• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Press
  • Browse Categories
  • Work With Us
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

Give Recipe logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Browse Categories
  • Turkish
  • Desserts
  • About
  • Start Here
×

Home » Turkish » Homemade Turkish Simit

Published: Mar 28, 2021 by Zerrin & Yusuf

Homemade Turkish Simit

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Simit is the most famous street food in Turkey. It is crunchy and nutty on the outside and soft and a little chewy on the inside. Sesame seed coated simits make the best breakfast in this world when accompanied by cheese, tomatoes, cucumber and a cup of tea. 


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 country-style flatbread bazlama!

Close shot of a simit bread with a golden color coated with sesame seeds on a dark background.
Jump to:
  • What Is Simit?
  • Bread For Breakfast
  • More Turkish Savory Pastries
  • Ingredients
  • How To Make 
  • Tips & Tricks
  • How To Eat
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Bread Recipes
  • More Turkish Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

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 the yogurt drink named 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. 

Oh and if you don't have a single idea about 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
  • Kusbasili Pide Recipe Homemade
  • Turkish Sesame Pepper Bread

Ingredients

You need a simple dough and a sweet nutty coating for a tasty simit recipe. 

Sesame seeds, flour, grape molasses, instant yeast, water and salt all in separate bowls on a grey background.

For the Dough:

  • 500g (3 + ¼ cup) flour 
  • 2 tablespoon dry instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 300ml warm water

For The Coating:

  • ½ cup molasses (grape or date)
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 300g (about 1 and ½ cups) toasted sesame seeds

Pro Tip: The amount of protein in flour is important to have the right flavor in simit, it must be 13 or more. We searched for the right flour at the market, but it wasn’t very easy, so we had to visit a few markets and finally found one with 14. Check out its label before buying!

How To Make 

The recipe has 4 folds.

Dough ingredients in a large glass mixing bowl.

First,  make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast and salt. Gradually pour in the water and mix it with your hand.

A smooth dough in a glass mixing bowl on a grey background.

Knead it for 5 minutes or until you get a smooth and non-sticky, elastic dough. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook for this step.

The dough doubled in size in a glass mixing bowl on a grey background.

Cover it and let it rise for about 1 hour, until it doubles in size.

Second, prepare the simit coating. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the molasses, water and flour. Set it aside. Put the sesame seeds in another bowl. Put it aside. If the sesame seeds are raw, toast them in a pan beforehand.

Twelve mini dough balls are aligned in four rows and three coloumns on a grey background.

Third, shape the simit dough. When the dough doubles in size after 1 hour, punch it down and transfer on a floured surface. Shape it into a log and cut it into 6 equal pieces. And then cut each piece into two. You will have 12 pieces in total.

Two strands of dough on a grey background and more dough balls on the side.

Grab two pieces and roll them into a rope, 20 inches/50cm in length. Put these side by side and stick the ends by pinching.

Braided strands of dough and more dough balls on a grey background.

Twist in opposite directions to make a braid. Combine the two ends by pinching them together and make a ring. Repeat this for the remaining dough balls.

Two ring shaped braided simit dough and one braided dough, the ends of which are not sticked.
One ring shaped simit dough soaked in molasses in a bowl, another in a bowl of toasted sesame seeds and more braided simits on the side for this process.
Breaded ring shaped simits coated with sesame seeds to be baked on a black baking sheet.

Fourth, coat the simit dough and bake. Soak the simit ring into the molasses mixture first and then put it into the sesame seed bowl. Transfer onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven(425F/220C) for 15-20 minutes, until golden. 

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.

Braided ring shaped simit dough on brown baking sheet from front view, more on the back.
Simit dough coated with molasses and sesame seeds on a baking paper lined baking sheet from front view and more simits behind it.
Whole wheat simits on a wooden board from front view, a glass of Turkish tea, tomatoes and cucumbers beking them.

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.
Turkish style bagels coated with sesame seeds called simit on a wire rack on a dark background.

How To Eat

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 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 cheese dips! YUM!

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a simit taste?

It tastes nutty with a subtle sweetness, so it is considered as a savory food and mostly paired with other savory foods.

Are simits vegan?

Yes they are. No eggs or dairy products are used in the recipe. Never.

Is simit a bagel?

No it isn’t. Although they look similar in shape, the taste is different because of two reasons. 1)Simits are not boiled like bagels, they are only baked in a very hot oven. 2)Unlike bagels, simits are coated with a generous amount of toasted sesame seeds. This is what makes them unique.

How do you reheat simits?

You can reheat them either in the oven or in a pan over medium low heat. 

Can I freeze them?

Yes, you can freeze simits for several months and reheat them whenever you want to eat.

1 Simit 1 Cheese Please | giverecipe.com

More Bread Recipes

  • Homemade Yeast Rolls
  • Bread Without Yeast
  • Tortilla Bread

More Turkish Recipes

  • Turkish Tea In Tea Pot
  • Menemen Recipe (Turkish Scrambled Eggs With Tomatoes)
  • Turkish Pogaca Recipe
  • Turkish Gozleme Recipe

As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!

