Istanbul Street Food: Fresh Simit

Simit has been a feature of Istanbul’s streets for several hundred years, and the traditional red carts a fixture in living memory. Simit is the most emblematic street food of Istanbul and is sold everywhere, from modern chain stores
to simple street vendors with trays balanced on their heads. They are baked throughout the day and eaten as fresh as possible, but the subtle sweetness from the grape molasses makes them particularly enjoyable in the morning. They are made in other parts of Turkey, and a very similar bread, koulouri, is also made in Greece, especially in Thessaloniki.

Serves 10

INGREDIENTS
7 g (1 sachet) dried yeast
2 teaspoons caster sugar
2 1⁄2 tablespoons thickened cream
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
475 g plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
100 ml grape molasses
150 g sesame seeds

METHOD

1 Add the yeast, sugar and 375 ml of warm water (about body temperature) to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for a few minutes until the yeast is activated and the mix starts to foam.
2 Add the cream and oil and combine.
3 Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer and start mixing on slow using the dough hook. Gradually add the liquid until incorporated, and mix until a smooth dough forms. Cover and set aside somewhere warm until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
4 Preheat the oven to 230°C fan-forced (250°C conventional). Line two baking trays with baking paper.
5 Tip the rested dough out of the bowl and divide into ten evenly sized balls. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
6 Cut a rested dough ball in half and roll with your hands into two strips about 30-cm long. Twist the strips together into a rope and press both ends together to form a circle. Repeat for all the dough.
7 Combine the grape molasses, 100 ml of water and a couple of pinches of salt in a shallow bowl. Add the sesame seeds to another shallow bowl.
8 Dip each ring in the diluted molasses, gently shaking off any excess before adding to the sesame seeds to coat. Place on the prepared trays and bake for about 20 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through the cooking time, until golden.