Pide – Turkish Flat Bread / Pizza

This recipe is a game-changer, helping you create a pide that rivals the best you can find in Turkey. The result is a perfect balance of a pillowy soft interior and a deliciously crispy base, all generously topped with your favorite ingredients. This recipe makes two large pide, each about 40 cm (16 inches) long, serving as a hearty meal for two or a satisfying dish for three.

Instructions

1. 1

   To bloom the yeast, mix the yeast with 2 tablespoons of warm water and the sugar in a small bowl. Cover with cling wrap and let it sit for 10 minutes until a foamy layer forms on top.

2. 2

   To make the dough, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl or a stand mixer bowl. Add the foamy yeast mixture, olive oil, and the remaining 2/3 cups of water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is mostly combined, then use your hands to bring everything together into a cohesive dough.

3. 3

   Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour on a clean work surface. Knead the dough by hand for 8 to 10 minutes, or for 3 minutes on speed 6 in a stand mixer. The dough is ready when it becomes smooth and stretches without tearing. You can refer to the recipe video for a visual comparison of the dough before and after kneading.

4. 4

   Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Lightly coat the inside of the bowl with olive oil, place the dough inside, and cover with cling wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

5. 5

   Gently punch down the risen dough to fully deflate it, then divide it into two equal pieces. Pull the sides of each piece down and tuck them underneath to create a smooth top and a bunched-up underside. Shape each piece into a ball and place them on a lightly floured tray, smooth side up. Sprinkle the surface with flour, then cover with a damp tea towel. Let the dough rise for another hour, or until it has doubled in size.

6. 6

   Preheat your oven to 240°C (465°F) or 220°C (425°F) for a fan-forced oven. Position the oven racks on the top and middle shelves.

7. 7

   On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough ball into an oval shape, approximately 40 cm (16 inches) long and 20 cm (8 inches) wide at the widest point.

8. 8

   Prepare two baking trays by sprinkling 1/4 teaspoon of semolina on each, in a 40 cm by 15 cm area (16 inches by 6 inches). The semolina will help create a crunchy base.

9. 9

   Carefully place a rolled-out dough onto a prepared tray. Sprinkle the top with your cheese of choice, then evenly distribute your chosen topping across the surface, leaving a 2 cm (4/5 inch) border around the edges.

10. 10

    Brush the ends of the pide with water, then pinch them together to seal. Fold the sides of the dough inwards to create the classic pide boat shape.

11. 11

    Bake for 15 minutes, swapping the trays halfway through, until the crust is a beautiful golden brown color.

12. 12

    If you are adding an egg, bake the pide for 10 minutes first, then carefully crack an egg on top and return it to the oven for the final 5 minutes of baking.

13. 13

    Once baked, sprinkle with your chosen finishes, such as Turkish tulum cheese, sesame seeds, or fresh coriander. Cut the pide into 3 cm (1.3 inch) slices and serve immediately.

14. 14

    To make the Spinach Topping, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 3 minutes until it becomes translucent. Add the baby spinach and cook until just wilted, adding in batches if necessary. Stir in the cumin, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to cool completely before using it as a topping.

15. 15

    For the Turkish Sausage Topping, roughly chop the sausage and then use a Nutribullet or food processor to turn it into a coarse mince.

16. 16

    To make the Lamb Topping, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the garlic and onion for 3 minutes until soft. Add the lamb mince and cook until it is no longer pink. Stir in the tomato paste, Baharat spice mix, cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes.

17. 17

    Add the finely diced capsicum and tomato along with the lemon juice. Continue to cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, which typically takes a couple of minutes depending on how juicy the tomato is. Let the mixture cool before spreading it on the pide dough.

Recipe Notes

• Yeast – This recipe works with dry active yeast too, but using instant yeast tends to produce a slightly softer bread. Note that rapid-rise/instant yeast doesn't typically need to be activated, but activating it in warm water, as we do here, can result in an even softer bread. If the yeast doesn't become foamy after the blooming step, it's likely no longer active and should be replaced. You can use the same quantity for normal active dry yeast as you would for instant yeast.

• Warm water – The ideal temperature for the water is around 40°C / 104°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, a good guide is that it should be a temperature you’d be comfortable taking a bath in. Water that is too hot will kill the yeast, while water that is too cold will prevent it from activating.

• Bread flour – This flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose (plain) flour, which gives the bread a pleasant, chewy texture and elasticity. While the pide will still be great with all-purpose flour, using bread flour will yield a more impressive result if you want to elevate the dish.

• Kasar cheese – This is a traditional Turkish cheese made from sheep's milk, and sometimes a mix of goat's milk, that melts and stretches beautifully. It can be found at Turkish grocery stores. Mozzarella is a very similar and excellent substitute.

• Sujuk sausage – A traditional Turkish beef sausage used for pide. Chorizo is a great substitute as it has a similar intensity of flavor, although the specific seasonings are different and it is made with pork instead of beef.

• Baharat spice mix – This is a Middle Eastern spice blend that can be found in ethnic specialty stores. If you can’t find it, you can create your own by mixing together: 1 tsp paprika (not smoked), 1/2 tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander, and cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp each of ground cloves and cardamom. Measure out 1 tsp of this mix for the recipe.

• Turkish Tulum Cheese – This cheese is often sold in cans and has a flavor similar to feta but is slightly less salty and has a longer shelf life after opening. It can be substituted with feta cheese.

• Dough consistency – The final dough should be soft and slightly sticky, but not so sticky that it clings all over your hands. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour. If you’re using a stand mixer, the dough should not be sticking to the sides of the bowl once kneaded.

• Dough rising – A great place to proof dough is in a clothes dryer! It’s a draft-free and small space that’s easy to warm up. Just run the dryer for a couple of minutes to create a warm environment, then turn it off and place your covered bowl inside. Be sure not to turn the dryer on again while the dough is inside!

• Semolina – Sprinkling semolina on the base of the pide helps to achieve the same textural crunch you find in authentic, store-bought pide. It’s an optional step but highly recommended. The goal is to get the semolina on the base and not on the folded sides of the dough.

• Finishing combos – You can mix and match any of the finishes with any of the pide toppings. Some great combinations include: Spinach Pide with Tulum cheese (or feta), sesame seeds, and extra virgin olive oil; Turkish Sausage Pide with Tulum cheese, oregano, and extra virgin olive oil; and Lamb Pide with Tulum cheese, sesame seeds, sumac, and coriander.

• Egg option – Adding a cracked egg on top is a delicious traditional option for pide. It can be added to any of the toppings. For a less runny yolk, crack the egg on top and return the pide to the oven for the last 5 minutes of baking. For a runnier yolk, add the egg during the final 3 minutes of baking.

• Make ahead – You can prepare the dough the day before. After the first rise, place the bowl in the fridge without punching down the dough. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days. The next day, remove the dough from the fridge, divide it, and shape it as directed in the recipe. For the second rise, add a layer of cling wrap on top of the damp tea towel and plan for a longer rising time (3-4 hours) to allow the dough to come to room temperature before it begins to rise again. Then, proceed with the recipe as written.

• Nutrition information is per pide and is based on the Spinach Pide topping.