Pide - Turkish Flat Bread / Pizza
Pide is a Turkish flatbread resembling a pizza, made from a yeast-leavened dough topped with various fillings such as cheese, spinach, Turkish sausage, or spiced lamb. The dough is kneaded until smooth and allowed to rise twice for a tender yet chewy texture. After shaping, the dough is topped with ingredients like kasar cheese, seasoned meats, and spices, then baked until golden and flavorful.
Ingredients
Dough (Makes 2 pide):
- 1 tsp instant yeast sub active dry yeast, Note 1, rapid rise variety
- 1/2 tsp white sugar
- 2 tbsp + 2/3 cups water ~40℃ /104℉, Note 2, very warm
- 2 cups bread flour (sub all purpose/plain flour, Note 3)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
Pide Assembling:
- 150g / 5oz kasar cheese Note 4, or mozzarella
- 1/2 tsp semolina , optional (Note 10)
- 1 Topping of choice (each makes enough for 2 pides)
- 1 egg (optional, Note 13)
- Sprinkling finishes of choice (listed below)
Spinach Topping:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion , finely diced
- 280g / 10oz baby spinach
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt (kosher / cooking salt)
Turkish Sausage Topping (Sujuk):
- 125g / 4oz sujuk sausage sub chorizo, Note 5, Turkish style
Lamb Topping:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion , finely diced
- 1 garlic finely minced, cloves
- 250g / 8oz lamb mince (or beef)
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp baharat spice mix (Note 6)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 red bell pepper finely diced, or capsicum
- 1/2 tomato , finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Sprinkling Finishes - Choose (Note 11):
- 4 tbsp tulum cheese crumbled (Note 7, or feta cheese, Turkish style
- oregano dried
- sesame seeds , toasted
- sumac
- Coriander leaves aka cilantro leaves, fresh
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Pide Dough:
- Bloom yeast: Mix yeast with 2 tbsp warm water and sugar in a small bowl. Cover with cling wrap, leave for 10 minutes until foamy.
- Make dough: Mix together flour and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer bowl. Add the yeast mixture, olive oil and remaining 2/3 cups water. Mix together with a wooden spoon. Once the flour is mostly incorporated, switch to your hands and bring it together into a dough.
- Knead: Sprinkle work surface with 1 tbsp flour, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes by hand OR 3 minutes on speed 6 of a stand mixer. Dough is kneaded enough when it's smooth and does not break when stretched - see photos video for before/after comparison. (Note 8)
- Rise 1: Shape into a ball. Smear inside of used bowl with a bit of olive oil, place dough inside. Cover with cling wrap and rise in warm place for 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size. (Note 9)
- Rise 2: Punch dough down to fully deflate, then divide into 2 equal pieces. Pull the sides down and tuck underneath so the top is smooth, underside is bunched up. Shape into ball and place on a lightly floured tray, smooth side up. Sprinkle surface with flour, then cover with damp tea towel. Rise 1 hour until doubled in size.
Assembling & Baking Pide:
- Preheat oven to 240°C/465°F (220°C fan). Place shelf on the top and middle.
- Roll: Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into an oval shape 40cm/16" long and 20cm/8" wide (widest point).
- Prepare 2 trays: Sprinkle 1/4 tsp semolina on each tray, 40cm/16" long and 15cm/6" wide. (Note 10)
- Top Pide: Place a rolled out dough on the semolina. Sprinkle with cheese, then sprinkle chosen Topping evenly across the surface, leaving a 2cm / 4/5" border all around.
- Fold dough: Brush the ends with water. Pinch ends together to seal then fold the sides of the pide in.
- Bake: Bake 15 minutes, switching trays halfway, until the crust is golden.
- Egg option: Bake pide for 10 minutes, then crack the egg on top and return to oven for 5 minutes. This applies to all Pide - egg can be added for any of them!
- Top & Serve: Sprinkle with toppings of choice. (Note 11 for combos I used). Cut into 3cm / 1.3" slices and serve!
Spinach Topping:
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion for 3 minutes until translucent. Add spinach, cook until just wilted (add in batches if necessary). Stir in cumin, salt & pepper. Cool before using.
Turkish Sausage Topping:
- Roughly chop, then turn the sausage into mince (ground meat) by using a Nutribullet or food processor.
Lamb Topping:
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook garlic and onion for 3 minutes until soft. Add lamb and cook until it changes from pink to brown. Add tomato paste, Baharat, cumin, salt, pepper and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add capsicum, tomato and lemon juice, then cook over medium heat until most of the liquid evaporates (a couple of minutes usually, though depends on juiciness of tomato). Cool before using.
Notes
- Instant yeast is preferred for a slightly softer bread, but active dry yeast can also be used at the same quantity.
- Warm water should be about bath temperature to activate the yeast without killing it.
- Bread flour gives a chewier texture but all-purpose flour can substitute without much difference.
- Kasar cheese melts and stretches similar to mozzarella; substitute as preferred.
- Sujuk Turkish sausage can be replaced with spicy chorizo.
- If yeast does not foam during blooming, replace it as it is likely inactive.
- You can prepare the dough a day ahead, refrigerate after first rise, and proceed with shaping and baking later.
- Optional toppings and finishing touches like eggs, sesame seeds, sumac, and herbs can be added to tailor flavor and appearance.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 2 pide
Amount Per Serving
Calories 812
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 812cal | 41% |
| Carbohydrates | 105g | 35% |
| Protein | 39g | 78% |
| Fat | 27g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Cholesterol | 59mg | 20% |
| Sodium | 1756mg | 73% |
| Potassium | 1079mg | 23% |
| Fiber | 8g | 32% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 13647IU | 273% |
| Vitamin C | 41mg | 46% |
| Calcium | 555mg | 56% |
| Iron | 6mg | 33% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.