This recipe is a huge hit, I have the recipe both in Turkish and English! Simit is generally eaten plain, or for breakfast with jelly, jam, or cheese.
3 1/2 çay kaşığı kuru maya
1 tutam şeker
1/4 bardak ılık su
4 bardak un (Unbleached all-purpose)
1 1/4 çay kaşığı tuz
1 bardak ılık su
Üzerine
2 yemek kaşığı pekmez
1 bardak ılık su
2 bardak susam
- Şekerle mayayı 1/4 bardak ılık suda eritin ve 10 dakika bekletin.
- Un, tuz, maya karışımı ve 1 bardak ılık suyu yaklaşık 15 dakika iyice yoğurun. Hamur biraz sert (stiff) olacaktır.
- Yağlanmış kapta hamuru 2 saat dinlendirin. Üzerini havlu ya da plastikle kapatın.
- Hamuru birazdaha yoğurup 12 eşit parçaya bölün. Top şeklinde yuvarlayıp nemli havlunun altında 30 dakika dinlendirin.
- Topların her birini yaklaşık 30cm uzunluğunda ip haline getirin. Bir ucundan tutup diğer tarafından hamuru çevirin ve simit şeklini verin. Yağlanmış tepsiye dizip 1 saat bekletin.
- Pekmezi 1 bardak suda eritin. Simitleri önce pekmezli suya sonra susamlara batırıp tekrar tepsiye dizip 30 dakika daha bekletin.
- Fırını 300°C (550°F) ye ayarlayın ve sıcağa dayanıklı bir kabın içine 2 bardak su koyup fırına koyun. Ekmek pişirilirken olduğu gibi buhar simitlerin çıtır çıtır olmasını sağlayacaktır.
- Simitler iyice kızarana kadar yaklaşık 15-20 dakika pişirin ve sıcak sıcak yiyin.
In English;
Dough
3½ teaspoon active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
¼ cup warm water
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoon salt
About 1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoon molasses
1 cup water
Topping
2-3 cups sesame seeds
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in ¼ cup warm water and let stand 10 minutes in a warm place until frothy.
- Mix flour, yeast mixture, salt and water. Knead at least 15 minutes by hand, or 10 minutes by heavy-duty mixer, until the dough is very smooth and springy. Put the dough in a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 2 hours.
- Knead the dough a few times on a lightly floured work surface, roll into a log, and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a tight ball and let rest under a slightly damp towel about 30 minutes.
- Roll each ball into a 14 inch long rope. Hold down one end of the rope with one hand while twisting it with the other. Then form this twisted rope into ring, pressing and rolling the overlapping ends together on the work surface with one hand to seal. Place on a greased baking sheet and let rest 1 hour. (See photo below)
- Dissolve the molasses in 1 cup water in a bowl. Put the sesame seeds in another bowl and set it next to the molasses water. Dip each “simit” in molasses water first, then in the sesame seeds, making sure the “simit” is completely and thickly coated with the seeds on all sides. Put it back on the baking sheet and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 550°F 30 minutes before baking. Put a few cups of water in an ovenproof pan and place it in the oven.
- Take each ring and rotate it gently through your hands, enlarging it into a 7 inch circle. Place the rings back on the baking sheet and let rest for 15 minutes or until well puffed. (See photo below)
- Bake about 15-20 minutes until rich golden brown in color.
- They are their best eaten fresh out of the oven. They will be good all day. You can also reheat them wrapped in foil to freshen them.
Source: Classical Turkish Cooking - Ayla E. Algar
Categories: Breakfast (Kahvaltılıklar), Pastries (Tuzlular) ~ ~ Trackback
September 30th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Yelda, I found your blog via The Fresh Loaf. I was looking for a good recipe for simit. I recently visited Turkey and tried it for the fist time. It was lovely.
Most of the recipes i have found don’t use yeast. While I appreciate there are plenty of different recipes for simit, the one I tasted seemed to be made with yeast. I am keen to replicate simit while it is fresh in my memory.
So I am planning to use the recipe you submitted from Classical Turkish Cooking.
I think I may being a bit thick but I am a bit confused as to how many simit breads this recipe makes.
In the recipe instructions it says, ‘roll into a log, and divide into equal pieces. Roll each piece into a tight ball’ ….How many pieces does it mean to divide it into? Sorry I am not clear about this.
Would you be kind enough to plainly tell me how many. The way I am reading this is that it is 2…and that doesn’t seem right.
I plan to make this tomorrow. I will put results up on my blog where you can view the simit. You may laugh, cry or applaude in my comment box!
Many thanks , Melinda
September 30th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
Hi Melinda,
I am glad you had a good time in Turkey.
You are right, I had a typo error in my recipe. It should say:
“Knead the dough a few times on a lightly floured work surface, roll into a log, and divide into 12 equal pieces.” So, you will have 12 delicious simits
Thank you for the comment. I have corrected the error!
Let me know, how it comes out…
October 1st, 2007 at 5:18 am
Dear Yelda,
Thank you! Can you imagine how big the 2 simit rings would have been. Absolutely huge!
This is great. Thanks for responding so quickly!
All the Best and Cheers,
Melinda
October 1st, 2007 at 6:47 pm
Hello Yelda!
I made them today and they were so good. Thank you for the recipe. It does remind me of the one I had in Ephesus. The only real difference I could see was that the one I had in Ephesus was slightly shiny on the surface. Not a big deal though!
I have posted pictures of them so have a look.
Cheers, Melinda
October 1st, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Hello Melinda!
Your simit looks great. It couldn’t be better…
My simit doesn’t shine either… but the taste is as good as the ones you eat in Turkey, right?
November 15th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Thank you for including the Pekmez. I’ve seen a lot of recipes calling for milk, but it’s that slightly sweet taste that really makes simit Simit. Cok sogul.
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:49 pm
We lived in Istanbul for 5 years, and loved the food there. Simits were some of my favorites. My mom tried to make a batch a couple years ago, but they were lacking taste. She followed a recipe without molasses and yeast. I’ll tell her bout this one. Thanks
December 13th, 2007 at 5:29 am
Melinda Messenger…
I Googled for something completely different, but found your page…and have to say thanks. nice read….
January 4th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
February 11th, 2008 at 11:14 am
tarifinizi denedim cok güzel oldu. Simiti cok seven birisiyim.misafirlerime de ikram ettiğimde hazır aldığımı düşünmüşler. size cook teşekkür ederim.yeni tariflerinizi bekliyorum.A.E.O.
April 6th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Selam Yelda, simit tarifinizi okudum ama anlamadigim birsey var, unbelached all purpose flour , o ne demek anlamadim, bunu bana ve Turk milletine analtirsan sevinirim. Zeynep
April 6th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Merhaba Zeynep,
“Unbleached AP flour” islenmemis, beyazlastirilmamis un anlamina geliyor. Eger bulamazsan normal un kullanabilirsin. Umarim yardimci olmustur bu bilgi.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
merhaba yelda,nasilsiniz ? we have a house near kusadasi but still spend far to long in the uk.there are three things simple things i miss the most,Efes,gozleme,and simit !!so today i am going to try your recipe
April 19th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Hi Marc,
I miss all the things that you have mentioned as well! And it is such a coincidence I am baking simit today as well… Let me know how your simit comes up.
By the way, Kusadasi is a good choice to live in Turkey.