Simit (Turkish Sesame Bagel)

5 from 6 votes

Simit (also known as Simit Bread or Turkish Sesame Bagel), is a sesame-crusted circular bread that is usually served for breakfast.

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time20

Total Time1 50

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Turkish

Diet: Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: pieces

Calories: 348kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

Ingredients

For The Dough

500 g white strong flour
3 g fast-action dried yeast
7 g salt
310 ml tepid water

For Dipping

150 g grape molasses
50 ml water
150 g sesame seeds (toasted )

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl and then add the water gradually. Mix them together 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.
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, and set them aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the molasses and water, and set it aside.
After an hour, check the dough and transfer it to a floured surface if it doubled the size.
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 and shape it into a circle.
Dip the simit ring 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.
Preheat the oven to 230° C (450° F) 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 (410° F) and bake for another 5 minutes, until golden brown, fully baked, and crispy.

Video

Notes

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.
When making the simit dough, make sure the water is not too hot, it should be warm to the touch.
Knead the dough well: Kneading the dough well is important to ensure that it is smooth and elastic. This will help the simit to rise properly and result in a nice texture.
The rising time for simit dough depends on the temperature of the room.
If you don't have grape molasses (pekmez), add a teaspoon of brown sugar to the pomegranate molasses and dissolve it over low heat before using.
You can keep the leftover simit at room temperature wrapped in a plastic bag or a clean kitchen towel for up to 2 days.
Use a mixture of molasses and water: The mixture of molasses and water gives simit its characteristic shiny appearance and slightly sweet taste. Be sure to dip the rings in the mixture before rolling them in sesame seeds.
Roll the rings in sesame seeds generously: Rolling the rings in sesame seeds generously ensures that they are evenly coated and gives them a nice crunchy texture.
Bake at a high temperature: Simit is best baked at a high temperature to ensure that it cooks evenly and develops a nice golden brown color.
You can make kumru bread using simit dough for making these scrumptious grilled cheese sandwiches called "Izmir Kumru - Turkish Sandwich".

Nutrition