A common snack and street food for Greeks and Turks. These small bread rings are perfect for breakfast
The first time I saw this bread was on a food and travel show on TV. The show was showing this man selling these bread rings on the street in Greece. They looked so delicious. I was so happy that this recipe was on Vefa’s cookbook and I’ve decided to make this last week. They were easy to make and delicious.
The recipe says you can make 20-25 rings but since there are only 2 of us, I’ve made about 16. So let’s get started.
- Mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl. Then add in olive oil. You can also use vegetable oil as the original recipe suggested.
- Add in the water and start kneading. Knead for about 8-10 mins until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Form the dough into a smooth ball and place the dough into an oiled bowl. Cover and let it rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.
- After it has doubled in size, knead the dough for a few seconds and divide it into 16 portion. You can use a scale to get even portion. That’s about 43g each.
- Scatter the sesame seeds on a tray.
- Form each dough into a smooth ball and roll it into a 35cm (14 inch) stick/strand. Spray/brush the stick/strand with water and roll in sesame seeds until coated. Then pinch the ends together to form a ring. Continue with the rest of the dough.
- Arrange the rings on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Let it rest for 20 mins.
- Bake the rings in a preheated oven at 220c for about 10-15 mins or until golden brown on the outside.
- Cool on a wire rack and serve warm.
1. Mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl 
2. Add in the olive oil 
3. Add in water and start kneading 
4. Knead for about 8-10 mins until the dough is smooth and elastic 
5. Form the dough into a smooth ball and place into an oiled bowl 
6. Cover and let it rise for about an hour or until double in size 
7. Knead briefly then divide into 16 portion 
8. Scatter the sesame seeds on a tray 
9. Roll the dough into a 35cm stick/strand 
10. Spray/brush the stick/strand with water 
11. Roll it in sesame seeds until coated 
12. Pinch the end together to form a ring 
13. Arrange them on a lined baking tray and let rise for 20 mins 
14. Bake in a preheated oven at 220c for 10-15 mins
Recipe Note
- As different brand of flour absorb water differently, you might need to adjust the amount of water needed for the dough. If you find that the dough is too dry, you can add a tablespoon of water at a time until it forms a smooth and elastic dough. .
- Make sure the stick/strand is at least 35cm (14 inch) long so that you can form a big ring. Remember that the ring will puff up while baking. I’ve made a few mistakes on the first tray and they came out looking like a bun!
Baking Equipment
- Bowl
- Mixer with hook attachment
- Dough scrapper
- Cling film/tea towel
- Digital scale
- Measuring spoons
- Pastry board/mat
- Baking tray lined with baking paper
- Cooling rack
Watch How I Make Them
Sesame Bread Rings - Simitia
A common snack and street food for Greeks and Turks. These small bread rings that are perfect for breakfast
Adapted From: Greece, The Cookbook by Vefa Alexiadou
Author: Caroline | Sweetest Hour Cuisine: European | Greek Keywords: Greek Bread Recipe, Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour : 500g (4 cups)
- Instant Yeast : 1 1/2 Tsp or 1 Packet 7g (Note 1)
- Salt : 1 Tsp
- Caster Sugar : 50g (1/4 cup)
- Lukewarm Water : 300ml (1 1/4 cups)
- Olive Oil : 2 Tbsp (Note 2)
- Sesame Seeds : 175g (1 cup)
- Extra oil for coating the bowl
Directions
- Mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl. Then add in olive oil. You can also use vegetable oil as the original recipe suggested.
- Add in the water and start kneading. Knead for about 8-10 mins until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Form the dough into a smooth ball and place the dough into an oiled bowl. Cover and let it rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.
- After it has doubled in size, knead the dough for a few seconds and divide it into 16 portion. You can use a scale to get even portion. That’s about 43g each.
- Scatter the sesame seeds on a tray.
- Form each dough into a smooth ball and roll it into a 35cm (14 inch) stick/strand. Spray/brush the stick/strand with water and roll in sesame seeds until coated. Then pinch the ends together to form a ring. Continue with the rest of the dough.
- Arrange the rings on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Let it rest for 20 mins.
- Bake the rings in a preheated oven at 220c for about 10-15 mins or until golden brown on the outside.
- Cool on a wire rack and serve warm.
Recipe Note:
- I usually use instant yeast as it is easily available and easy to use. 1 packet is 7g so I would use 1 packet for most of the bread recipe.
- You can also use vegetable oil.
Nutrition Per Serving (Based on 16 servings):
| NUTRITION INFORMATION | AVE QUANTITY PER SERVING |
|---|---|
| Calories | 205kcal |
| Protein | 5.9g |
| Fat (total) | 8.1g |
| – Saturated Fat | 1.1g |
| Carbohydrate | 25.9g |
| Sugars | 3.2g |
| Sodium | 138mg |
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