Crispy Street-Style Simit Recipe: Make Turkish Simit at Home

This Turkish Simit recipe shows how to make classic simit with a crisp sesame crust and a soft, tender interior.

Simit is a beloved Turkish street bread — a circular sesame-crusted loaf commonly eaten for breakfast or as a snack in Istanbul and across Turkey.

If you enjoy Turkish breads, you may have seen our other recipes for Turkish village-style bazlama and Ramadan pide. This recipe focuses on simit, one of Turkey’s most popular breads, frequently sold by street vendors pushing carts through the city.

What is simit

Simit is a round bread encrusted with sesame seeds. Often described as a Turkish bagel, it’s a common and iconic bread throughout Turkey. Traditionally each ring is dipped in a molasses mixture before being coated in toasted sesame, giving it a distinctive flavor and glossy finish.

Variants of simit exist throughout the regions of the former Ottoman Empire and parts of the Middle East. Names include gevrek, bokeh and koulouri. Size, crunch and texture vary by region and vendor.

How does simit taste

Simit is a yeast bread with a unique profile: crisp and nutty on the outside from the toasted sesame, and lightly chewy with a soft interior. It has a subtle malty sweetness from the molasses coating and a savory balance that makes it very satisfying as a snack or breakfast item.

Street-style simit tends to be thinner and denser, similar to a twisted bagel, while bakery versions are often puffier and lighter in crumb.

Turkish Simit ingredients

This recipe uses simple, minimal ingredients to recreate authentic homemade simit.

For the dough

• Flour: 325 g (about 2 1/2 cups loosely packed)
• Water: 195 ml (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp), lukewarm
• Salt: 1 tsp
• Sugar: 1 tbsp
• Instant yeast: 1 tsp (or 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast)

For the topping

• Grape molasses (üzüm pekmezi): 100 ml
• Water: 60 ml (1/4 cup)
• Roasted sesame seeds: 150 g (about 1 cup)

How to make Turkish simit

This method reproduces the street-style simit: a crisp exterior with a tender crumb.

1. Prepare the dough

Combine lukewarm water (around 90°F), sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl. Stir to dissolve, then add the flour and mix to form a dough. Simit dough is drier and tighter than many bread recipes — aim for a firm but soft dough. Knead for about six minutes until it becomes cohesive. The surface may remain slightly rough; that’s normal.

2. Divide the dough

Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Shape each piece into a cylinder about 12 cm long.

3. Rest the dough

Cover and allow the cylinders to rest for 10 minutes.

4. Pre-shape and braid

After resting, divide each cylinder in two so you have eight pieces. Roll each piece into a strand about 30–32 cm long. Pair two strands side by side, twist the ends in opposite directions so the strands braid together, then join and seal the ends to form a ring. Repeat with the remaining strands.

5. Coat with molasses and sesame

Mix grape molasses with the 60 ml of water until smooth. Dip each ring into the molasses mixture to coat, then press into the roasted sesame seeds until fully covered. Place the coated simit on a baking sheet.

6. Final proof

Cover and let the simit rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes until slightly puffed.

7. Final shaping

After proofing, gently stretch each ring to even it out and place them on a baking tray, ready to bake.

8. Bake

Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F). Bake the simit at 230°C for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 200°C (400°F) and bake for another 8–10 minutes until golden brown. The finished simit should be crisp on the outside and soft inside.

How to eat simit

Simit is excellent with feta cheese and olives for breakfast, alongside a cup of tea, or spread with butter, jam or chocolate spread. It also makes a great on-the-go snack.

Why use grape molasses

• Provides a characteristic flavor that complements the sesame.
• Helps sesame seeds adhere to the dough.
• Promotes a deep golden-brown color when baked.

Alternatives to grape molasses

• Pomegranate molasses (more tart; adjust sugar to taste)
• Honey
• Brown sugar syrup or dissolved brown sugar
• Date syrup or other sweet syrups

Is simit the same as a bagel?

Not exactly. Although both are ring-shaped, they differ in technique and texture. Bagels are typically boiled before baking, producing a dense, chewy interior. Simit is dipped in a molasses mixture and coated with sesame seeds, yielding a crisper exterior and a lighter, airier crumb with a more pronounced sesame flavor.

Storage

At room temperature: Let simit cool to room temperature, place in a plastic bag and remove excess air. It will stay fresh for up to two days; refresh in a toaster or oven before serving.

To freeze: Cool to room temperature, place in a freezer bag with air removed, and freeze. To serve, thaw for 10 minutes and reheat in a 150°C (300°F) oven for 10–12 minutes.

You may also like this Tiger Bread Recipe which has a crunchy crust and soft bread inside.

If you love Turkish bread recipes you might also like

Soft village-style Turkish flatbread bazlama

Easy Turkish Ramadan pide

Turkish Simit Recipe: Step-by-step video