Simit

About This Recipe

Simit is Turkey's most ubiquitous street food, sold by simitçi vendors from large round trays balanced on their heads across every city in Turkey, from Istanbul's Bosphorus shore to Ankara's busy streets. These circular bread rings — similar to a bagel in shape but much crustier and more sesame-forward — are made from a simple yeast dough that is dipped in pekmez (grape molasses) before being coated generously in sesame seeds and baked. The pekmez gives the simit its distinctive golden-amber colour and a subtle caramel depth. Eaten for breakfast with beyaz peynir (white cheese), olives, tomatoes, and çay (Turkish tea), or simply plain from the bag, simit is the taste of Turkish daily life.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 500 gplain flour
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 tspsalt
• 280 mlwarm water
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 3 tbspgrape molasses (pekmez)(or pomegranate molasses)
• 3 tbspwater(for molasses mixture)
• 200 gsesame seeds

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add water and oil. Knead 10 minutes until smooth. Cover and prove 1 hour.

2. 2

   Shape the rings

   Divide dough into 8 balls. Roll each into a rope about 50 cm long. Bring the two ends together and twist once to form a ring. Pinch the ends firmly.

   The twist is not just decorative — it creates the characteristic simit shape and helps the ring hold together.

3. 3

   Rest

   Place on a lined baking tray and rest 20 minutes while the oven heats to 200°C.

4. 4

   Dip in molasses

   Mix pekmez with 3 tbsp water in a wide bowl. Dip each ring in the molasses mixture, turning to coat completely. Immediately press both sides into sesame seeds — they should be generously and evenly coated.

5. 5

   Bake

   Bake at 200°C for 20–25 minutes until deeply golden. Cool on a rack. Best eaten within hours of baking.

Variations

• •

  Brush with egg wash instead of molasses for a softer, shinier version.

• •

  Sprinkle with nigella seeds alongside sesame for an Istanbul variation.

• •

  Fill the ring with cheese before closing for a stuffed version.

Storage

Best on the day of baking. Refresh in a 180°C oven for 5 minutes the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions