It's not a bagel

Semit comes from the Arabic semiz, derived from the Greek word semidalis which translates to semolina, or durum wheat.  Simit was originally baked for Janissaries (Ottoman military elite) in the 14th century, and according to Evliya Çelebi, a famous Ottoman traveler and writer, during the mid-16th century there were seventy bakeries specializing in simit in Istanbul. Simit are part of a continuing festival tradition. The Mevlid-i Nebi Kandili, or Prophet Muhammad's birthday, is a minor Muslim festival is celebrated throughout Istanbul by illuminating candles in mosques and eating special foods, like simit (this year, it will fall on February 26). Simit are also enjoyed as breakfast or afternoon snack, served with butter, jams, syrups, or labneh (yogurt based cream cheese). Simit come in two varities in Istanbul, those bought in bakeries made with leavening (like yeast, lauvain, old dough, or fermented hummus)  and are risen for hours, and those bought from street vendors without leavening which are made quickly. Below is a recipe for leavened simit, which are similar to, but lighter in texture than, a bagel.

Leavened Simit

 Preheat oven to 375. Dissolve 3 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast and a small glop of honey in 1/4 cup warm water and let stand until frothy. Sift 3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt onto the work surface

 make a well in the center

 and put in 2 tablespoons sugar,  1 egg, 4 tablespoons melted butter , yeast mixture, and half of 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water

 Gradually work in the flour and the remaining water, to make a very soft and sticky dough.

  Or knead on a floured surface 10 or 15 minutes, frequently beating it against the surface, until smooth and springy. Sprinkle the surface with flour as needed. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let rise 30 minutes. Divide into 12 equal pieces.Coat the work surface and your hands lightly with flour and roll each piece into a worm. Twist the worm around itself and shape into a ring pressing and rolling the overlapping ends on the work surface.

 Brush with pekmezi* (2-3 tbs. Middle Eastern grape molasses mixed with 1-2 tbs. water), 

 

then sprinkle on sesame seeds.

 

Place them on a greased baking sheet and bake 20-30 minutes until they are golden brown.

 

 Me, with my tower of simit, at our Baronial Artisan Championship in 2010. These babies are winners!

Resources:

“Islamic Holidays in Turkey” http:// www.turkeytravelplanner.com . Accessed December 29, 2009.

Turquoise: A Chef's Travels in Turkey (2008). Malouf, Greg; Malouf,Lucy; and Cohen, Lisa. Chronicle Books, LLC.

“Middle Eastern Food--Simit” by Chef Saad Fayed. http://mideastfood.about.com/od/breadsrice/r/simitrecipe.htm .Accessed December 29, 2009.