Simit are small round sesame bread from Turkey. Crispy on the outside and very fluffy on the inside. Traditionnally, it's eaten for breakfast or afternoon snack with cheese, cucumber... Kinda like a bagel!

We really loved this recipe. We dipped it in our favorite dips, used it to mop our favorite sauces... It works with basically everything! It's a very delicious discovery. It's time consuming and I have to admit that the first one I did were not that pretty but practice makes perfect.

Simit, turkish sesame bread (8 pieces) :

• 500g (4 cups) flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 60ml (1/4 cup) oil
• 350ml (1 + 1/2 cup) lukewarm water
• 200g (1 + 1/2 cup) sesame seeds
• 1 bowl cold water

In a bowl, add yeast, flour, sugar and salt. Mix well.

Add lukewarm water and oil. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

When it gets too hard to stir with the spoon, transfer your dough to a lightly floured work surface and start kneading the dough.

Knead until smooth and not sticky anymore. It took me about 15 minutes.

Put the dough back in the bowl and cover with a clean towel. Let it rise for 1h30.

Punch the dough and divide in 16 pieces that will make 8 breads.

Roll each of the 16 pieces into 30cm long strips.

Take two strips of dough and twist it together quite tightly. Pinch the ends to hold well.

Shape a circle with your twisted strips and pinch well to hold.

Repeat until you get 8 simit.

Toast the sesame seeds in a non stick pan for a few minutes.

Prep a bowl of cold water and a shallow plate with sesame seeds.

Dip each bread in cold water then cover in sesame seeds, be generous.

Put the dipped bread on parchment paper covered baking sheet.

Cover with clean towels and let it rest 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven at 200°C/400°F.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, simit must be golden brown but sesame seeds shouldn't be burnt.

Serve!