Baking
Simit – sesame rings with pekmez
AI-generated serving image
This image was created with the help of artificial intelligence and serves as visual inspiration or a serving suggestion. The actual result may vary depending on the ingredients, quantities and preparation used.
Twisted bread rings with a dense sesame crust, dipped in diluted grape pekmez. Unlike bagels, these simit are not boiled before baking. This home-oven version makes four rings.
Timing
- Preparation: about 25 minutes, including about 5 minutes during rising
- Rising: about 70 minutes total
- Baking: about 20 minutes; cooling: about 10 minutes
- Total time: about 2 hours
Estimated nutrition
per serving · Calculated for 4 servings.
- Energy
- ≈ 360 kcal
- Protein
- ≈ 11.5 g
- Carbohydrates
- ≈ 49.9 g
- Fat
- ≈ 11.8 g
The nutrition values are estimates based on the ingredients and quantities used. Actual values may vary depending on the product, portion size and preparation.
Calculation basis
Item weights and household measures are estimated. Unless specified: milk with 1.5% fat, cream with 30% fat and Gouda cheese. Optional ingredients, small amounts of seasoning and separately listed side dishes are excluded. For imprecise entries, the amounts below and comparable reference products are assumed. For alternatives, the first listed ingredient is used. Cooking losses have not been measured.
Of 40 g pekmez in the dip, 20 g is assumed retained on the bread using a fruit-syrup comparison; remaining dip is excluded. All sesame is conservatively counted. Four rings make four servings.
Quantity assumptions and ingredient mapping
- 250 g white wheat flour, German type 550 · ≈ 250.0 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
- 150 ml lukewarm water for the dough · ≈ 150.0 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
- 3 g instant dried yeast · ≈ 3.0 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
- 10 g sugar · ≈ 10.0 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
- 10 ml neutral oil · ≈ 9.1 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
- 40 g grape pekmez · ≈ 20.0 g
- 70 g sesame seeds · ≈ 70.0 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
Matvaretabellen: Mattilsynet · Santa Maria
Food data: Max Rubner-Institut, BLS 4.0 (2025), CC BY 4.0. Calculated and rounded for this recipe. BLS 4.0 · CC BY 4.0
Ingredients
- 250 g white wheat flour, German type 550
- 150 ml lukewarm water for the dough
- 3 g instant dried yeast
- 5 g salt
- 10 g sugar
- 10 ml neutral oil
- 40 g grape pekmez
- 40 ml water for the pekmez dip
- 70 g sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Work in 150 ml water and oil and knead for about 8–10 minutes to a smooth, fairly firm dough. Cover and rise for about 45 minutes until visibly expanded.
- Briefly toast sesame in a dry pan over low-medium heat until only lightly coloured, then cool. Mix pekmez with 40 ml water in a shallow dish. Line a baking tray.
- Divide dough into eight equal pieces and roll into strands about 30 cm long. Twist two together, join into a ring and press ends firmly closed. Form four rings, dip in pekmez and coat in sesame. Prove on the tray for about 25 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 220°C conventional heat in good time. Bake simit for about 18–20 minutes until deeply golden without blackening sesame. Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.
Tips
- Pekmez is concentrated fruit juice, grape here. Pomegranate syrup can be much more acidic and is not a flavour-equivalent ingredient.
- The dip quantity makes coating practical; some remains in the dish. Sesame crust and ring shape matter more than industrial uniformity.
