Turkish Pide
Boat-shaped flatbreads with the edges rolled and pinched around a filling of spiced lamb or cheese and egg, baked hot until the base blisters. Turkey's answer to pizza, and older than most of the competition.
Photograph credit: Nazilli-Tahinli-Pide-20160711 203037 by Erdalkara · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Build the Meal Around Turkish Pide
- Ayran or a cold beer
- A shepherd's salad with tomato, cucumber and sumac
- Pickled chillies
Making Turkish Pide, Step by Step
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Mix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar, then add the water, olive oil and yoghurt. Knead 10 minutes to a soft, smooth dough. Prove 90 minutes until doubled.
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Combine all the lamb filling ingredients and mix well with your hands. Do not cook it — it cooks on the bread.
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Heat the oven to its maximum, at least 250°C / 480°F, with a baking stone or heavy tray inside.
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Divide the dough into 4 and roll each into a long oval, about 30 x 15 cm and 5 mm thick.
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Spread a quarter of the filling down the centre of each, leaving a 3 cm border.
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Roll the long edges inward over the filling and pinch the two ends together firmly to make a pointed boat shape.
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Slide onto the hot stone and bake 10 to 12 minutes until the crust is blistered and the lamb is cooked.
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If using eggs, pull the pide out at 8 minutes, crack an egg into the centre of each, and return for 4 minutes until just set.
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Brush the crusts with melted butter, dust with sumac, and serve with lemon.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
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Worth Knowing Before You Cook
The oven must be as hot as it will go. Pide bakes in minutes and a moderate oven dries it out.
Pinch the ends firmly. They are what hold the boat shape and keep the filling in.
For peynirli pide, fill with a mixture of feta, mozzarella and parsley instead of the lamb.
Keeping What's Left
Best straight from the oven. Keeps 2 days and reheats at 220°C / 430°F for 6 minutes.
Questions and Answers
How long does Turkish Pide take to make?
40 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour 30 minutes of proving, so allow 2 hours 25 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 4.
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: garnishes, greasing and other items with no amount are not counted; optional ingredients are counted. How the figures are worked out.
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .