When I was little, there was a bakery next to our house that sold turkish bread and I used to go there everyday to buy it for the whole family. At first I went there with my grandfather, but as I grew older I went alone, and still, that divine smell of bread fresh out of the oven never ceased to amaze me. I swear, in no other bakery I was able to find that aroma in the air, although I admit I’ve eaten better breads since then.
Along bread they also sold these bagels, that were completely covered in sesame and I remember all the kids were so nuts about them. We didn’t have Mc Donald’s back then and in my home town we still don’t have any fast food restaurant, so these bagels were the treat, my friends!
Last week, as I was browsing a cooking magazine, I saw a recipe for some bagels and I was instantly reminded about these turkish bagels. So I baked them that very day, since you don’t need any fancy ingredients, and I had everything on hand.
If you have a standing mixer, the dough is pretty easy to make. If you don’t, you’ll do some exercise kneading the dough, which is not a bad thing I suppose.
Once the dough has risen for about one hour, you have to divide it in 10 equal parts. 
Mine were about 80 grams each.
Take each ball and roll it like a string, or a cord.
Then, just press together the ends, and you have your first bagel. Now, do the same for the rest of the remaining dough.
Take each bagel and dip it into the sweet water mixture for about 2 minutes on each side.
Then, cover the bagel in toasted sesame on both sides and place on a parchment paper or silicon mat in the tray. As you can see, I only covered my bagels with sesame on one side, but you can stick to the tradition and cover them on both sides.
Once they were out of the oven, these simit bagels were crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, so we ate them just like them, when they were still warm.
I would recommend to eat them the same day they are made, while they are still crunchy, since the next day they were soft on the outside. Still, you can cut the simit in section and reheat them, then spread some butter, and you can have a perfect and simple breakfast!
Afiyet olsun!
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Turkish bagels: Simit
By Published: October 9, 2012
- Yield: 10 bagels
Turkish bagels are crisp on the outside, fluffy inside, covered in toasted sesame and with a hint of sweet flavor from the molasses.
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread flour (500 g)
- 10 g fresh yeast
- 1 1/4 cup water lukewarm (310 ml)
- 3/4 cup sesame seeds toasted
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2-3 tbsp molasses (you can also use maple syrup)
- 2-3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in the water, along with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.
- In the bowl of the standing mixer add the flour and the salt. Pour a little at a time the water over the flour and mix with the paddle attachment until everything is incorporated.
- Switch to the dough hook and keep kneading on minimum speed for 5-7 minutes. The dough should be hard at this point.
- Cover with cling film and place for one hour into the oven with the light turned on.
- Meanwhile, add the sesame to a skillet and toast it for 10 minutes on minimum heat, stirring continuously, until it has a golden color. Be careful not to burn the sesame seeds!
- Preheat your oven to 425 F/ 220C and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- After one hour, divide the dough into 10 parts equal in size, role each one into a cord and join the ends in order to form the bagels.
- Dissolve the 2-3 tablespoons of molasses/maple syrup into an equal amount of water, and dip each bagel on both sides for 2 minutes.
- Then, pass the bagels through the toasted sesame, covering them on both sides, and place them in a tray on a parchment paper/silicon mat. 4 or 5 bagels should be enough for one tray at a time.
Tagged: sesame bagels, simit, turkish bagels, turkish bagels recipe, turkish recipes, vegetarian, vegetarian recipes
My name is Adriana and this is my kitchen! I cook, I bake, I photograph, I experiment, I eat and I tell stories! Thank you for stopping by, I'm so glad to have you here! 
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Those look incredible- Way better than most bakery bagels, too. They’re a project I’ve been meaning to experiment with for the longest time, but find too intimidating to know where to begin. Perhaps this is the answer!
@Hannah – everyone loved these bagels, even my mom tried one and she was impressed. They aren’t that hard to make and they are great while still warm and with a crunchy crust.
I love Simit! We had it almost every day when we were in Instanbul, will definitely make some, thank you so much for the recipe!
Thank you for sharing this lovely article. I’m from Turkey. Simit, white (feta) cheese and black tea are inseparable trinity. Please try to eat with them.
Hi Adriana! I work for a recently launched simit cafe in NYC called SIMIT + SMITH. We specialize in authentic street style simit that are handcrafted. They’re absolutely delicious and we would be happy to send you over some to enjoy. Thanks for your recipe and great memories about simit!
Hello!
I am about to make these…but have realized that there is no oven temperature specified or length of time…Can you provide this information?
Thanks so much and have a happy new year!
Hi @zosia. I forgot to add this. The oven should be at 425 F/ 220 C. I hope I answered your question in time and all goes well. Happy new year to you too!
Just made these followed the exact recipe I just added a tablespoon of oil they came out perfect thanks for the recipe. To serve I warm the semit and serve with laughing cow cheese or kiri