Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi

Prepare the Dough

1. Line a large baking sheet or a pizza tray with baking paper. Alternatively, you can dust it with a generous amount of semolina to avoid the bread sticking to the tray.
2. Combine the yeast, sugar, warm milk and water into a bowl, stir well.
3. Let the yeast activate for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is foamy and bubbly. 
4. Add the egg white, salt, melted butter and flour gradually until you get a soft and slightly sticky dough. Pide dough doesn’t need much kneading.
5. Cover the dough, place it somewhere warm and let it rise until it has doubled in size.

Shape the Pide

1. Once the dough has doubled in size, gently fold out the air and transfer it to a generously floured surface. 
2. Place the dough ball on a pizza tray or baking sheet and let it rest for another 15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 190° C (375° F).
3. Wet your fingertips and shape the dough ball into a flat circle about 2-3 cm (1") high.
4. Using your wet fingertips, make indentations to form a circle inside the dough, leaving a 3 cm (1") border that will act as the edge of the bread. 
5. Using your wet fingertips again, make diagonal indentations in two different directions to make diamonds inside that circle. 

Glaze the Pide and Bake

1. To make the egg wash, combine the egg yolk and yogurt in a bowl and whisk well.
2. Brush the egg wash over the Turkish bread and sprinkle the sesame seeds and nigella seed over it.
3. Bake the pide bread for about 20 minutes or until it is golden on top. Lower the heat to 160° C (320° F) and bake for another 5 minutes.
4. Remove it from the oven and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving it. The steam of the bread will make it soft and fluffy.