Turkish Simit Recipe

Simit is one of our favorite Turkish bread recipes. We’ve shared several other breads so far. If you love baking breads, check out our pide bread recipe, lavash recipe and flatbread bazlama!

What Is Simit?

Simit is a type of Turkish bread mostly eaten as a breakfast food. It is known as the meal of the busy people or poor people because it is the cheapest street food in Turkey. We pair it with a glass of Turkish tea for breakfast and with yogurt drink ayran for lunch.

As for the meaning; the Turkish word simit got an entry in Oxford dictionary in 2019 and is described as follows: A type of ring-shaped bread roll originating in Turkey, typically coated with molasses and encrusted with sesame seeds before baking. 

It's often described as Turkish bagel due to its circular shape and sesame seed coating. However, the comparison mostly ends there. 

Simit has a unique taste and texture that distinguishes it from a bagel. It is generally lighter, crispier, and flakier on the outside, while remaining soft on the inside. The dough is sweetened with grape molasses and coated in toasted sesame seeds, giving it a distinctly sweet and nutty flavor.

Oh and if you don't have time to learn how to make simit, look for a store called Simit Sarayı around you. It is a chain store selling various types of simit all around the world. If you can't find it, then you have to give this simit recipe a try at home!

Bread For Breakfast

Simit bread is the best grab-and-go breakfast for many working people and students during weekdays in Turkey. They mostly buy simit and cheese together either on the way to work/school or at their workplace/school.

There is always a simit vendor you can find nearby. They sell fresh sesame simits and small packages of cream cheese together in their small carts. And you buy a simit and a cheese together for the quickest breakfast ever. 

Simits are also a staple for a traditional Turkish breakfast. Make the world-famous menemen or Turkish eggs çilbir and serve with some crispy simits. You will feel in heaven!

More Turkish Savory Pastries

• Cheese Borek
• Pogacha Recipe
• Sigara Borek Recipe
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Ingredients

You need a simple dough and a sweet nutty coating for a tasty simit recipe. Here is a breakdown of the ingredients needed:

For the Dough:

1. Flour: The type of flour you choose can affect the texture of your simit. All-purpose flour is commonly used in this recipe, but you could also use bread flour for a chewier texture. The amount of protein in flour is important to have the right flavor in simit, it should be 13 or more. 
2. Dry Instant Yeast: It's designed to be mixed directly into dry ingredients without needing to be dissolved in water first. This yeast becomes active more quickly, and it allows dough to rise faster compared to other yeast types. If you prefer using active dry yeast, on the other hand, you should dissolve it in warm water (usually about 110-115°F or 43-46°C) before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. 
3. Salt: Salt enhances the flavor of the simit and strengthens the gluten structure of the dough, leading to a better texture. 
4. Lukewarm Water: Water is needed to combine the dry ingredients into a dough, and the warmth helps to activate the yeast. 

For the Coating:

1. Molasses: This is used to stick the sesame seeds onto the simit. It also imparts a slightly sweet, complex flavor. Try to find grape or date molasses. Read our note below to learn more about the molasses used in simit recipes.
2. Water: This is used to thin the molasses a bit, making it easier to coat the simit.
3. Flour: A little flour is added to the molasses mixture to create a thicker coating that adheres better to the dough. There isn't really a good substitute for this.
4. Toasted Sesame Seeds: These are what give the simit its distinctive appearance and flavor. Toasting the seeds beforehand enhances their flavor. If you can't find them toasted, you can toast sesame seeds in a large non-stick pan over medium heat until golden. Make sure to stir constantly. It should take about 20 minutes.

What Type of Molasses?

Traditional Turkish simit uses grape molasses (üzüm pekmezi), which is a thick, sweet syrup. This gives the simit its unique flavor and helps sesame seeds adhere to the dough.

Alternatives:

If grape molasses isn't available, date molasses can serve as a good substitute, providing a slightly different but still enjoyable flavor.

Outside Turkey, regular molasses, made typically from sugar cane or sugar beet, is more common and can be used as an alternative, although it will alter the traditional taste of your simit.

