Djevrek

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gstrong white flour
• 7 gdried yeast
• 1 tbspsugar
• 2 tspsalt
• 3 tbspoil
• about 280 ml warm water

Dip

• 150 mlgrape molasses, pekmez, or date syrup
• 300 mlwarm water

To coat

• 200 gsesame seeds

To serve

• warm, from a street stand, with yoghurt or cheese

Directions

1. Mix roughly one part molasses to two parts warm water. It should be thin enough to dip in easily rather than a thick syrup. Use far more sesame than seems reasonable. A djevrek should be completely encrusted, with no bare dough visible.
2. Put the seeds in a wide shallow tray so you can roll the ring in them properly. Do not toast them fully, since they will toast further in the oven and burn.
3. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt, then add the oil and warm water. Knead for eight to ten minutes until smooth and elastic. It should be a firm dough rather than a soft one, since it needs to hold a ring shape.
4. Let it rise until doubled, about an hour. Divide the dough and roll each piece into a long rope, about sixty centimetres. Press and roll the join between your fingers to seal it properly. Now the size the ring should be.
5. Make the hole in the middle generously large, since it closes up as the ring proves and bakes. Dip each ring fully in the diluted molasses, turning it so every surface is wet.
6. Lift it out and let the excess drip off for a moment. Press the seeds on rather than sprinkling, and turn the ring several times. Set the coated rings on lined trays and let them prove for twenty to thirty minutes. Do not overprove them, since a very airy ring loses the chew that defines it.
7. Bake at 220°C for fifteen to twenty minutes until deep golden brown. The molasses coating browns quickly, so watch it after twelve minutes. Serve it warm, torn rather than sliced. It goes stale quickly and it is best within a few hours.

Technique

• It is the Turkish simit under a Serbian name.
• The molasses dip is for the sugars, which caramelise into the dark crust.
• It should be chewy rather than soft, which needs a firm dough and a short prove.

Substitutions

• Date syrup or thin molasses in place of pekmez.
• Honey diluted with water, at a pinch.

Variations

• Simit, the Turkish version, which is the same bread.
• Koulouri, the Greek version.
• Made smaller, as individual snack rings.

History

A Turkish simit under a Serbian name, long hawked around Belgrade markets and railway stations.

Frequently asked questions

What is Djevrek?

Djevrek is a street food from Serbia: chewy sesame-crusted bread ring sold from street stands and kiosks. A Turkish simit under a Serbian name, long hawked around Belgrade markets and railway stations.

How long does Djevrek take to make?

Djevrek takes 30 min plus 1 hr 30 min rising of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 rings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Djevrek?

Yes, within limits. Date syrup or thin molasses in place of pekmez. Honey diluted with water, at a pinch.

What is the most important thing to get right in Djevrek?

Mix roughly one part molasses to two parts warm water. It should be thin enough to dip in easily rather than a thick syrup. Use far more sesame than seems reasonable. A djevrek should be completely encrusted, with no bare dough visible.