Turkish Pide Bread

I made Turkish Pide Bread to go with Iskender Kebabs.

Ingredients:

• 340 gr all-purpose plain flour
• 4.5 oz. / 131 ml lukewarm water
  (or 9 ounces / 262 gr sourdough starter + 210 gr flour) 
• 2 teaspoons yeast 
• 3/4 tsp. sugar
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1.5 tbsp. Greek yogurt
• 1.5 tbsp. olive oil
     
  
• 1 egg, beaten
  
• 1.5 tbsp. nigella seeds or poppy seeds
• 1.5 tbsp. sesame seeds

 

Instructions:

1. Mix the yeast with sugar in half of the lukewarm water (or sourdough starter), let proof a few minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Sift the flour with the salt. 
3. Stir in olive oil, yogurt to the yeast mixture, then and flour. 
4. Using a dough hook, knead the dough slowly until the dough is smooth and leaves the sides of the bowl (drizzle a little extra oil in as needed to to help shape the dough).
5. Continue to knead until the dough is elastic and smooth. Roll it in some olive oil in the bowl, cover with a damp towel and leave to proof in a warm place for 1- 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
6. Preheat oven with baking steel inside to 425 degrees.
7. Once dough is doubled, punch the dough down, knead again and divide it into two pieces. Knead each piece well. 
8. Flatten them out with the heel of your hand and stretch them into large, uneven rounds or ovals on a piece of parchment paper.  (I flattened mine with a rolling pin, then let them rise again for about 30 minutes.)
   
9. With your finger tips, dent the top of the dough by first making a lip about 3cm (1 inch) from the edge of the bread. Then fill in the center with criss-crossed diagonal lines about 2-3cm (1 inch) apart.
10. Brush the pides with the beaten egg. Then sprinkle the nigella (or poppy) seeds and sesame seeds over the top.
11. Bake the pides for 18 – 20 minutes, until lightly golden with a crisp crust around the edges.
12. Transfer them to a wire rack.
    (To keep them soft, wrap them in foil or in a dry towel while still warm.)
    
    

Carole's Notes:

We liked the pide - it was a puffy naan-like bread that looks pretty.
One half of one of the breads was enough for Doug and me for dinner.

The recipe is lightly adapted from https://liveencounters.net/2019-le-mag/04-april-2019/ozlem-warren-pide-ekmek/