Sign up for the FREE GiveRecipe Newsletter to get the new recipes into your inbox! And stay in touch with us on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram for all the latest updates.

Print

📖 Recipe

Homemade Turkish Simit

Golden colored, crunchy Turkish simits coated with toasted sesame seeds on a black cooling rack on a dark background.
Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.9 from 9 reviews

Simit is a crunchy, ring shaped, braided street bread with an amazing nutty flavor of toasted sesame seeds.

  • Author: Zerrin & Yusuf
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Turkish

Ingredients

Scale

For the Dough:

  • 500g (3 + ¼ cup) flour 
  • 2 teaspoon dry instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 300ml warm water

For The Coating:

  • ½ cup molasses (grape or date)

  • ¼ cup water

  • 1 tablespoon flour

  • 300g (about 1 and ½ cups) toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Make the dough:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast and salt.
  2. Gradually pour in the water and mix it with your hand. Knead it for 5 minutes or until you get a smooth and non-sticky, elastic dough.
  3. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook for this step.
  4. Cover it and let it rise for about 1 hour, until it doubles in size.

Prepare the coating:

  1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the molasses, water and flour. Set it aside.
  2. Put the sesame seeds in another bowl. Put it aside. If the sesame seeds are raw, toast them in a pan beforehand.

Shape the simit dough:

  1. When the dough doubles in size after 1 hour, punch it down and transfer on a floured surface. Shape it into a log and cut it into 6 equal pieces. And then cut each piece into two. You will have 12 pieces in total.
  2. Grab two pieces and roll them into a rope, 20 inches/50cm in length.
  3. Put these side by side and stick the ends by pinching.
  4. Twist in opposite directions to make a braid.
  5. Combine the two ends by pinching them together and make a ring.
  6. Repeat this for the remaining dough balls.

Coat the simit dough and bake:

  1. Preheat the oven at 425C/220C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put it aside.
  2. Soak the simit ring into the molasses mixture first and then put it into the sesame seed bowl. Transfer onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden. 

Notes

  1. The amount of protein in flour is important to have the right flavor in simit, it must be 13 or more. We searched for the right flour at the market, but it wasn’t very easy, so we had to visit a few markets and finally found one with 14. Check out its label before buying!
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 680
  • Sugar: 21.4 g
  • Sodium: 465.4 mg
  • Fat: 25.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 97.8 g
  • Protein: 18.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: simit, simit recipe, turkish simit, how to make simit

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @give_recipe on Instagram and hashtag it #giverecipe

« Turkish Manti Dumplings
Vegetarian Cheese and Leek Quiche »

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Erica says

    August 10, 2021 at 2:40 am

    These turned out amazing! Freezing some now and will bring them to the table for breakfast at the weekend.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. maryannemrcc55@gmail.com says

    May 21, 2021 at 7:51 am

    Hi Yusuf and Zerrin, Tks for your lovely recipes. I'd like to try the simit. Had a hard time finding the grape molassrs. Do you dip the simits whole in the molasses mix or just the top? They look delicious. Tks.

    Reply
    • Yusuf says

      May 22, 2021 at 3:09 am

      Hi there! We dip the simits whole. Make sure they are coated well. This will give them a nice golden color all over the simits. Let us know what you think when you try it!

      Reply
  3. Marann says

    May 21, 2021 at 4:34 am

    Hi Zerrin, do you dip the whole simit in the molasses mix or just the top. Tks for your wonderful recipes.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Yusuf says

      May 22, 2021 at 3:10 am

      Hi Marann! We dip the whole simit into the molasses mix.

      Reply
      • Laurie says

        July 30, 2021 at 6:25 pm

        At what oven temperature are these baked?

      • Yusuf says

        August 04, 2021 at 2:06 pm

        Hi Laurie,
        Thank you so much for asking this. Bake it in a preheated oven at 425F/220C. Just added it in the recipe card.

  4. Marann says

    May 21, 2021 at 4:28 am

    Hi, I made your Menemen recipen and it was delicious. I also tried your Beef Pide yesterday and it also went down well with my husband who isn't a fan of new recipes. I got interested in Turkish food lately after watching a few Turkish TV series
    . I'd like to try your simit now.. had a hard time finding grape molasses..I like your recipes as I think they are authentic and also easy to follow. Keep it up

    Reply
    • Yusuf says

      May 22, 2021 at 3:12 am

      Hi Marann! Happy to hear that you loved our menemen and pide recipes! New recipes might be challenging, so you must have done a great job as your husband loved them too. Thank you for sharing your feedback with us here!

      Reply
      • Marann says

        May 22, 2021 at 8:25 pm

        Thank you

        ★★★★★

  5. carly says

    September 05, 2020 at 12:37 am

    How much salt should be added to the dough?

    Reply
    • Yusuf says

      September 07, 2020 at 3:34 am

      1 teaspoon salt is fine.

      Reply
  6. Steven says

    June 27, 2020 at 1:36 pm

    Great recipe. Very frustrating that adverts appear over the top of the recipe instructions. Badly designed webpage.

