; if your sesame seeds are pre-toasted, you can skip this step.
- For extra crispiness, you can bake the simits on a pizza stone if available.
- Serve simits fresh and warm with tea, cheese, or jam for an authentic experience.
- You can store leftover simits in an airtight container for 1-2 days; reheat in the oven to crisp up again.
Keywords: Turkish simit, sesame bread ring, Turkish bread recipe, bakery style simit, homemade simit, sesame-coated bread
Find it online: https://islawhite.com/turkish-simit-recipe/
