Ingredients
- For the dough
- 1 cup (200 ml) warm milk
- 1 cup (200 ml) water
- 1 cube (about 42 g) fresh yeast or 10 g (about 3 tsp) instant dried yeast
- 2 tsp (10 ml) sugar
- 2 tsp (10 ml) salt
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) butter, melted
- 5 cups (about 600 g) plain flour
- For dipping
- 1/2 cup (100 ml) pekmez (grape molasses)
- 1 cup (200 ml) water
- For coating
- 1 cup (about 130 g) sesame seeds
Method
- Combine the warm milk and the water in a bowl; it should be warm enough not to scald a finger. Add the yeast and sugar and leave for about 5 minutes.
- Put the flour, salt, melted butter and yeast mixture in a large bowl and knead for 8-10 minutes into a soft, elastic dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces. Roll each into a thin rope about 45 cm long, fold it in half and twist the two halves together, then join the ends to make a ring.
- Stir the pekmez and water together in a wide bowl. Dip each ring into the pekmez water, then roll it in the sesame seeds.
- Place the rings on two baking trays lined with baking paper, leaving space between them, and let them rise for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C (conventional, top and bottom heat).
- Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes, until deep golden brown. If baking both trays at once, swap their positions halfway.
- Cool the simit on a wire rack until just warm before serving.
Note: The dough is soft, so lightly flour your hands and the work surface when shaping the ropes.
From Chef Fatma's notebook. Where the notebook listed only the ingredients, we wrote out the method for a home kitchen. Measures: 1 cup = 200 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml. Oven temperatures are for a conventional oven without a fan. If you have an allergy, please read the ingredients carefully.