Avoid using pomegranate molasses, as its sour taste doesn't suit this recipe. It is a sour condiment used in salad dressings. 

Step-By-Step Instructions

Here's a step-by-step guide to making traditional Turkish simit:

Making the Dough:

1. Start by whisking together the flour, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Gradually add in the warm water, mixing with your hand as you go. Continue to knead the mixture for about 5 minutes, until it forms a smooth, elastic, and non-sticky dough.
3. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, you can also use it for this step to save some effort.
4. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and leave the dough to rise in a warm place. This should take about 1 hour, and the dough should roughly double in size.

Preparing the Coating:

1. While the dough is rising, prepare the coating. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the molasses, water, and flour until well combined. Set this aside for later use.
2. Put the sesame seeds in another separate bowl. If the sesame seeds are raw, make sure to toast them lightly in a dry pan beforehand to bring out their flavor. Set this bowl aside as well.

Shaping the Simit Dough:

1. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to release the gas. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface.
2. Shape the dough into a log and cut it into 6 equal pieces. Then cut each of these pieces in half, giving you a total of 12 pieces.
3. Take two pieces of dough and roll them out into ropes, each about 20 inches (50 cm) long.
4. Lay these two ropes side by side, and pinch the ends together to secure them.
5. Twist the two ropes in opposite directions to create a braided effect.
6. Once the ropes are fully twisted, connect the two ends by pinching them together to form a ring shape. This is your basic simit shape.
7. Repeat this process with the remaining dough pieces.

Coating the Simit Dough and Baking:

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. One by one, soak each simit ring in the molasses mixture, making sure it's fully coated. Then, transfer it to the bowl of sesame seeds and turn it to cover all sides.
3. After coating, place each simit on the lined baking sheet.
4. Bake the simits in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they turn a beautiful golden brown color. Keep an eye on them to avoid over-browning.

Note: You can use whole wheat flour in this simit recipe as we have done before. Please see the images below. They turn out a bit harder and crunchier but still tastes good.

Tips & Tricks

• Use toasted sesame seeds for a good simit taste. If you can’t find them toasted at the market, toast them yourself beforehand. To do this, heat a non-stick pan and toast the sesame seeds by stirring occasionally until light brown and you feel that nutty flavor.
• In the coating mixture, don’t leave the flour out. It gives a consistency and helps the mixture stick on the dough ring.
• For a crunchier result, just like we do when baking bread, spray some water into the oven right after you put the prepared dough rings in the oven.

Serving Suggestions

You can eat simits in several ways:

1. Eat them as they are, just pairing with a drink like tea or ayran.
2. You can prepare a sandwich. Cut it into two lengthwise. Place cheese, tomatoes and lettuce leaves in between. Or you can even make a chocolate sandwich with it. Just spread some nutella between two halves and enjoy!
3. You can use chopped simit as a topping on your soups like Turkish lentil soup. You can even make croutons. Just heat simit pieces in a pan over the stove or in a baking sheet in the oven until crunchy. Sprinkle some on your soup, you will love it.
4. Just like crackers or tortilla chips, you can eat simit with your dips. Get a piece and dip it into spicy acuka sauce, hummus or haydari meze! YUM!

Storing & Reheating

Storing:

Freshly baked simit can be kept at room temperature for up to two days. Wrap them in a clean cloth or store them in a bread box to keep them from drying out.

For longer storage, they can be stored in the refrigerator. Place them in a plastic bag or wrap them in plastic wrap to prevent them from absorbing other flavors in the fridge. They can last for about a week this way.

For the longest shelf life, simits can be frozen. Wrap each individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe bag. They can last up to three months in the freezer.

Reheating:

When you're ready to eat your stored simit, it's best to reheat them to recreate the fresh-out-of-the-oven experience. Here's how:

Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F). Place the simit directly on the oven rack and heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until warm and slightly crispy.

If the simit is frozen, there's no need to thaw it first. Just extend the reheating time to about 15-20 minutes.

Alternatively, you can reheat them in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

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