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Jakarta Post

Taste Bud: Turkish delight

A recipe for SimitOn my way back to Italy several weeks ago, I had to transit in Turkey and had a few hours to kill

Theodora Hurustiati (The Jakarta Post)
Sat, April 30, 2016

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Taste Bud: Turkish delight

A recipe for Simit

On my way back to Italy several weeks ago, I had to transit in Turkey and had a few hours to kill. It was breakfast when I landed and the first thing I did was look for a coffee shop. I needed Wi-Fi, so I opted for the usual American franchise with guaranteed Internet access instead of a Turkish one offering traditional bread and pastries. I missed out on the chance to taste simit–a braided circular bread with a crisp sesame seed crust. I wished I had chosen differently. I haven’t been able to get my mind off simit since. Back home, I had to make the bread myself to satisfy my curiosity.

Simit is really popular in Turkey. It’s practically the national bread. In Istanbul you can easily find simit sold by street vendors in carts or by those carrying a mountain of the delicious golden rings on a tray over their heads. Usually simit is baked twice a day to ensure freshness and warm bread for breakfast and for people’s afternoon snacks. Simit is usually accompanied with Turkish tea and served with olives, tomatoes, cucumber and white cheese similar to Greek Feta or, often times, also with fruit jams for those with a sweet tooth.


Makes 2

Bread dough

250g all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + extra

125g tepid water

2 teaspoons sugar

4g dried yeast

Coating

30ml molasses or honey

60ml water

50 to 75 g sesame seeds

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