Simit

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gstrong white flour
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 10 gsalt
• 1 tbspsugar
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 300 mlwarm water

Dipping mixture

• 150 mlpekmez, grape molasses
• 350 mlwarm water

Coating

• 300 gsesame seeds

To serve

• black tea
• white cheese
• tomato and cucumber

Directions

1. Put the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Keep the salt away from the yeast until the water goes in. Add the olive oil and most of the warm water. Mix it into a dough and turn it out. Knead it for ten to twelve minutes. It should be smooth, elastic and fairly firm.
2. Put it in an oiled bowl and cover it. Let it rise until roughly doubled. Divide the dough into eight pieces. Roll each into a rope about sixty centimetres long. Let the ropes rest for two minutes if they spring back. Fold each rope in half lengthways.
3. Hold the folded ends and twist the two strands around each other. Twist them fairly tightly along the whole length. The twist should be even from end to end.
4. Bring the two ends round into a ring. Press the join together firmly. Roll the join under your palm so it merges into the twist. Set the rings on a floured tray. Cover them loosely and prove for twenty-five minutes. Heat the oven to 220C with a heavy tray inside.
5. Whisk the pekmez into the warm water until fully dissolved. It should look like a weak tea. Taste it: it should be faintly sweet and slightly tart. Coating them needs a heavy hand with the sesame.
6. Spread the sesame seeds in a wide tray. Lift a proved ring and lower it into the pekmez water. Turn it so both faces are thoroughly wetted. Lift it out and let the excess run off briefly. Lay it into the sesame and press down firmly. Turn it and press the other side.
7. Press the inner and outer edges into the seeds as well. Using enough sesame is what separates a good simit from a poor one. Use far more sesame than seems reasonable. Baking them is fast and very hot.
8. Lay the coated rings on the preheated tray. Leave plenty of space between them. Bake them for eighteen to twenty minutes. They should be deep golden brown. Cover them loosely with a cloth as they cool. Serving it is done freshly baked. Serve them warm or at room temperature. They are best within a few hours of baking.

Technique

• The pekmez dip is what distinguishes the Turkish original from the Balkan rings.
• Press the sesame on heavily, since a thinly seeded simit is a poor one.
• Cover them with a cloth as they cool, which keeps the crumb soft.

Substitutions

• Diluted date syrup or dark honey if pekmez is unavailable.
• A heavy baking tray if you have no stone.

Variations

• Split and filled with white cheese.
• Made small, as çubuk simit sticks.
• With a mix of black and white sesame.

History

Sesame ring documented in Ottoman Istanbul records from the sixteenth century; street sellers with glass carts remain a fixture of the city.

Frequently asked questions

What is Simit?

Simit is a street food from Turkey: sesame-crusted bread ring sold from carts; eaten with tea and cheese. Sesame ring documented in Ottoman Istanbul records from the sixteenth century; street sellers with glass carts remain a fixture of the city.

How long does Simit take to make?

Simit takes 30 min plus 90 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 Simit?

Yes, within limits. Diluted date syrup or dark honey if pekmez is unavailable. A heavy baking tray if you have no stone.

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

Hold the folded ends and twist the two strands around each other. Twist them fairly tightly along the whole length. The twist should be even from end to end.