Authentic Turkish Sesame Bread Rings: Crispy Molasses Glazed Simit Recipe
Walking down the vibrant, sun-drenched streets of Istanbul right as the early morning ferries push away from the docks introduces you to a legendary sensory experience. Today, we are mastering an absolute blockbuster baking icon that has captured a permanent, frantic obsession across modern food blogs: authentic molasses-glazed Sesame Bread Rings. Universally loved as the definitive centerpiece of a traditional Mediterranean breakfast spread, tearing into one of these freshly baked, braided circles delivers a spectacular textural contrast of a crackly outer shell and a soft, beautifully fibrous crumb underneath.
The gorgeous stroke of culinary genius in this specific artisan blueprint relies on a deep molasses dip bath and a classic two-strand twisting technique. Instead of boiling the yeast rings in plain water like standard western bagels, we are flash-dunking the braided dough shapes into a dark pool of sweet grape molasses mixed with water. This sticky sugar coat acts as an incredible glue that traps a massive, dense armor of raw sesame seeds, which deeply toasts inside a scorching hot oven. As the sugars caramelize in the high heat, they blast the outer jacket into an unctuous, dark-gold crunch while keeping the yeasted core pillowy soft. Grab your deepest mixing bowls, ready those baking sheets, and let us get this shimmering artisan luxury proofing away!
What You Need
For the Supple Live Yeast Dough
- 490 g premium bread flour or Type 550 wheat flour (plus extra for a heavy workbench dust)
- 1 packet active dry yeast (strictly 7 g)
- 250 ml lukewarm fresh water
- 25 g white granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp high-quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 tsp fine sea salt
For the Sticky Molasses Glaze & Toasted Armor
- 200 g raw white sesame seeds
- 100 g dark grape molasses (pekmez style, or premium unsulfured molasses)
- 50 ml fresh water (strictly for thinning the molasses bath)
Step-by-Step
Let us build that supple live yeast dough foundation first, keeping our touch light and confident. In a massive mixing bowl, dissolve your dry yeast and white sugar into the lukewarm fresh water, stirring smoothly with a fork until fully combined. Let the liquid pool stand quiet on your counter for 5 minutes until small bubbles expand proudly over the surface. Sift your premium bread flour and fine sea salt straight into the live yeast pool, pouring in your extra virgin olive oil. Knead the mixture aggressively with your bare hands or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for a solid 8 to 10 minutes until it transforms into a smooth, elastic ribbon that pulls away cleanly from the bowl walls. Shape the dough into a tight ball, lock it inside an oiled container under a clean kitchen cloth, and let it proof patiently in a warm corner for 45 to 60 minutes until it doubles in size.
While the dough rises, let us execute our aromatic sesame and glaze prep. Dump your raw white sesame seeds into a wide, dry skillet over medium-low heat, pan-toasting them patiently until they turn beautifully golden and fragrant, then slide them immediately onto a wide, shallow plate to cool. In a separate wide dish, whisk your dark grape molasses together with 50 ml of fresh water until a uniform, fluid sticky bath forms.
Punch the gas out of your puffy proofed dough balloon and tip it onto a lightly floured workbench. Slice the dough paste cleanly into 8 equal portions using a scraper. Take one portion and split it into two identical halves, rolling each half out across your workbench into a long, thin rope about 14 inches long. Crimp the top ends of the two ropes tightly together, and braid or twist them rhythmically around each other to form a tight, two-strand cord. Loop the braided cord into a wide ring circle, pressing and rolling the bottom overlapping ends firmly under your palm to seal the loop tight so it never flutters open in the oven. Repeat this assembly pattern for the remaining pieces.
Time for the sticky dunking and seed armor routine. Grab a braided dough ring, submerge it completely inside the fluid molasses bath for a quick second, lift it out to let any excess syrup drain away, and drop it immediately into the toasted sesame seed plate. Turn the ring over to ensure it wears a massive, dense coat of seeds across every single wrinkle, then transfer it flat onto a massive baking sheet lined with fresh parchment paper. Repeat for all rings.
Crank your oven dial to its absolute scorching maximum of 220C (425F). Plunge the baking sheet onto the middle rack and bake aggressively for exactly 15 to 18 minutes. Watch closely through the glass door—the rings are completely perfect the exact second the molasses glaze caramelizes into a gorgeous deep-golden tan and the sesame armor hits a blistering, nutty crunch. Pull the sizzling tray out onto your counter, cool briefly, tear the rings apart with your bare hands, and enjoy pure coastal street food paradise!
