Turkish Simit Bread

Disclaimer: This post contains a recipe highlighting a different country or culture. While I strive for authenticity, I sometimes need to make adjustments to recipes due to ingredient availability.  


Eat the World is hoping on a plane and heading to Turkey this month!


There were so many delicious looking recipes to choose from, but my baker’s eye was again drawn to a regional bread!


Simit is an interesting bread.  Two pieces are wrapped around one another to make a twist, then pinched to make a ring.  It is then dipped in a molasses mixture and finally coated with sesame seeds.



While not a bagel, there are definitely some similarities.  Simit is a versatile bread that can be enjoyed alone, as a sandwich, or as a favorite in Turkey, with a thick smear of cream cheese!


I followed the Turkish tradition and ate mine for breakfast with cream cheese!  It was a delicious and filling way to begin the day!


    Check out all the wonderful Turkish dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us! 


Recipe notes: 

-find the bread with the highest protein count you can - bread flour is the best option.

-with instant yeast proofing is not strictly necessary, however, since I buy yeast a pound at a time, I like to proof it to make sure my yeast is still active


Turkish Simit Bread

Recipe from Give Recipe


Dough

1 ¼ cups water

2 tablespoon dry instant yeast

Pinch of sugar, optional

3 cups bread flour, plus up to ¼ as needed

1 teaspoon salt


Coating

½ cup molasses

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup sesame seeds


Place the water, yeast, and pinch of sugar (if using) and the bowl of a stand mixer and stir to mix.  Set aside for a couple minutes until the yeast begins to foam.


Add half the flour and mix with the paddle attachment until smooth.


Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining flour.  Mix until a smooth, elastic dough forms.  If the dough is still sticky, add an additional ¼ cup flour or as needed.


Place the dough in a grasped bowl.  Cover and set aside for 1 hour or until doubled in size.


Make the coating by whisking together the molasses, water, and flour.  Place the sesame seeds in a separate bowl.


Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 


Separate the dough into 12 equal pieces. Take 2 pieces and shape them into long ropes, about 20 inches in length.  Pinch the ends together and wrap into a twist.  Bring the ends together to make a ring and pinch together.


Dip the rings into the molasses mixture and then the sesame mixture to coat.  Place on the prepared pan.  Bake for 15-20 minute or until golden-brown.


Cool, then serve plain, with a thick slathering of cream cheese or as a sandwich bread.


Amy Eats the World in...

Cuba: Ropa Vieja (Slow Cooker Beef)
Ireland: Cheesy Potato Soup with Irish Ale
Thailand: Chicken Satay
Kenya: Crunchy N’Dizi (Peanut Crusted Bananas)
Sweden: Rodbetssallad med Getost (Grated Beet Salad with Goat Cheese)
New Zealand: Kiwi Burge
France: Fougasse (Provencal Flatbread)
Argentina: Chimichurri Sauce
Mexico (Halloween Special): Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead Bread)
India: Spiced Golden Mil
Poland: Chrusciki (Angel Wing Cookies)
Ethiopia: Buticha (Hummus)
England: Wizarding World of Harry Potter Leaky Cauldron-Style Mini Cottage Pie 
Georgia: Lobiani (Bean-Stuffed Bread)
Mexico: Crispy Pork Carnitas
Cambodia: Loc Lac (Shredded Beef with Lime)
Israel: Chicken Albondigas (Chicken Meatballs)
Finland: Sima (Lemonade) 
Puerto Rico: Arroz con Tocino  (Rice with Bacon)
Egypt: Ghorayebah Cookies
Ukraine: Scuffles (Rohalyky) Cinnamon Crescent Rolls
Portugal: Bitoque (Steak & Eggs) 
Germany (Christmas Special): Lebkuchenherzen (German "Gingerbread" Cookies) 
Trinidad & Tobago: Trini Macaroni Pie 
Iraq: T'bit (Slow Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice) 
Fiji: Fijian Creamy Lentil Soup (Dhal) 
Senegal: Cafe Touba (Senegalese Spiced Coffee) 
Colombia: Cañón de Cerdo (Colombia-Style Pork Loin Roast) 
Soul Food (United States): Oven-Baked Ribs with Cola BBQ Sauce 
Bangladesh: Shemai (Sweet Vermicelli Pudding) 
The Netherlands: Dutch Farmer’s Cheese Soup (Boerenkaas Soep) 
Laos: Khao Piak Sen (Lao Chicken Noodle Soup) 
Jamaica: Chicken &  Pumpkin Soup 
Vietnam: Vietnamese Chicken Porridge (Chao Ga) 
Sudan: Red Lentil Soup (Sudanese Addas) 
Luxembourg: Bouchée à la Reine (Vol-au-Vent)
Uruguay: Pasta Caruso

Lesotho: Borotho Bread
Scotland: Tattie Scones
Native American Tribes of North America: Wild Rice, Squash, & Corn Soup
Guyana: Butterflaps
Réunion Island: Rougail Z'Andouille
Australia: Fairy Bread
Turkey: Simit Bread

Comments

  1. Your amazing bread looks good enough to be in a bakery window.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great bake! This has been in my list for a long time and now that I have your recipe, would try it asap.

    ReplyDelete

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