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

42 comments
  1. 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

  2. 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…

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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?

  6. 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.

  7. 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

  8. 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.

  9. 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

  10. Merhaba Zeynep,
    “Unbleached AP flour” islenmemis, beyazlastirilmamis un anlamina geliyor. Eger bulamazsan normal un kullanabilirsin. Umarim yardimci olmustur bu bilgi.

  11. 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

  12. 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.

  13. Merhaba Yelda,
    tarifi simdi buldum, en kisa surede deneyecegim, bir kac malzeme eksigim var sanirim, burda kabartma tozu icinde olan unlar var, gidip senin soyledigin undan bulsam daha iyi olur herhalde, Tukiye’yi ve simiti (biz gevrek deriz Izmir’de :) cok ozlemistim iyi olcak, cok tesekkurler tarif icin.
    Sevgiler

    Buket

  14. Bu sabah simiti ne kadar ozledigimi dusunuyordum. Senelerdir Turkiyeye gelmedim ve cok ozledim. Sizin tarifinizi buldum, evde butun gereken var (nedense hep daha zor yapilmasi zannederdim) simdi deniyecegim. Cok mersi!

  15. Sabah erkeninde simit kokusu demli,sıçak ama bal gibi tatlı bir bardak çay ile özdeşleşince tutkuya dönüşmüştü. Nerden bileyim sabahın 7 sindeki bir kazaya çağırdığını. Gün doğmamıştı daha. Kervan Moteldeki Yaz Kampından 18 km altınova ya gidiş ile bir Karadeniz fırını buldum.Yeni çıkmış tepsilerde sıçak simitler,oh artık bir kaç tanesi elimde.Ama çay ocakları , kahvehaneler kapalı. Bu sefer Ayvalığa gerisin geriye 30 km. Açık hiç bir yer yoktu. Ama ne yapalım Çay ile simit programı yapmıştım.Özde gazozla da giderdi ama o sabah bu program dışıydı. Artık yenilmiş , geri kaldığımız Kervan Motele dönmeye karar vermiştim.Uykulu değildim Yolun sağına yanaştım,sola dönüş sinyalini verdim, gerisini hatırlamıyorum.Gözümü yolun karşısındaki iBelediyenin Benzinliği önünde Büyük Çiçek saksısının üzerinde arabanın içinde sallanırken uğultayan bir motor sesi arasında açtım. Şükrettim hayata ama bir farkla tutkularınız sizi bir bilinmeyene çağırıyor olabilir.Aman Dikkat.Esen Kalınız.Bilhassa bu Çay ve Simit ise lütfen dikkat … Selam ve Sevgilerimle Esen Kalınız.

  16. My wife and I returned in mid-November from our first (but certainly NOT our last trip to Turkey. My pictures are wonderful and our memories enthralling. However we cannot do without simit and so very much appreciate your recipe for these delights.

    By way of thanks, if you send me an email address, I’ll send a picture taken in Cappadocia.

    Thanks again,

  17. I’ve tried a few Simit recipies. (I lived in Izmir so I know them as gevreks) and none of them really tasted like what I remember. I can’t wait to try this one! I have a good feeling about your recipe! I’ll be sure to let you know how they come out!

    Now to find a recipe for Ekmek (Turkish Bread). I LIVED on it while in Izmir!

    So glad I found your site!

    Shawn

  18. Hi Shawn,

    I have tried so many recipes as well. This one is the best! I hope it will come out good..

    Which Turkish bread recipe are you looking for?

  19. Thank you very much for the simit recipe. The girls and I are studying Turkey right now for their school and we tried a simit recipe…but we knew there had to be a better one! Looking forward to trying this. Thanks so much

  20. Thanks for the recipe, going to try and make it later today! Will let you know how it turns out for me :D

    Thanks Again

  21. I knew about Simit from a Turkish close friend in Indonesia. He showed me the photo and he said it’s the best in Turkey, it’s his favorite. Am curious, because it DOES look yummy! So I called a Turkish chef here and asked if he can bake simit, he said he cannot :( but he will try. Have not heard from him since.

    I met my American friend last Tuesday, who loves to cook and bake. So I showed him this recipe and he said he can do it! So I am now waiting for the result from either the chef or my American friend to know how it tastes like (am drooling already!) :-)

    Tessekur for the recipe! Great website!
    Claudia

  22. Hi Yelda,
    Thanks for sharing the simit recipe. I made it and it turned out great, considering I don’t have a stone wood burning oven and whatever flour Turkish simit makers use. The only change I would do next time is to increase the molasses amount in the final dip. It was too dilute for me, did not give that sweet touch on the finish. I am on my way to Turkey in a week, I will try to get a simit maker to give me some tips, though I doubt they will!:)

  23. Dear Yelda,
    I am glad your recipe looks as if it is,the simit I ate while in Romania. It was the best bread I have ever had in my life! It was so good that when we were back in Bucarest I asked to please find me some to take on my flight home, he had to drive quite a way to get it for me. I absolutly think it is the best bread I have ever eaten. I am planning on making it for my daughter and her family for Christmas. Most of the recipes I have found call for baking powder and that would make it a bad biscuit! Thank you for your sight.

