Simit

Directions

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   1. Whisk water, heavy cream, yeast, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Cover it with stretch film. Let it to sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes for the yeast to get activated.
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   2. Take out one of the oven racks and cover it with aluminum foil. Set aside.
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   3. Place 5 cups of flour, oil, egg, and yeast mixture in a large mixing bowl, and hand-mix until combined. Transfer the dough to a well-floured kitchen counter and knead by hand to form a smooth and elastic ball. This may take 15 minutes or so.
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   4. Wet a kitchen towel with hot tap water and place it over the dough. Let it sit on the kitchen counter until it doubles in size, 30-45 minutes.
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   5. In the meantime, toast the sesame seeds in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they turn golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Place them in a shallow pan and set aside to cool.
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   6. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
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   7. Use the additional cup of flour for flouring the kitchen counters to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter. Roll the dough into a log that's roughly 20 inches long (51 cm),
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   8. Cut the dough into 10 equal parts.
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   9. Roll each part into a 40-inch (102 cm) long strand/string. Fold the string into two equal links and then twist it by rolling in opposite directions one over another (kind of like a pretzel shape-see related blog link for photos).
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    10. Meet the ends to form a circle and pinch to joint. Place it on a lightly floured surface. (I used a baking sheet.) Cover with a kitchen towel to prevent from drying. Repeat the same process until all pieces are completed.
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    11. Mix together the molasses and water in a pie plate. Dip each simit in the molasses and water mixture and then dip in roasted sesame seeds ensuring that they are fully coated with the seeds.
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    12. Place 6 simits on the rack that was covered with aluminum foil and place it in the upper middle rack of the oven. Bake for 12 minutes.
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    13. Then raise the temperature to 500 F and bake for 10-12 more minutes. Remove simits from the oven and set aside.
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    14. Repeat the same baking process for the rest of the simits.
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    15. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes on the counter. Serve.