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–+ servings
Three boat shaped flat breads filled with cheese and red pepper strips, egg and cheese and cheese and spinach, sprinkled with nigella seeds on a wooden cutting board with parchment paper on top, a small brown bowl of chopped cilantro and a green tea towel on a blue and white tiled surface.
5 from 1 rating

Homemade Turkish Pide (Various Toppings!)

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
Pide is a popular Turkish flatbread baked with various fillings, such as cheese, spiced meat, eggs, and spinach. Commonly known as a Turkish pizza, it's surprisingly simple to prepare at home!
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Ingredients
 

For the Dough

  • 250 millileters warm water
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 400 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Cheese Stuffing

  • 6 tablespoons pepper paste
  • 4½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 400g, divided
  • 1 cup chopped spinach, optional
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced, optional

For the Lamb Stuffing

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 white onion, finely minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 600 grams minced lamb meat
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

For Garnish

  • 1 egg, whisked, for egg wash
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon nigella seeds

Instructions
 

  • Place a pizza stone or a baking tray flipped upside down in the oven and preheat the oven to 450℉

For the Dough

  • Mix together the yeast, sugar and warm water in a measuring cup. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl. Add the flour and salt. Mix well and knead the dough by hand or with a stand mixer. If using a stand mixer, knead for 3-5 minutes. If kneading by hand, knead for at least 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth, not sticky, and stretches well when you hold a piece and stretch it out. Cover and let it rise for 1 hour.

For the Lamb Stuffing

  • If preparing the lamb filling, heat up a large pan over medium heat. Add in the olive oil and once heated, sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the minced lamb, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, paprika, and cumin. Raise the heat to medium high and cook until the lamb is fully cooked and there is no water left in the pan, 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

To Make the Pides (Cheese or Lamb)

  • Once the dough has risen, punch down the dough and divide into 3 equal pieces. Place a piece of parchment paper on your work surface that is at least 40x20 cm big. Roll each dough into a long 40x15 cm oval shape right onto the parchment paper for easier transfer. If the dough is too sticky, lightly dust the surface with flour.
  • Spread each oval with 2 tablespoons of pepper paste and 1 ½ cups of cheese, leaving 2.5 cm offset from the sides. Top with your chosen vegetables. Or stuff with 1/3 cup of the lamb mixture topped with cheese. Fold the edges over the filling and pinch the ends together forming a boat-like shape. Brush the folded edges with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds. Repeat with the remaining 2 ovals.
  • Carefully transfer the pide to the oven by sliding it onto the back side of a flat baking sheet or pizza peel, and then sliding it onto the pre heated baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden along the sides, then broil for 2 to 3 minutes until the stuffing is sizzling and golden. If adding an egg, bake for 10 minutes, then crack the egg in the center of the pide and continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Once the pide is cooked, allow it to cool on a wire rack for a few minutes, slice into pieces and enjoy.

Notes

  • If you notice that the dough is not stretching well, cover with a tea towel and allow it to rest for a couple of minutes
  • Other fillings are optional like sujuk and vegetables, spinach and feta or whatever you may prefer. Just keep in mind not to add a lot of liquid based filling, the pide will end up soggy and undercooked.
  • You might need to broil the top of the pide last minute to get an even colour.
  • Each stuffing recipe is enough for 3 pide. In case you want to try more than one, you can cut the filling recipes in half.
Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 714kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 40g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 136mg, Sodium: 1624mg, Potassium: 503mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 975IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 442mg, Iron: 5mg
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