A TURKISH STAPLE MADE EASY
In Türkiye, the breakfast table isnt set without Simit!
With Father’s Day upon us, there’s no better time to craft a breakfast in bed that will feel like a little vacation for the senses!
Back home in Çesme, my favorite morning activity is to sit on my parents balcony with my mom and a hot cup of coffee and watch my dad, hand in hand with my little girls, walk to the village ‘firin’ to get our sesame crusted treats, always looking back and waving as they adventure off.
With no Turkish firin in sight, I knew I had to take matters into my own hands and whip some up for my family this Father’s Day and share with you all, what I think is the most perfect breakfast bread EVER!
Afiyet olsun!
INGREDIENTS
5- 5.5 cups of flour
200ml milk
1 egg
Tbsp dry yeast
1.5 Tbsp sugar
1 cup sesame seeds
3 tbsp grape molasses
METHOD
Makes approximately 10 SIMIT
If you would like to make less, halve the recipe
- 200 ml of warm water add 1 tbsp dry yeast + 1.5 tablespoons of sugar. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes to activate.
- Once activated, add 200ml warm milk, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and 1 egg to the yeast mixture and mix.
- Into the wet mixture add 5 cups of all purpose flour and 2 tsps of salt and gently combine with a wooden spoon. If the mixture remains too wet and is not forming a stable dough, add more flour as needed so you have a pliable, soft dough.
- Once the mixture becomes more dough-like, transfer to a tabletop to kneed for 3-4 minutes. cover dough in a bowl and set aside for 1 hour to rise.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl prepare your sauce. Add 1 cup of water and 3 tbsp of grape molasses (available in our amazon storefront) and mix. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, add 1 cup of sesame seeds on medium heat and roast until sesame has browned. Set aside.
- Once dough has risen, transfer it to the countertop and gently fold to form a circle to then cut it into 10 even pieces .
- From each piece roll a long snake-like stripe, which is then folded from the middle braided into a 2-strand twist, then formed into a circular shape, with the ends seals together by rolling it on the counter. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Once rested the dough should be softer and easier to stretch. Gently stretch the circular dough with your hands to make the hole bigger and the dough a little thinner.
- Dip the dough into the molasses and water first, coating both sides, then dipping the dough into the sesame seeds, making sure to cover both sides. Place on a baking pan. Repeat with all 10 simit. Let rest for 30 minutes before baking.
- Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 390F. Once the simit has rested for 30 minutes, add baking trays into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve with Feta Cheese, Fresh tomatoes + cucumber and a piping hot soft boiled egg as the perfect Father’s Day breakfast treat!
Afiyet olsun!