Craving something cheesy, soft, and a little different from your usual pizza? Then this Turkish Simit Pizza is just what you need! It’s a fun twist on classic pizza with a soft bread base, a crunchy sesame coating, and loads of melty cheese. This recipe has become a favorite in my home, especially on weekends when we want something special but still easy to make.
Here’s the best part of this recipe, It’s not only delicious but also looks super fancy without much effort. So, whether you are hosting friends or just treating yourself, try this easy Turkish Simit Pizza without any second thought. Now, let’s jump into the recipe. Trust me, you’re going to love it!
What is Turkish Simit Pizza
Pide or Turkish Simit Pizza is a fun and tasty twist on the traditional Turkish simit bread. Simit is a round bread covered in sesame seeds, often called the Turkish bagel. It has a crispy outside and soft inside and is very popular in Turkey, especially as a street food. In this version, the simit is shaped like a small flatbread, filled with cheese, and topped with extra cheese and pepperoni, just like a pizza! It’s soft, cheesy, and has that nutty sesame flavor.
People of all ages love it, and it’s now popular in many countries through Turkish bakeries and food bloggers. It’s perfect for snacks, lunch, parties, or friend gatherings! you can enjoy this delicious pizza anytime, anywhere!
How to Make Turkish Simit Pizza
To make Turkish Simit Pizza, you first need to activate the yeast. To do so, take warm water, sugar, and oil. After activating the yeast, mix it with salt, a beaten egg, and flour to make a soft dough. Let it rise in a warm place for an hour. After that, knead the dough a bit and divide it into four equal parts.
Shape each piece into an oval-shaped bread. Next, fill with mozzarella cheese, and seal the bread. Dip each piece of bread into honey water and coat it with sesame seeds. When all the bread is nicely coated with sesame seeds, place it on a baking tray, make a small cut on top, and bake. After the first bake, add more cheese and pepperoni, then bake again until golden and melty. That’s it! Your soft, cheesy, sesame-coated Simit Pizza is ready to enjoy!
Turkish Simit Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water
- ⅛ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 1 tablespoon oil (for yeast mixture)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon oil (for dough)
- Extra oil (for coating the dough)
- ½ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup pure honey
- A little water (to mix with honey)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (for filling)
- Extra mozzarella cheese (for topping – as much as you like)
- Pepperoni (as much as you like)
Direction
- First, in a bowl, take ½ cup of warm water. Add ⅛ cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of yeast. Mix with a spatula, then add 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix again and cover with a lid. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, the yeast will be active, just like in the picture.
- Now stir a little with a spatula. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 beaten egg. Mix well. Then add 2 cups of flour and mix everything together with a spatula.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the mixture and make a soft dough using your hands.
- When the dough is ready, add a bit more oil and mix again. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place for 1 hour.
- In a plate, take ½ cup of sesame seeds. In another plate, mix ¼ cup of pure honey with a little water to make honey water.
- After one hour, take out the dough. It should be double in size, just like in the picture
- Knead the dough a little more with your hands.
- Now it’s time to make rolls. Shape the dough into a log and cut it into 4 equal portions.
- Make an oval shape from each portion of the dough.
- Now insert 1 cup of mozzarella cheese into each bread.
- Seal the bread properly like in the picture.
- Dip the bread into the honey water you made earlier.
- After dipping, coat the bread with the sesame seeds from the plate
- Do the same for all the bread and place them on a baking tray.
- After placing them nicely on the tray, gently make a cut in the middle of each bread using a knife, like in the picture.
- Bake the bread in a preheated oven at 200°C for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, take them out and add more cheese and pepperoni as much as you like. Then bake again for 6–7 minutes.
- After 7 minutes, your Turkish Simit Pizza is ready to serve. Enjoy!
What to Serve With Turkish Simit Pizza
Turkish Simit Pizza is tasty on its own, but if you would like to have it with a side dish, you can try a fresh salad, like cucumber and tomato, with a little lemon and salt. This will add a refreshing bite. You can also serve it with a small bowl of yogurt or garlic sauce for dipping, it tastes really good! If you are having it for lunch or dinner, a warm bowl of soup like tomato or lentil will go well too. And for drinks, try it with cold lemonade or a cup of hot tea.
Chef’s Tips
- To activate the yeast properly, always use warm water, not hot. If the water is too hot, it can kill the yeast.
- If your kitchen is cold, you can place the bowl inside your oven (turned off) with the light on. This helps the dough rise better.
- Use parchment paper on the baking tray – It makes cleanup easier and helps the bottom of the bread bake evenly.
- Don’t overfill with cheese; too much filling can make it hard to seal the bread, and it might leak while baking. Use just enough to keep it cheesy but neat.
- Simit can become a bit firm when it cools down, so it’s best to warm it up in an air fryer, oven, or toaster before serving. It tastes much better when served warm and soft!