Simit : Turkish Sesame Bread Rings

TÜRKÇE İÇİN TIKLAYIN
PER ITALIANO

I am so very happy !
There are mainly two reasons for that. The first reason is those marvelous things you see above!
Finally I was able to bake "street simit" just like I wished. 
Those who had the chance to visit Turkey for business or pleasure may be familiar with these gorgeous sesame bread rings.

Simit is a very popular bread in Turkey which you can find almost anywhere, from street vendors to pastry shops and bakeries although the texture of the ones from the last two is a little different from their street-sold brother. 

It is often served for breakfast with cheese and tea or as snack. 

When one lives abroad simit is one of the most missed things of Turkish cuisine. As I haven't been able to find a similar bread around where I live, I am either obliged to bake them myself at home or wait for my next visit to the motherland. 
With the help of our dearest Thermomix and this recipe I am now able to bake delicious street simit whenever I crave for it.

Let's come to the second reason for my happiness, which is that the number of the blog's Facebook followers is now way over 900 and going towards 1000 despite the fact that over the last months the blog was overly silent as never before. (I will tell the reasons for this absence in my next posts.)

To tell you the truth, this growing interest has been the driving force for me to finally sit and prepare this post at a time that I thought I couldn't find time for almost anything.
I hereby promise to try to be more active in the following days ;)

And here is the recipe...

Ingredients for 6 simit:

Dough:
270 g water
10 g sugar
15 g fresh yeast
500 g high gluten flour or strong flour
40 g sunflower oil
12 g salt

Top:
1/2 cup pekmez (grape molasses)
1/2 cup water
120 g toasted sesame seeds*

*  If you don't have toasted sesame seeds, you can simply toast your seeds yourselves.

Toss them in a large pan and toast by stirring constantly with a wooden spoon at medium-low heat until their color turn to be golden brown while you carefully pay attention not to overburn them. When they are done, transfer your toasted seeds into another plate so that they wouldn't continue cooking.

Preparation:

• Put water and sugar in TM Bowl. Warm for 1 minute at 37ºC on Speed 2.

• Add yeast and mix for 10 seconds on Speed 4.

• Sift in flour. Add oil and salt. Knead for 4 and half minutes.

• Transfer it into a large bowl. Cover with a stretch film. Let is rise around 2 hours.

• Flour your hands and work surface. Knead the dough for 1 minute by your hands. It is normal if your dough is a little sticky and soft. Flour your hands and work surface as needed. If you feel totally needed, add very very little flour. (Water absorption of flours differ)

• Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Give each piece a ball shape. Let them rest for 5 minutes.

• In the meantime set oven for 250ºC. 

• We will bake 3 simit at a time so firstly work with  only 3 balls. (Let the remaning 3 balls sit on the work surface) 

• Divide each ball into half. 

• Flour work surface roll each piece into rope shape around 40 - 45 cm long. (If they are shrinking back let them rest a few more minutes and continue to roll them later)

• Place two strands side by side, pinch to join the ends.

• Twist them and again pinch to join the ends giving it a ring shape.

• Mix grape molasses and water until the molasses dissolves. Put toasted sesame seeds in a large plate or bowl.

• Dip simit first into the liquid mixture. Then, place it on sesame seeds, gently pressing cover both sides with sesame seeds. Place simit into oven tray lined with baking paper. 

• Gently stretch them outwards if needed. Let them rest for 5 minutes.

• If you wish, place small tartlet tins in the center of simits to make sure that they don't shrink back during baking. (Unfortunately I forgot to take photo of this step. To have an idea about how my tartlet tins are you can see this recipe)

• Reduce the oven temperature to 200ºC and bake your 3 simit for around 25 minutes until they are golden.

• While they are in the oven prepare the remaining simits as explained above.

• Remove the first tray from the oven and bake the second tray.

• Let baked simit cool to the room temperature on the wire rack.

•  I'd recommend you to serve them within the hour.

Enjoy.