Simit
When I read the recipe I was surprised to see that simit gets coated with Molasses. There isn't much, if any sweetness when you bite into one. And whatever sweetness there is, one tends to attribute to the sesame seeds.
This is almost always eaten with a tulip glass of Turkish tea at hand. Simit and Çay go together. I would also advice making a simit sandwich with Kaseri cheese, or Kashkaval, although in a pinch a decent Havarti or Emmental could do as well. But, I think you really do not need the special flavor of Kasseri cheese. In one of the pictures below they also have a sandwich with tomatoes. Much as I love tomatoes, I do not think they fit into this particular assembly. I would just stick to cheese - and don't forget the tea!
INGREDIENTS
For the Dough:
| For The Coating:
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INSTRUCTIONS
First, make the dough.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast and salt. Gradually pour in the water and mix it with your hand.
- Knead it for 5 minutes or until you get a smooth and non-sticky, elastic dough. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook for this step.
- Cover it and let it rise for about 1 hour, until it doubles in size.
Second, prepare the simit coating.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the molasses, water and flour. Set it aside.
- Put the sesame seeds in another bowl. Put it aside.
- If the sesame seeds are raw, toast them in a pan beforehand.
Third, shape the simit dough.
- When the dough doubles in size after 1 hour, punch it down and transfer on a floured surface. Shape it into a log and cut it into 6 equal pieces. And then cut each piece into two. You will have 12 pieces in total.
- Grab two pieces and roll them into a rope, 20 inches/50cm in length. Put these side by side and stick the ends by pinching.
- Twist in opposite directions to make a braid. Combine the two ends by pinching them together and make a ring. Repeat this for the remaining dough balls.
Fourth, coat the simit dough and bake.
- Soak the simit ring into the molasses mixture first and then put it into the sesame seed bowl.
- Transfer onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven(425F/220C) for 15-20 minutes, until golden.
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Thank you Give Recipe! :-)
Images: Unsplash and Freepik.
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