With its golden crust, soft centre and seemingly endless choice of toppings, pide is one of Turkey's most comforting foods.
The distinctive boat-shaped bread can be topped with minced meat, cheese, vegetables, or combinations of all three. One particularly popular version finishes the pide with an egg cracked into the centre shortly before it leaves the oven.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500g strong white flour
- 7g dried yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 300ml warm water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the topping
- 300g minced lamb or beef
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp paprika
- Handful of parsley
- Salt and pepper
- Grated Turkish kaşar or mozzarella
- 1 egg, optional
How to Make Turkish Pide
- Prepare your dough and leave it to rise until approximately doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, combine the minced meat with the onion, tomato, pepper, tomato paste, parsley and seasoning.
- Divide the dough and roll each portion into a long oval. Add the filling through the centre, leaving space around the outside.
- Fold the edges inward and pinch both ends to create the famous pide boat shape.
- Bake at 220–230°C for around 12–15 minutes. Add cheese or an egg towards the end if desired.
- Brush the crust lightly with butter after removing it from the oven.
What Makes Pide Special?
Unlike a conventional pizza, the bread itself is an important part of the experience. A great pide should be slightly crisp outside while remaining soft and chewy inside. Slice it into strips and serve straight from the oven.
