Simit, sesame-crusted bread rings
A chewy bread ring dipped in grape molasses, pressed into toasted sesame, and baked to a deep chestnut brown. The breakfast Istanbul eats standing up, with tea, white cheese, and olives.
In Istanbul, simit is rarely baked at home. It arrives on a red cart, stacked in neat golden towers, and it is eaten standing up with a glass of black tea. This is the version for the rest of us: a firm, chewy dough rolled into ropes, twisted into rings, dipped in grape molasses, and pressed into toasted sesame. The molasses is the quiet secret. It bakes into a deep chestnut crust, faintly sweet, that gives way to a soft, elastic crumb. Serve it the way the city does, torn by hand, with white cheese, a few olives, and more tea than you think you need.
Method
Make the dough.
Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm water and mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on the counter for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should feel firm, noticeably firmer than pizza dough. That firmness is what gives simit its chew.
Let it rise.
Shape the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover and leave in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until doubled in size. Toward the end of the rise, heat the oven to 230°C (450°F) with a rack in the middle.
Toast the sesame and mix the dip.
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant. Spread them on a plate to cool. In a shallow bowl, whisk the grape molasses with the water until loose and pourable.
Shape the rings.
Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 55 cm long, fold it in half, and twist the two strands around each other. Press the ends together firmly to close each ring, about 12 cm across.
Dip and coat.
Dip each ring in the molasses water, turning to coat both sides, and let the excess drip off. Press the ring into the toasted sesame, flip, and press again so the seeds cover every surface. Set the rings on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced apart.
Bake until chestnut brown.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the rings are a deep, glossy chestnut brown. Pale simit is underbaked simit; the color is the point. Cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm with black tea, white cheese, and olives.
Frequently asked questions
- What is pekmez and what can I use instead?
- Pekmez is Turkish grape molasses, sold in Middle Eastern grocers and online. If you cannot find it, whisk 2 tablespoons of honey or date molasses into the dipping water instead. Skip pomegranate molasses, which is too sharp. The dip gives simit its color and faint sweetness, so do not leave it out.
- Why did my simit come out pale?
- Three usual suspects: an oven that was not fully preheated, a dip that was too diluted, or nerves. Keep the dip at roughly equal parts pekmez and water, bake at a true 230°C, and hold out for the full 15-18 minutes. The sugars in the molasses need real heat to turn that deep chestnut.
- Can I make the dough the night before?
- Yes. After kneading, cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight instead of the warm rise. Shape the rings straight from the fridge, let them sit for 20 minutes at room temperature, then dip and bake as written. The slow rise deepens the flavor.
- Do the sesame seeds really need toasting first?
- They do. Raw seeds only half toast during the short bake, and simit lives on that deep nutty crust. Toast them in a dry pan until golden and pull them the moment they smell nutty, because they will keep toasting in the oven.
- How do I store leftover simit?
- Simit is best the day it is baked, ideally within hours. Keep leftovers in a paper bag at room temperature for a day, then refresh in a 180°C oven for 4-5 minutes. They also freeze well: freeze fully cooled, then reheat from frozen for 8-10 minutes.
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