Simit (Turkish Sesame Bagel)

Simit (also known as Turkish Sesame Bagel), is a sesame-crusted circular bread that is usually served for breakfast. Same as Pogaca (Turkish Cheese Buns), it is one of the most popular street foods in Turkey and you can buy them from cafes, bakeries, or small food carts.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Simit?
• Related Recipes
• Top Tips From the Chef
• Simit (Turkish Sesame Bagel)

In Turkey, nobody would bother making this delicious simit bread at home as they are widely available and they are so good&cheap. But if you live abroad like me, it is almost impossible to find a good one to buy. I had this simple recipe for many years but only started making them since I moved to the U.K.

Why This Recipe Works

• This delicious breakfast bread is crunchy and nutty on the outside, soft and a little chewy on the inside.

• You can prepare the simit dough in advance and store it for up to 2 days.

• They freeze beautifully, you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

• All you need is 5 ingredients (including the salt) to make this popular Turkish street food!

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Flour - The best flour to make simit is a high-protein flour of at least 12% protein. They are usually labelled as "strong flour" or "strong bread flour". You can also use plain or all-purpose flour but you won't be able to achieve the chewy texture that a traditional simit has.

• Yeast - I use fast-actioned dry yeast as it doesn't need the activation process but you can use fresh or dry yeast instead. You will need 7 grams of dry yeast or 15 grams of fresh yeast for this amount of dough.

• Salt - It is necessary for flavour as well as balancing the rising action of the dough.

• Water - Use lukewarm water, make sure it's not too hot as it would kill the yeast.

• Grape Molasses - It is known as "pekmez" in Turkey and it is a crucial ingredient for simit. It makes the sesame seeds stick to the dough as well as gives simit its characteristic flavour and golden brown colour.

You can buy them online on Amazon or from Turkish/Mediterranean shops. Alternatively, you can use fig or pomegranate molasses. In this case, add a teaspoon of brown sugar into the molasses and dissolve it over low heat before using.

• Sesame seeds - The other crucial ingredient for Turkish simit is the sesame seeds. Use toasted sesame seeds for a good simit taste. If you can’t find them toasted in the shops, toast them yourself as described in the recipe card. 

How to Make Simit?

Although it takes a little time to make this iconic Turkish street food, it is very easy to make them with step-by-step instructions, pictures, and a short video tutorial:

• Prepare the dough - Place the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl and then add the water gradually. Mix them with your hand to form a dough. Knead it for a few minutes, until you get a smooth and elastic dough and it doesn't stick to your hand anymore. (You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook for this step). Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or cling film and let it rise for 1 hour or until it doubles in size. The rising time depends on the temperature of the room.

• Prepare the dippings for simit - If you don't have toasted sesame seeds, you can toast them while the dough is rising. Simply place them in a large non-stick pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, and toast until they turn golden brown, 20-25 minutes. When cooled down, place the toasted sesame seeds on a separate large plate, set them aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the molasses and water, set it aside. 

• Shape the simit - After an hour, check the dough and transfer it to a floured surface if it doubled the size up. Shape it into a log, cut it into 12 equal pieces and turn them into balls. Grab two dough balls and roll them into a cylinder length of 40cm/16". Put them parallel to each other and stick the ends by pinching. Twist them in opposite directions to make a braid.

Shape it into a circle and dip it into the molasses mixture making sure it's covered on both sides and then put it into the sesame seed plate. Make sure it is fully coated. Transfer it onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and repeat the same with the remaining dough balls.

• Rest the simits and bake - Preheat the oven to 230 °C and let the dough rings rest for another 20 minutes. Place the baking sheet in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 210 °C and bake for another 5 minutes, until golden brown, fully baked and crispy.

Related Recipes

For more delicious Turkish bread&bakery recipes why not try?

• Homemade Turkish Lahmacun

• Pide with Cheese and Mushrooms

• Potato Borek

• Pide Turkish (Kiymali Pide)

• Homemade Pita Bread

• Bazlama (Turkish Bread)

• Pogaca (Turkish Cheese Buns)

• Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek)

Top Tips From the Chef

• When making the simit dough, make sure the water is not too hot, it should be warm to touch.

• You can make the dough the night before and store it in the fridge overnight to bake the next day fresh for breakfast. Before using the dough, remove it from the fridge, bring it to room temperature and let it rise.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this traditional Turkish sesame bagel simit recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

FOOD SAFETY

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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Did you make this recipe?

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