Simit – Turkish Sesame Bread
This foolproof method will teach you how to make Turkish simit bread—the most popular street food in Istanbul. These sesame-crusted bread rings are crispy and golden on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, traditionally served for breakfast alongside cheese, tomatoes, olives, and scrambled eggs.
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The Ultimate Turkish Street Food
Every morning on the streets of Istanbul, local bakers fire up their ovens to prepare fresh, sesame-crusted simit for the morning crowd. This iconic street food is a timeless classic among breakfast recipes, traditionally enjoyed with feta cheese, olives, tea, or a refreshing yogurt drink.
While it is a staple in households across Turkey, finding authentic simit abroad can be a challenge. But here’s the good news: it is incredibly easy to recreate at home! Because the dough relies on simple plant-based ingredients like flour, water, yeast, and a sweet molasses, it naturally fits right into your collection of vegan recipes and traditional Turkish bread recipes.
What is Simit?
Simit is Turkey’s ultimate street food staple. While these twisted, sesame-encrusted rings resemble American bagels, they have a crispier exterior and a pillowy-soft interior.
Traditionally sold by mobile street vendors on the streets of Istanbul, they are crafted by dipping twisted dough into sweet molasses before rolling them in toasted sesame seeds. Whether you buy the thin, crunchy version from a street cart or the fluffier variety from a bakery, slicing one open and spreading it with cheese makes for the perfect, authentic breakfast.
Key Ingredients
Flour – Use all-purpose or bread flour; both work fine.
Yeast – Simply activate your active dry yeast in warm water and let it do its job.
Salt and Sugar
Milk & Egg
Vegetable oil
Molasses – Whether you use classic, grape, or mulberry molasses, this key ingredient gives the bread its signature golden-brown crust and a subtle hint of sweetness.
White sesame seeds – Traditional simit gets its irresistible crunch and rich, nutty flavor from this essential topping.
How to make Simits
Activate the yeast: In a small bowl, combine the water, milk, sugar, and active dry yeast. Stir until combined, cover with cling film, and let it sit for 10 minutes until bubbles form on top of the surface.
Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, oil, egg, and yeast mixture. Mix the dough by hand until it comes together. Transfer the mixture to a floured surface and knead by hand to form a smooth and elastic dough.
Let the dough rise: Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, around 30 minutes.
Toast sesame seeds: Place the sesame seeds in a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Toast the sesame seeds until golden brown, stirring constantly. Transfer to a tray to cool.
Form the dough: Roll the dough into a cylinder of 20 inches. Divide the dough into 5 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball. Place on a sheet pan and cover with a kitchen towel.
Preheat your oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Shape the dough: Roll each dough ball into a 50-inch-long tube. Cut the tube in half and place them next to each other. Pinch the ends and roll the tubes in opposite directions to form a spiral rope. Shape it into a 5-inch diameter ring and pinch the ends to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough. An alternative method is to roll out each dough in a 40-inch tube, fold it and twist it.
Rest the simit rings: Transfer the rings onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and let them rest for 30 minutes.
Prepare simit for baking: Place the molasses in a large shallow plate and whisk with the water. Dip each twisted dough in the molasses and cover from both sides. Dip the simit in toasted sesame seeds until fully coated from both sides. Transfer the sesame-seeded simis onto the baking sheet.
Bake: Bake the simits in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown, making sure to rotate them halfway through the baking process.
From my Kitchen (Chef’s Notes)
Shaping: Don’t let the shaping process intimidate you—it’s much easier than it looks! If you follow the instructions carefully and give yourself a little grace, you’ll master the technique after just a few practice rounds.
Temperature: To rise properly, the dough needs a warm spot away from drafts. Cover the bowl tightly and pop it into an unlit oven. Keep in mind that your kitchen’s temperature and the season will play a role in how the dough behaves – if you’re baking on a hot summer day, don’t be surprised if it doubles in size.
Sesame seeds: Because sesame seeds are pricey, the authentic street simit you find in Turkey won’t be quite as heavily crusted as these. The recipe is flexible, so if you prefer a lighter touch, simply use fewer seeds.
FAQs
You can use honey instead of molasses, but keep in mind that the taste will be slightly different. Make a mixture of 5 tablespoons of honey and 2 tbsp of water.
Yes, you can. Its actually easier to use a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the Dough.
It’s recommended to use sesame seeds, as it’s the main flavor for this bread. But feel free to coat your simits with sunflower seeds.
Tough dough usually means there’s too much flour in the mix. To keep the inside soft, start with a base of all-purpose flour. If the dough feels too sticky, incorporate additional flour very gradually – one tablespoon at a time- without exceeding one extra cup total.
Other Turkish Recipes
- Viral Doner Kebab Recipe
- Turkish White Bean Salad (Piyaz)
- Lavash Bread Recipe
- Tomato Cucumber & Onion Salad
Simit – Turkish Sesame Bread
Ingredients
Method
- Activate the yeast: In a small bowl, combine the water, milk, sugar, and active dry yeast. Stir until combined, cover with cling film, and let it sit for 10 minutes until bubbles form on top of the surface.
- Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, oil, egg, and yeast mixture. Mix the dough by hand until it comes together. Transfer the mixture to a floured surface and knead by hand to form a smooth and elastic dough.
- Let the dough rise: Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, around 30 minutes.
- Toast sesame seeds: Place the sesame seeds in a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Toast the sesame seeds until golden brown, stirring constantly. Transfer to a tray to cool.
- Form the dough: Roll the dough into a cylinder of 20 inches. Divide the dough into 5 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball. Place on a sheet pan and cover with a kitchen towel.
- Preheat your oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shape the dough: Roll each dough ball into a 50-inch-long tube. Cut the tube in half and place them next to each other. Pinch the ends and roll the tubes in opposite directions to form a spiral rope. Shape it into a 5-inch diameter ring and pinch the ends to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough. An alternative method is to roll out each dough in a 40-inch tube, fold it and twist it.
- Rest the simit rings: Transfer the rings onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and let them rest for 30 minutes.
- Prepare simit for baking: Place the molasses in a large shallow plate and whisk with the water. Dip each twisted dough in the molasses and cover from both sides. Dip the simit in toasted sesame seeds until fully coated from both sides. Transfer the sesame-seeded simis onto the baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake the simits in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown, making sure to rotate them halfway through the baking process.