Recipe

Turkish-Inspired Sesame Simit Rings

Twisted yeast-bread rings are dipped in grape molasses and coated in sesame before baking into golden, chewy Turkish-inspired simit.

Turkish simit bread rings, including sesame and poppy-seed variations
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Ingredients

  • 500 g bread flour (about 4 cups spooned and leveled; weighing is preferred)
  • 7 g instant yeast (one standard packet)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar (8 g)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt (7 g)
  • 300 ml lukewarm water, about 100 F (38 C), plus a teaspoon at a time only if needed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
  • 3 tablespoons grape molasses or pekmez (60 g)
  • 1/2 cup water (120 ml), for the dipping mixture
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds (80 g)

Instructions

  1. Combine flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the 300 ml lukewarm water and olive oil and mix into a shaggy dough. Knead on a clean surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding only tiny amounts of water if dry flour will not incorporate.
  2. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and let rise in a comfortably warm place for about 60 minutes, or until approximately doubled. A cool room may take longer; judge the dough rather than forcing the schedule with excessive heat.
  3. Divide into 6 equal pieces, then divide each piece in half. Roll each half into a rope about 14 inches (35 cm) long. If the dough springs back, cover and rest it for 5 minutes before continuing.
  4. Twist each pair of ropes together, form a ring and pinch the ends securely, leaving a central opening about 2 inches across. Place the six rings on two parchment-lined trays, allowing space to expand.
  5. Heat the oven to 425 F (220 C). Stir grape molasses with the dipping water in a shallow bowl and spread sesame seeds on a plate. Dip each ring briefly in the molasses mixture, let excess drip back, then coat both sides with sesame.
  6. Return coated rings to the trays and rest for about 15 minutes while the oven finishes heating. Discard dipping mixture that contacted raw dough; do not use it as a ready-to-eat sauce.
  7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden, rotating trays and switching shelves halfway if baking both together. Centers should be baked through rather than gummy; if the sesame darkens too quickly, loosely shield with foil near the end.
  8. Transfer to a rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. The interior continues setting as steam escapes. Serve one ring per person; cheese, olives or spreads are optional accompaniments not included.

A sesame-coated crust and a gently chewy interior make simit an appealing handheld bread. In this home adaptation, two dough ropes are twisted together and joined into a ring, then dipped in diluted grape molasses so the sesame sticks and the crust colors well.

The total time includes rising and cooling, not just mixing and baking. The recipe makes six medium rings, with a real opening in the middle rather than a closed bun. Grape molasses gives a different flavor from dark baking molasses, so use the specified ingredient when possible.

Dough and dipping ingredients

A firm but pliable dough holds the twisted shape. Flour absorbs water differently, so adjust by teaspoons rather than pouring freely. Grape molasses and blackstrap molasses are not equivalent; the latter can taste bitter.

Storage

Cool completely and store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 2 months for best quality. Refresh in a moderate oven until warm and crisp. Keep filled rings with perishable ingredients refrigerated.

Timing

The stated total allows about 60 minutes for the main rise, 15 minutes after shaping and 10 minutes cooling. Temperature and yeast freshness may extend the rise. Do not eat unbaked dough.

Frequently asked questions

Why did the hole close?

The opening was too small or the dough was stretched unevenly. Make a generous center opening and leave room for the ring to expand during proofing and baking.

Can I use active dry yeast?

Use the equivalent amount according to its package and activate it in part of the measured water if instructed. Rising time may differ from the instant-yeast method.

Nutrition notes

Nutrition values are approximate editorial estimates per serving, not laboratory measurements or a verified nutritional analysis. Actual values vary with brands, portion size and substitutions. These original recipe drafts have not been kitchen-tested; cooking times are guides.

Estimate divides all flour, oil, molasses and sesame into six rings and therefore overcounts any coating left in the dishes. No cheese, olives or spreads are included.

Allergen information: Wheat; Sesame. Check all ingredient labels and individual dietary needs.

Illustrative photograph: Simit simit.jpg by E4024. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph included at the supplied resolution without additional visual edits; filename changed for organization. This is not a photograph of a test cook of this recipe. Photograph includes a sesame simit and a poppy-seed variation. This recipe makes sesame rings only. The photograph retains its stated license.

Per serving

Nutrition facts

Serving size: 1 of 6 sesame bread rings (estimated nutrition)

Calories
440
Total fat
11 g
Saturated fat
2 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
460 mg
Total carbohydrate
72 g
Dietary fiber
4 g
Total sugars
8 g
Protein
13 g

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