Turkish Style Sharing Bread Recipes

TURKISH-STYLE SHARING BREAD

Steps:

• Make the ciabatta bread dough following pack instructions. Once it has risen, knock it back by punching some of the air out and kneading it a little. Roll into an oval shape (approx 35 x 25cm) and place on a large baking tray. Lightly brush the whole surface with olive oil and cover with cling film. Leave to prove for 30 mins while you make the topping.
• Put all the topping ingredients, except the lamb, in a small food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Tip into a large bowl, mix in the lamb, season well, then squish everything together with your hands until thoroughly mixed. Chill until needed.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. In a small saucepan, heat the red onion rings with the vinegar and 1 tbsp water until really soft, then leave to cool.
• Dot the surface of the dough with the lamb topping - gently press it down with your fingers to spread it evenly over the surface, but try not to press too much air out of the dough. Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins or until the base is risen and golden, and the meat is cooked through and caramelised at the edges.
• Meanwhile, make the dressing. Stir together the baba ganoush, lemon juice and olive oil, then pop in the fridge until serving.
• Once the bread is baked, transfer to a wooden board. Drain the onions in a metal sieve and scatter over the bread. Drizzle over the baba ganoush dressing, leaving some on the side as a dip, then sprinkle over the pine nuts and parsley. Serve warm.

BAZLAMA - TURKISH FLAT BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast, sugar, and salt in the warm water. Add the water and yogurt to the flour and mix well. The dough will be soft but not sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow it to rise at room temperature for 3 hours.
• Cut the dough into four portions. Shape the dough into rounds and flatten each round as though you're making pizza dough. Cover the rounds with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
• Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Place one dough round in the skillet and bake until brown spots appear on the bottom, about 1 minute. Flip the bread and bake for an additional minute. Remove the bread and wrap it in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
• Repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Store any leftover flatbreads in an airtight container.

EKMEK TURKISH BREAD

Steps:

• To make the starter: Place 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water in a coverable bowl; stir well. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight. The next day, add 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water to the bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight. On the third day, add 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water to the bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.
• To make the dough: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• Break the starter into small pieces and add it to the yeast mixture. Stir in 4 cups of flour and the salt. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough and then cover it with a dry cloth. Let it raise until double in size.
• Put the dough back onto a lightly floured work surface and punch out the air. Divide the dough in half and knead each piece for 2 to 3 minutes. Shape each piece into a tight oval loaf. Sprinkle two sheet pans with corn meal. Roll and stretch two loaf until they are 15x12 inch ovals. Dust the tops of the loaves with flour. Cover with a dry cloth and let raise in a warm place until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Mist with water 3 times in the first 15 minutes. Loaves are done when their bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Let cool on wire racks before serving.

TURKISH FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand in a warm place until frothy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour. Cover sponge with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Place flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in sponge. Add 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water, olive oil, and salt. Gradually work in the flour to make a soft and sticky dough.
• Knead the dough on a floured surface for 15 minutes. Grease a large bowl with butter and add dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Divide dough into quarters. Cut each quarter into 10 pieces; shape each piece into a ball. Cover balls of dough and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Shape each ball of dough into a circle by flattening dough and stretching it. Arrange 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed up and golden, about 10 minutes.

SOURDOUGH TURKISH PIDE (RAMAZAN PIDESI)

Steps:

• Mixing and Bulk Fermentation
• Mix the dough ingredients together in a bowl with space for about 75% growth.
• Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes.
• Develop gluten strength in the dough with several rounds of stretching and folding. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes between each round.
• After 4-6 hours of bulk fermentation (since the initial mixing), the dough will have expanded in size by 50-75%.
• Refrigerate the covered bowl for 6-12 hours to enhance the flavor; or you can finish the first rise at room temperature, moving onto the next step when the dough has almost doubled in size.
• Dividing, Pre-Shaping, and Final Proof
• If you refrigerated the dough, let it warm up for about an hour before proceeding to the next step.
• Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a clean, well-floured countertop. Divide it in two and shape the pieces into tight balls.
• Leaving a few inches between the balls for expansion, cover the dough with a damp cloth or large inverted baking pan for 1-2 hours for the final proof.
• Preheating, Shaping, and Dough Topping
• Thirty minutes before the end of the final proof, begin preheating your oven to 450F with a pizza stone or upside down baking sheet on the middle shelf.
• Prepare a large sheet of parchment paper (approx 15"x20") by sprinkling flour on it.
• Using your bench knife and a lightly floured hand, gently scoop up each dough. Stretching it out a bit as you lay it onto the parchment paper.
• Generously brush the tops of the doughs with the molasses-water or the egg-yogurt mixtures.
• Using fingertips that are wet from the mixtures, dimple a perimeter around the dough, pushing outward a bit as you go. Then dimple diagonal lines to make a diamond pattern and sprinkle generously with the seeds.
• Baking and Storage
• Load the dough into the oven with a pizza peel or large cutting board. I haven't found steam to be necessary but feel free to set up a steam system if you want.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the top has golden brown spots. (Rotate the pide about 8 minutes in if they seem to be browning unevenly.
• Let the pide cool on a rack and cover or wrap if they're not eaten in one day.