    ★★★★

    Reply
  7. Henry says

    May 26, 2020 at 1:06 pm

    Simit brings me back to my childhood in Egypt where we used to buy them from the street vendors....sometimes going to the cinema En Plein Air eating a simit with a slice of cheese or a hard boiled egg with salt and pepper. Loved eating them.
    My question is making simit at home can I substitute molasses for vegetable oil.
    Thank you,
    Henry

    Reply
    • Yusuf says

      May 27, 2020 at 3:51 am

      How lovely memories! Well, molasses is for a bit sweetness and color. So vegetable oil won't give the same effect.

      Reply
  8. Irene says

    January 13, 2020 at 11:47 pm

    Hi guys! Thank you for the recipe and the pictures! I made these with all purpose flour and they turned out great! I heated the leftovers in a non-stick pan and they tasted as if I had just made them. Will definitely make it again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Yusuf says

      January 13, 2020 at 11:55 pm

      Hi Irene! So glad to hear that you loved this simit recipe! Heating it in a pan is what we do especially for our Sunday breakfast.

      Reply
  9. Marleen says

    November 21, 2014 at 2:22 pm

    Such a wonderful recepie! By the way, the amount of salt is missing in the ingredients list! 😉

    Reply
  10. Liz says

    September 20, 2013 at 9:45 pm

    Do you think I could make these the night before up until the molasses and sesame seeds and then bake in the morning?

    Reply
    • Zerrin says

      September 20, 2013 at 9:53 pm

      Never tried it that way Liz, but I think it's ok to make the dough overnight. I sometimes make such yeast dough pastries the night before and fill it with something and bake the following day.

      Reply
  11. Karin Anderson says

    July 11, 2013 at 3:41 am

    Interesting what you mention about the protein content of the flour. Here in the US flour has a much higher protein content than European flours, and I had a hard time figuring out why my German rolls didn't turn out right (with a fluffy, pull-out crumb, instead of a chewy, baguette like one).
    When I was in Hamburg last time, I looked for permez, but couldn't find it. Here in the US there is (sadly) not much Turkish food, anyway.
    Happy Baking!

    Reply
  12. Erkin says

    January 19, 2013 at 6:12 pm

    I'm glad my usual breakfast has inspired you to cook it at home. I would ask you to cook and bring me some for a breakfast, but simit is delicious only if it is fresh, so I and Utku(he loves simit) will call on for a five o'clock tea on a Saturday.

    Another important tip about simit: Simit+cheese+tea makes a breakfast, simit+ayran makes a lunch.

    Enjoy it!

    Reply
    • Zerrin says

      January 19, 2013 at 7:03 pm

      Erkin, we can make it for you and sweet Utku any time you want. Just call us before coming and your simit will be ready right when you come.
      Thanks for additional info about simit+ayran.

      Reply
  13. Stamatia says

    January 09, 2013 at 10:02 pm

    Hi Zerrin,

    The recipe is missing from the bottom of the page!

    I've still never managed to find grape molasses here, only "regular" (sugarcane) molasses, and now I can get carob or pomegranate molasses...but no grape. 🙁

    Reply
    • Zerrin says

      January 09, 2013 at 10:27 pm

      Thank you Stamatia for warning! I fixed it and now the recipe must be displayed.
      As carob molasses has the same color and similar sweetness, I guess it works fine for this recipe, so you can use it.

      Reply
  14. Hana says

    January 02, 2013 at 4:35 pm

    Hi Zerrin..thanks for your reply! Over here in Malaysia we don't produce molasses so i believe what we import are sugarcane molasses from the US. I think i will mak e more research on this hehe. Thanks!

    Reply
  15. Hana says

    December 31, 2012 at 2:27 pm

    Hello! These look so yummy! Could I substitute grape molasses with regular molasses?

    Reply
    • Zerrin says

      December 31, 2012 at 11:25 pm

      Hi Hana,
      I don't know what regular molasses is, we have grape molasses here, which has a dark brown color and sweet flavor. We use it in this recipe especially for its color and quite little sweetness. If your regular molasses is the same, you can use it.

      Reply
      • Devon says

        November 12, 2017 at 8:30 am

        Regular molasses are a by product of producing whit sugar. They mix some of it back in with the sugar to make brown sugar.

Newer Comments »

Primary Sidebar

Zerrin & Yusuf

Meet Zerrin and Yusuf Gunaydin: The couple behind this blog. We bring Turkish food into your kitchen! From kebabs to desserts, everything you crave is here.

More about us→

POPULAR

  • Turkish Breakfast (How To Prepare It)
  • Air Fryer Chicken Wings Baking Powder
  • Baking Powder Chicken Wings Baked In The Oven
  • Adana Kebab (Turkish Ground Lamb Kebab)
  • Healthy Greek Yogurt Coleslaw with Low Fat Dressing
  • Turkish Chicken Kebab Recipe (Tavuk Şiş)

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

All content, recipes and photographs are copyrighted and the property of Give Recipe. They may not be republished in part or whole without proper credit and permission.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 GIVE RECIPE

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Privacy PolicyACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT