Whole Wheat Sesame Rings Simit Recipes

SIMIT - TURKISH SESAME BREAD RINGS

Steps:

• Place a baking or pizza stone in the oven (if you have one) and preheat the oven to 250 C (480 F).
• Mix the yeast and water. Leave for a few minutes for the yeast to activate.
• Mix the flour and salt. Add the water and yeast mixture. Mix well and knead until the dough keeps together well, 5-6 minutes. The dough should be smooth, but not as soft as a regular bread dough. Cover and set aside to proof for 30 minutes.
• Mix the grape molasses, water and 1 Tbsp white flour in a large, flat bowl. Prepare a plate of toasted sesame seeds. If you only have white (raw) sesame seeds, toast them in a dry pan until golden, stirring or shaking the pan regularly, taking care not to burn any of the seeds. This only takes a few minutes.
• Cut the dough into 12 equally sized pieces. Roll each piece into long sausages. I don't use extra flour for this purpose, but if you find the dough too sticky, sprinkle a thin layer of flour on the surface.
• Take two dough sausages and place them alongside one another. Squeeze the ends together and roll the ends in opposite directions, causing the two sausages to braid and intertwine. Squeeze the two ends together to form a ring. Repeat with the remaining dough sausages.
• Dip the simits into the grape molasses mixture until covered all over. Cover with sesame seeds until you cannot get another seed to hang onto it. Stretch the dough a little as you do this to ensure the simit is as even as possible. Place the ready simits on a piece of baking parchment.
• Flatten the simits ever so slightly before placing in the hot oven. Bake in two rounds until cooked through and golden brown on the outside, 12-15 minutes, a little longer if you don't have a baking or pizza stone. Keep watching and turn the heat down if the simit looks like it might burn.
• Leave to cool on a cooling rack, but not for too long! Unlike bread, simit is best when eaten while still warm.

WHOLE WHEAT SESAME RINGS (SIMIT)

Steps:

• Combine flours, salt and optional mahlab in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and stir together or mix at low speed until combined. Dissolve yeast in water. Add agave syrup or honey and stir together.
• At low speed, add water and yeast mixture to flour and mix for 1 minute. Remove paddle and let sit for 5 minutes. Change to dough hook and mix dough (or knead by hand) for about 5 minutes. Dough will be stiff and slightly sticky. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Lightly oil work surface and shape dough into a ball. Clean, dry and lightly oil mixing bowl and place dough in it, rounded side down first, then rounded side up. Cover bowl with plastic (plastic should not be touching dough) and let rise at room temperature for about 3 hours, until doubled.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and lightly oil parchment. In a wide bowl, combine pomegranate or grape molasses and 1/4 cup water and stir together, or beat egg with 2 tablespoons water.
• Turn dough onto a lightly oiled work surface and shape into a ball. Divide into 8 to 10 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Cover loosely with plastic and let sit for 20 minutes. Roll out each piece into a rope, approximately 12 to 14 inches long. Holding one end of the rope, twist it a few times, then join ends together, overlapping by about an inch and pinching together so they stay connected. The hole should be about 2 to 2 1/2 inches. Dip into molasses solution or egg, coating both sides well, then dip into sesame seeds, flip over and coat other side. Place on baking sheets, allowing at least 1 inch of space between rings. Cover loosely with plastic and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile heat oven to 400 degrees with the rack arranged in the middle. Place a pan on the bottom of the oven.
• Carefully pour 1 cup of water into the tin on the floor of the oven. Bake each sheet on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes (you can refrigerate the second baking sheet while the first one is baking to prevent the rings from rising too much), flipping the rings over so they don't brown too much on one side after 15 to 20 minutes, and if desired, brushing with egg white halfway through. Another way to prevent too much browning on the bottom is to slide another baking sheet under baking sheet (if you have enough of them to spare). Remove pan of water after 10 minutes. Rings should be dark brown and respond to tapping on the bottom with a hollow sound. Remove from heat and cool before eating.