Simit

Istanbul's street bread, sold from red carts and balanced on the heads of vendors since the sixteenth century: a chewy ring of wheat dough twisted from two strands, dipped in grape molasses and water, rolled thickly in sesame, and baked until deep mahogany, crisp without and tender within, eaten plain or with white cheese and tea

Origin: Istanbul, Turkey

From the journey of Sesame.

Simit is the bread of the Turkish street, sold from carts and trays across Istanbul and every Turkish town from breakfast onward, and it is old: the archives of Istanbul record simit bakers in the city from at least 1525, and by 1593 the court registers of Üsküdar were fixing its standard weight and price. Its defining character is the sesame: the ring is dipped in a wash of pekmez (grape molasses) thinned with water, which both colours the crust and helps a dense coat of sesame seeds cling, so that simit emerges deep brown and crackling with toasted seed. The Ottoman Empire spread both the seed and its sweets across three continents, and simit travelled with it under many names (gevrek in Izmir, koulouri in Greece, and on into the Balkans). It is the natural partner of a glass of black tea and a wedge of beyaz peynir (white cheese), the simplest and most beloved of Turkish breakfasts.

Ingredients

Dough

500 g strong white bread flour
7 g instant dried yeast
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
300 ml warm water
2 tbsp olive oil

Coating

4 tbsp pekmez (grape molasses), or substitute date molasses
100 ml water
250 g white sesame seeds (untoasted)

Method

Mix the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the warm water and olive oil and bring together into a dough, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour, until doubled.
Knock back the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each into a long rope about 40cm long.
Take two ropes, press their ends together at the top, and twist them around each other into a single two-stranded rope. Bring the ends together to form a ring and pinch firmly to seal. Repeat to make 6 rings.
Mix the pekmez with the water in a wide shallow bowl. Spread the sesame seeds in another wide bowl. Dip each ring fully into the molasses wash, letting the excess drip off, then press it firmly into the sesame, turning to coat every surface heavily.
Set the coated rings on lined baking trays, cover loosely, and leave to prove for 20 to 30 minutes until puffy. Meanwhile heat the oven to 220°C.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until deep golden brown and the sesame is toasted and fragrant. Cool on a rack a little and eat warm, with white cheese, olives, and black tea.

Notes

Pekmez (boiled-down grape molasses) is the authentic coating and gives simit its colour, faint sweetness, and the grip that holds the heavy sesame crust; date molasses or a thin sugar-and-treacle syrup will stand in. For the closest texture to the street version, use a firm dough and do not over-prove. Simit freezes well once cooled; refresh in a hot oven. It is the foundation of the Turkish breakfast and also the base of simit sandwiches filled with cheese, kashar, or chocolate spread.

The Gastrographer

Name: Simit
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Turkey
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; 7 g instant dried yeast; 1.5 tsp salt; 1 tsp sugar; 300 ml warm water; 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 tbsp pekmez (grape molasses), or substitute date molasses; 100 ml water; 250 g white sesame seeds (untoasted)

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control