  24. Hi Brenda,
    I am glad you enjoyed simit. It is my favorite breakfast food along with a cup of tea.
    Regards,
    Yelda

  25. hei! thank you for recipe, i have my turkish boyfriend here on a visit and he misses simit so much! BUT.. in norway we dont have pekmez unfortunatly :( but i know it gives a sweet taste to the breed, can i use something alse insted of pekmez, like cyrup mixed with water?

    best regards from us in norway ;)

  26. Dear line&ercan,
    Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any replacement of pekmez. I tried egg white, melted butter, but no success. If there is a middle eastern market in your area, you could find pekmez (molasses) there.

  27. Sevgili Suzan,
    Begenmenize sevindim. Susamlarin dokulmesine ben de bir cozum bulamiyorum maalesef!
    Afiyet olsun.

  28. I visited Istanbul to do some survey as part of my course. It is amazing that Turkey represents to the world its cuisine but studying it closely one realises that there is no such thing as Turkish cuisine. The so called Turkish cuisine is either Arabic, Greek or Armenian foods, given Turkish names.

  29. Merhaba Yelda!

    Siteni Turk yemek tarifleri ararken tesadufen buldum, az once mucver tarifini yaptim. Kabagim Turk kabagi gibi kucuk olmadigindan bir kasik un az geldi cekirdeksiz salatalik buyuklugunde iki buyuk/uzun kabagim vardi, alabildigince yada gozum kestigince yani un koydum. SUUUPER OLDU:)) Bu simit tarifinde de Unbleached yerine whole grain flour kullanabilir miyim? Beyaz un kullanmiyorum cunku.

    Cevabini bekliyorum.
    Cheers

  30. Dear yelda
    thank you for the recipe. I saw these breads here in Algiers in a turkish restaurant.
    I would like to try them ; what is the difference between lukewarm and warm water.

    cheers

  31. Dear Anamaria Gonzalez,

    You need to get your facts right. Some history books might help for you to check ottoman empire, its borders and you will see that armenians, greeks and arabs inspired by them.

    İ hope you find your enlightment :)
    Cheers

  32. merhaba, bu tarifi denemek istiyorum fakat ölçülerden tam emin olamadım. türkçe’de 1 bardak su = 200 ml su iken
    ingiliz/amerikan 1 cup ölçüsü 250 ml’ye denk geliyor. benzer şekilde bizim çay kaşığı ölçüsüyle onlarınki çok farklı (1 teaspoon dediği tepeleme tatlı kaşığı neredeyse) kaynak ingilizce bir kitap olduğuna göre ingilizce tarfimi mi esas almalıyız dersiniz? teşekkürler.

  33. Just back from a trip to Germany, where I visited a Turkish bakery with the most beautiful display I’ve ever seen. Not only did we buy wonderful Böreks with different fillings, but also several kinds of sweets. Usually I don’t like it very sweet, but this was pastry heaven!
    When I asked to take some pictures, and expressed my delight, they gave me a Simit for free. Right now I’m baking my first batch – unfortunately I discovered your recipe only afterwards, Yelda, but I will certainly try that, too.
    I don’t know how pekmez tastes, is molasses really a good substitute? Would probably maple syrup as (or more) adequate?
    Sehnaz, you are absolutely right, the Turkish cuisine is comparable to the French or Italian! French and Italian cuisine also have absorbed influences from the surrounding countries, as has the Turkish. If you have ever visited Turkey you will realize that Greek food cannot hold a candle to Turkish.

  34. Karin,
    Thank you for your lovely comments. when you get a chance, I highly recommend you to visit Turkey. I am sure you will enjoy it!
    Back to your question; molasses is pekmez. If you can find it in a store near you, use molasses. I have never tried it with maple syrup. Molasses is important to give the crispy crust which is a must in anz good simit :)
    Enjoy…
    Yelda

  35. Thanks, Yelda, I have been in Turkey, once in Istanbul, twice in North Cyprus. My husband and I loved it!
    I’m still trying to find the recipe for the zucchini pancakes we had in a restaurant on one of the islands in the Bosporus.
    We never had Simit, though – and that was before my bread baking time – so I wasn’t looking for interesting breads, yet.
    Karin

  36. Turkish cuisine is probably one of the most underrated cuisines in the western world. On equal footing with Italian to be sure, and in the same league as French.
    I suspect that as the diets of people in industrialized countries become more plant based, due to the connection between heart disease and cancer with animal products (ie. fats and and animal proteins), Turkish cuisine will become more and more into the mainfold. It’s reliance on beans , vegetables, and grains is simply outstanding as anyone who has been to a lokanta can attest.

    Berkeley, CA

  37. A a. Inanamiyorum. Ben gercekten simit yaptim. Tarifin bu kadar kolay olabilecegini tahmin etmezdim. Paylastiginiz icin tesekkur ederim.

    Kanada’da yasiyorum ve bu tarifi bulmak benim icin cok iyi bir supriz oldu. Artik ne zaman istersem yapabilirim. Simit ozlememe gerek kalmadi.

    Tesekkurler.

  38. Merhaba Zeynep,
    Ben de Amerika da yasarken cok ozluyordum simiti. Bu tarif simit ozlemini gidermeye bire bir, biraz yapmasi uzun suruyor…
    Afiyet olsun.
    Sevgiler…

  39. We had a wonderful time living in Ankara. The pekmez in Turkey is made from mulberries (the dark ones). The molasses we have in America is made from sugar cane and is a stronger flavor and a little thicker. I find pekmez at middle eastern grocery stores here. I can’t wait to try your recipe this week! Many thanks for posting it.

  40. Honestly, the worst recipe I have tried. Bread turned very dry, un chewable and tasteless though I followed the exact ingredients and steps.

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