Simit

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.
2. Take out one of the oven racks and cover it with aluminum foil. Set aside.
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.
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.
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.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
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),
8. Cut the dough into 10 equal parts.
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).
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.
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.
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.
13. Then raise the temperature to 500 F and bake for 10-12 more minutes. Remove simits from the oven and set aside.
14. Repeat the same baking process for the rest of the simits.
15. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes on the counter. Serve.