There are five religious days when these rings are specially prepared and sold in patisseries in Turkey, this is why they are called Holy Rings. These sesame rings are so crispy and delicious that they are prepared anytime and anywhere when craved for.
While kneading when you obtain a dough that is soft, well combined, stop adding flour. Cut to lemon-sized pieces and roll with your hands on your working space then stick the corners to make a circle. The rope should not be too thick to start with. If the dough becomes too sticky, sprinkle your hands, your working space and the dough with some flour to work easily.
This recipe has “mahlep” as an optional ingredient. This is a spice that is made from the seeds of the wild cherry trees and used in small quantities. It has a flavour of almond and cherry. It should be bought in small amounts. It is used generally in pastry products.
The recipe is very detailed with exact measurements, you can try it with confidence.
Holy Sesame Rings / Kandil Simidi
Ingredients
Dough
- 200 grams butter room temperature
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons yogurt plain
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon mahlep optional
- 5 grams baking powder
- 450 +/- grams flour all-purpose
Dip
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 egg white
Garnish
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
Instructions
- Place the butter, yogurt, olive oil, water and vinegar into the mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Then add about 350 grams flour, baking powder, salt and mahlep and start kneading.
- Add the remaining flour as necessary and obtain a dough that is not stiff or sticky but spongy and can take a shape.
- Cut lemon-sized pieces out of the main dough. Roll with your hands to make a rope-shape of about 20 centimetres. Join ends to make a circle. Sprinkle some flour on your hands and/or working place if the dough gets sticky.
- Prepare a dip by whisking an egg white and molasses. Shake slightly to get rid of the excess molasses when you dip the dough into this mixture.
- Dip one side of each circle into this dip and place each circle on an oven tray with an oven paper. The parts that have been dipped into the molasses mixture should be facing upwards. Continue until all the dough is finished.
- Sprinkle half of the circles with sesame seeds and the other half with nigella seeds.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180° Celsius until golden on all sides.