Arkadaslar, do you know the recipe of "simit" ? Is it easy to do at home ? Do I need a professional oven ?

Question

I would like to do my own "simit" every morning for breakfast, but I'm not sure that a normal oven can suit to that...

Answer 1

Making my favorite bread from my favorite country is no easy task to perfect but once perfected it becomes routine.

I am going to bore you for a little bit, I do it for a living, not bore people, but help them perfect recipes.

First of all when you talk baking simit it all evolves around yeast, type of flour (gluten length) and sugar/starch ratio.

Only in the simit recipes that have yeast of course.

so we take a basic recipe the one I use is


2 packages 17g/package active dry yeast 34 grams total
1 1/2 cups warm water (42 degrees C)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk (scalded, then cooled) get milk to boil then remove form heat this does two things it destroys enzymes that keep the milk from thickening and it will help maintain proof temperature. You are not adding cold milk to hot yeast/flour emulsion. Temperature is important in proofing.
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose or high gluten flour http://www.canadianmillers.ca/flour_types.htm
1 egg
1 teaspoon water
3/4 cup sesame seed

Dissolve yeast in warm (42 degrees C) water in large bowl with the sugar. Let stand for fifteen minutes foam should form.

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/213/Bakers-Yeast


Stir in milk, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of the flour. Fold until smooth you can use a mixer but this will break apart the gluten, so if you do use a low speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto generously floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 45 minutes. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Punch dough down; divide into 8 equal parts. Roll and shape each part into a 24-inch long rope; moisten ends with water. Bring ends of rope together, and pinch to form a rings about 6 inches in diameter.

You can freeze them once they are formed at this point. Freezing retards the yeast reaction. so you can keep them frozen, take them out the night before you want to bake them, add sesame seeds with the water or pekmez(a tip I got from "Chef Ipek") leave them at room temperature all night long then they will ready for baking in the morning.

I use water because I don't like the idea of egg whites and sugar out all night.

or you can
Beat egg whites and 2 teaspoons water with fork. Spread sesame seed on dinner plate. Brush each ring with egg mixture; dip into sesame seed. Place rings, sesame seed side up, on large greased cookie sheets. Cover loosely; let rise until double, about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until rings are golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

I haven't tried the "pekmez" yet but I makes sense. I have made simit this way but they never taste like they taste in Turkiye must be the efes pilson or the Idea of being on Turkish soil.

Most bakeries I have seen use traditional stone ovens which is better for exterior crust formation. Convection ovens (the ones with a fans) are great because most ovens have hot spots and the moving air keeps moisture and air even. All home ovens will work but they all have their own character and personalities. Try a few times and it should work out for you.

When I do the freeze and overnight proof I use a toaster oven for about 20 minutes, something about the smell of simit and toasted sesame seeds in the morning.

Remember baking is an art based influenced by science.
Good luck

Nothing better than a "Big Gulp" of coke and simit in the morning, LOL

Yogurt mu dedin? my favorite simit vendor, Mehmet is 11,376 kilometers away. What else are we suppose to do.

Ipek, I thought that was our little secret now I feel like just anybody. LOL

Proofing is when you allow the yeast converts glucose and other carbohydrates to carbon dioxide gas. In a controlled environment. Usually high humidity at 42 degrees C. but the cooler the longer the time. If you don't have a proofer at home then. Leave the dough out longer or you can take it with you to your favorite Turkish hamam,which would look kinda silly. So just leave out at room temperature with a rag on top to hold in humidty.

I actually thought it was too long but OK

When you punch dough down you, press it against the table and remove the air bubbles after the first proof. In the case of simit it happens when you roll the strips before you make them round.

Answer 2

There is a quite good recipe I found in the new for you.
Check out :

http://www.turkishcookbook.com/2007/01/turkish-bagel-with-sesame-seeds.php


One thing to remind you : The writer of the recipe says she skipped the grape mollassess ( pekmez) part . You don't want to skip that :)

After they are cooked and cooled off, simply wrap them in plastic storage bags and put them in the freezer. You can heat them up in the toaster oven or even on a Teflon pan right out of the freezer. They will taste like fresh.

PS to HFC : Sorry for telling the " secret ingredient " :)

Answer 3

Simit is made of yeast dough. Are you willing to take the trouble?

Answer 4

you don't have to bake your own "simit", oh mate...
use your deepfreeze...

bende eskiden hep kendi simidimi yapayım derdim, ama hiç kasmaya gerek yok;
haftanın başında alınır sekiz on tane simit, derin dondurucuya atılır, her sabah çıkartılıp tost makinesinde üç dakika ısıtılır... tazesinden daha lezzetli olmazsa kuyruğum çıksın...
hem vakittende tasarruf oluyo, bide bulaşıktan tabi :)

bide luckyman kardeş, o pekmez olmayabilir senin dediğin gibi. bazı simitleri sulandırılmış karamele batırırlar...

Answer 5

galeta unu susam ama bir sey var simidi fırına atmadan once onun içine batırıyorlar.Koyu bisey kahverengi.yanmıs susam suyu mu desem pekmez degil

Answer 6

mmmmm simit...with cay :P

Answer 7

i tried several times. once i burned it, once it wasn't even cooked, once i put some wrond indrigents in it and once i made everything correct but it didn't taste...uhmmmm...good :)

now I'm in Ankara and i can just buy it!

Answer 8

Hi,

I found that site, you do not need professional oven,

http://www.afiyetolsun.net/tarif.asp?tid=1677 (Turkish)

Regards

Answer 9

You can buy it every morning , it's not expensive at all.