Simit is a circular bread covered in sesame seeds, popular in Turkey and other areas of the Middle East and Eastern Europe. It can be crunchy or chewy and is often sold as street food. Traditional ingredients include flour, salt, sugar, butter, yeast, eggs, sesame seeds, and molasses.
A simit is a circular bread encrusted in sesame seeds. While most popular in Turkey, similar versions of the bread are common in areas such as the Middle East, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia. It is a popular street food, but is also served for breakfast with accompaniments such as yoghurt, jam and cheese.
The particular texture, shape and flavor of simit vary by region. Some loaves of bread are crunchy, while others are chewy. The shapes of the bread can also be different – from the traditional circle to the braid. In general, simit is usually circular and chewy, characteristics that have led to the bread being called a “Turkish bagel” in the United States of America.
As street food, simit is served by vendors who carry the bread on an overhead tray or from a special cart. Merchants call as they walk down the street, advertising their wares. Since simit is usually baked all day, they will often shout that the bread is fresh.
Forms of bread similar to simit are available throughout Eastern Europe and the Middle East. There is Greek koulouri, a Serbian version called devrek, Bulgarian gevrek and Macedonian gjevrek. There is also a Polish version called obwarzanek which is poached in boiling water rather than dipped in molasses and water as simit usually is. The bread is mostly quite similar across all of these regions, although there tends to be at least some variation in recipes and preparation.
Traditional ingredients in simit bread include flour, salt, sugar, butter, yeast, and eggs. Most recipes will also include sesame seeds and molasses for the crust. It’s made by sifting the dry ingredients together, adding the wet parts, and then folding it all together into dough. The pieces of dough are then rolled into long shapes that look similar to cigars. They are usually twisted before being joined at the ends to form a circle. Sometimes the dough forms into a braid.
Once the simit dough has formed into its final shape, the pieces are dipped in molasses water and dredged in sesame seeds. The pieces are then placed on a baking sheet and baked to a golden brown. Some simit recipes leave out the yeast and sugar or include olive oil. Other versions use milk instead of molasses water to soak the dough.
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