Pide Ekmek

Pide Ekmek (Turkish Flatbread)

A soft, fluffy Turkish flatbread traditionally baked in a stone oven, topped with egg, olive, sugar, and sesame. This home version uses a baking stone or inverted tray to mimic the fierce bottom heat of a pide fırını.

Prep

40 min

Cook

12 min

Total

52 min

Serves

4 flatbreads

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) bread flour, or strong plain flour
• •10 g (2 tsp) instant yeast, or 1 sachet (7 g) active dry yeast, bloomed in the water
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine salt
• •8 g (2 tsp) granulated sugar, the sugar helps browning and balances the salt
• •320 ml (1¼ cups + 1 tbsp) lukewarm water, around 38°C / 100°F
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• •4 whole eggs, one per flatbread; cook to firm white and just-set yolk
• •16 whole black olives, Turkish siyah zeytin if available, pitted; 4 per bread
• •16 g (1 tbsp) sesame seeds, white, or a mix of white and toasted black sesame
• •4 g (1 tsp) additional sugar, for sprinkling on top before baking

Steps

1. 1 Bloom the yeast: stir yeast and sugar into the lukewarm water with 1 tbsp of the flour; let stand 8–10 minutes until foamy. If using active dry yeast, do this in a separate small bowl first.
2. 2 Make the dough: in a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Pour in the bloomed yeast mixture and olive oil. Mix to a shaggy dough, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic; the dough should spring back when poked.
3. 3 First rise: shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 45–60 minutes, or until roughly doubled in size.
4. 4 Preheat oven and stone: place a baking stone, heavy steel plate, or an inverted rimmed baking tray on the middle rack. Preheat to 250°C (480°F) for at least 30 minutes so the surface is fiercely hot - this is the closest home-kitchen stand-in for a stone pide oven.
5. 5 Shape the pide: divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (about 210 g each). On a floured surface, roll each piece into an oval or elongated boat shape about 25 cm long and 12 cm wide, 5–7 mm thick. Transfer to pieces of parchment paper for easy loading.
6. 6 Dimple the dough: press the pads of your fingers firmly into the surface to create deep dimples all over the dough (this is the traditional ‘pide’ texture and helps it crisp). Brush generously with olive oil so the dimples pool lightly.
7. 7 Top each bread: crack 1 egg into a small bowl and slide it into the center well of a bread. Scatter 4 olives around the egg, press lightly so they sit in the dough. Sprinkle the surface with sesame seeds and finish with a pinch of sugar over the crust edges.
8. 8 Bake: slide one pide (on its parchment) directly onto the hot stone or tray. Bake 8–10 minutes, until the crust is puffed, deeply golden, and the egg white is fully set with a just-set yolk. Internal temperature of the bread center should read at least 96°C / 205°F; the yolk should reach 70°C / 160°F for a fully set yolk (or lower if you prefer runny).
9. 9 Repeat with the remaining pides. Serve immediately, warm, ideally alongside Turkish tea (çay), fresh tomatoes, and beyaz peynir.