Turkish Simit Bread
I’m mad about bread since my childhood, a setting table without bread at home is not a table at all. Anyway, a few days ago my fellow blogger Tasneem from thoughtsoverchai posted this tempting Turkish bread, I couldn’t resist trying this new recipe. Tasneem is a Dubai Food Blogger.
The Turkish Simit Bread is the famous bread from Turkey. I remembered our last trip in Istanbul a few years ago, I was fascinated by this round bread, on sale everywhere, warm, crunchy and soft at the same time, full of sesame seeds! Perfect for a tea or stuffed with cheese and petal rose jam.
I adapted Tasneem’s recipe and I am very happy with my first Simit Bread (I made little changes). Next time I will try to make them thinner.
Serves 5
Ingredients:
- 600g all purpose flour/plain flour
- 300ml of water (for me)
- 20g of fresh yeast (for me)
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- A pinch of salt
- Roasted sesame seeds
- 100ml of Pekmez grapes molasses (for me)
- 100ml of water (hot)
Procedure:
- In a deep bowl add the flour, the yeast, and the sugar.
- Start to mix all the ingredients with your fingers.
- In a bowl dissolve the salt with the 300ml of water (more or less depending on the quality of your flours).
- Pour gradually the water and start to knead with your hands.
- Knead until you feel the dough becomes soft and not sticky.
- Cover the dough with a kitchen cloth and let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place.
- Dust with flour a baking tray and set aside.
- After 1 hour, restart to knead with your hands for a good 3 minutes.
- Bend and fold the dough by using the palm of your hands and your fingers.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.
- Take each piece and make long rolls of 65 centimeters long.
- Take 2 rolls and place them side by side, twist them and pinch to join the ends, you obtain a ring (as seen in the picture).
- Proceed the same way for the rest of the rolls.
- Heat the oven to 200C degrees.
- In a large bowl mix the hot water and the Pekmez.
- In another plate add the roasted sesame seeds.
- Dip each ring, first in the Pekmez and then in the sesame seeds.
- Place the ring on the baking tray.
- Proceed the same way for the rest of the rings and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown color.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
Eat this bread with a good tea, I opted for a good Ceylon tea and rose petal jam.
There is nothing better than the smell of the bread inside the house.
Bonne dégustation!
PS: In my recipe, I used grams instead of cups (I’m more familiar with grams) and I also used Pekmez. Simit are much better when they are eaten fresh!
Thank you, Tasneem 🙂
Thanks a lot for the mention Linda. Your simit looks great and those photographs are wonderful!
You’re welcome Tasneem and thank you so much for the recipe. We should have a cup of tea with Simit bread, next time 🙂
We definitely should. A baking date probably 🙂
Absolutely 🙂
Gorgeous bread 🙂 Is there a substitute for the grape molasses. I am not sure I can get hold of it, but would love to try this bread 🙂
Thank you very much, SKD 🙂 About the grape molasses you can substitute with brown sugar and water. Have a look at the original recipe, the link is at the top of my page, Tasneem’s blog.
Yeah Ok 🙂 That’s an easy substitute. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
You’re welcome 🙂
Loving that !
Thanks a lot 🙂
bread is truly a work of art in the form of shaping and preparing the loaf – this is so pretty! and looks so tasty!
Thank you very much, Alice 🙂 It is a nice bread.
Your photos of this bread are stunning Linda! It looks delicious! I’ve never seen grape molasses here in Australia, but I’ll check online to see if there’s something else I could substitute it with… I love the sound of rose petal jam too!
Thank you for your nice comment, Margot 🙂 About the grapes molasses you can substitute with brown sugar and water, have a look at the original recipe, the link is at the top of my page, Tasneem’s blog. The taste of rose petal jam is very delicate.
Oh how wonderful, I have had this bread but did not know anything about it’s origin. So excited that you have a recipe, I loved it and you have brought back the memories of eating it, now I can make it myself. Thanks for posting this.
Thank you very much, Suzanne 🙂 I’m happy you like this bread and it brings back such a good memories. The addition of sesame seeds give a crunchy caramel taste.
I love this bread! So cool that you made it! Thanks for the recipe. I think I can actually do this!
Thank you and you’re welcome, Amanda 🙂 This bread is easy to make and smell so good.
I am also mad about bread and homemade is the best! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Sarah 🙂 I agree with you homemade bread is the best and it is my pleasure to share.
Amazing! And gorgeous photos x
Thanks Elaine and have a nice day 🙂 x
And you x
I totally agree with you on bread being essential to the table, and I´m especially fond of sesame on top, all around- the more the better!
Sabine, this bread is so crunchy with the addition of sesame seeds, it reminds me the smell and the taste of caramel 🙂
Fabulous bread!!!
Thank you, Malar 🙂
Aaaahh! This got me going on the Turkish food again….thanks!
Thank you and your welcome, Elmarie 🙂
They look amazing! Thank you for spreading the word – I love Turkish food 🙂
Thank you Ginger 🙂 I love Turkish food too, so flavorful and tasty.
Wow! Wow! Wow! This looks absolutely delicious Linda! And I always love your pictures!
Thank you so much for your sweet words Lori 🙂
I want to reach out and grab, beautiful pictures too 🙂
Thank you, Loretta 🙂 You can take as many as you want 😉
Amazing bread 🙂
Thank you, Sonal 🙂 I’m learning to do Naan bread!
🙂 keep me posted !
Love it Linda:-)
Thank you so much, Vidya 🙂
Can you believe, just yesterday I saw this simit-bread on the net and thought how it looks beautiful! 😀 Yours look very good! 🙂
Thank you Mila 🙂 It is good and crunchy. When my fellow blogger Tasneem posted this bread on her blog, (the bread was so tempting) I couldn’t resist the opportunity to try this new bread 😀
wow this looks wonderful I guess the water replaced a dairy product, and the original simit tastes a little too rich for me like a croissant almost so excited to try your version!
Thank you very much, Polianthus 🙂 This bread is very light in texture but next time I will try to make the rings thinner, it was the first time I made it. Do let me know how it turns out.
hello there – I will let you know need to have some time though especially to make the rings which I imagine is a bit fiddly – dont like the bought ones though so yous are very tempting
Beautiful! I love this recipe Linda, and I’m sure you know how it’s like if you live close to France and with a French person in the house!! Bread is a must 😀 We tried some bread here in Lux but honestly the French one is much better. I have to start making my own bread though. You made my day today you know- and it was a loooong one. Thank you xx
Thank you Marta 🙂 I think my nose looks like Pinocchio when I smell bread somewhere 😀 This bread is perfect for a sandwich or for breakfast and so crunchy. I’m sure you will enjoy making bread. Have a great day xx
Beautiful Linda! Simply so beautiful!! I love the shape and I think there is nothing better than sesame bread! So delicious…
Thank you Serena for your sweet comment 🙂 Have a lovely week xx
I buy Simit from this Turkish bakery near my house and love how well it goes with a lot of Indian curries. Thank you for the recipe Linda, I have to try making it at home! Looks so gorgeous!!
Thank you Naina 🙂 Do let me know how it turns out, the recipe is not complicated at all and the result is very nice.
what a good looking bake. Can imagine the smell of this cooking – mmmm.
Thank you so much 🙂 The smell was really nice!