Pide Recipes

TURKISH PIDE - THE "SECRET" TO MAKING THE PERFECT TURKISH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt then add the oil and warm water.
• Use your hands to combine the dough and kneed the mixture to for five minutes to activate the gluten.
• When you have a soft shine dough cover the bowl with a tea towel and place the bowl in a warm spot. A good place is near a sunlit window.
• After an hour the dough should be ready for use. Check that it has increased in size. If not place it in a warmer environment and leave it a little longer.
• Add the mince meat, onion and garlic to a frying pan, I don't use oil because I find there is enough in the meat.
• Fry off these ingredients. The mixture will look quite wet for a while but as you continue to fry the it will eventually be cooked off.
• When the moisture starts to reduce add the diced capsicum and spices.
• continue to cook the beef filling for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
• When there is very little moisture left remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
• Add half of the chopped parsley to the pan.
• Preheat oven at 180C.
• Prepare two large baking sheets with baking paper.
• Dust the bench top with a little flour.
• Divide the dough into about 8 equal balls.
• Roll each of the balls out into a thin oval shape.
• Place each of the 8 dough basis on the baking tray.
• Add the beef filling to the dough leaving a 1 1/2 cm boarder around the outside.
• Fold the border over the filling and pinch the top and bottom ends together.
• Repeat the same steps until all the dough has the Pide filling.
• Brush each pide with the olive oil.
• Bake the Pide for about 15 - 20mins at 180C or until golden.

STUFFED PIDE (TURKISH PIZZA)

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients for the dough and knead until smooth.
• Grease the dough with some drops of oil, cover and let rest 30 minutes; give a short knead.
• Cover and let rise until almost doubled (about 1 hour depending on the temperature).
• In the meantime prepare the filling:
• In a large skillet heat the oil.
• Add chopped onions along with chopped garlic.
• When onions are translucent, add ground meat, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.
• Saute for 5 minutes until meat is done.
• Add tomato and cook briefly until water is absorbed.
• Remove from heat and keep aside.
• When cool add parsley and 2 tablespoon fresh mint.
• Preheat oven at 200 degrees Celsius/400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place the dough on a floured surface; cut into 4 pieces (for medium pide) or 8 pieces (for smaller pide).
• Make round balls and, using a rolling pin, roll into ovals (12 inches/30 cm for medium pide or 6 inches/15 cm for smaller pide). I possibly try to let the borders stay thicker.
• Transfer the oval dough on the baking sheet.
• Divide filling in equal portions; spread on the dough; pinch the points together giving a boat-like shape.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
• Remove from oven and, if desired, drizzle with lemon juice.
• Top with remaining chopped fresh mint and serve.
• Note: to the filling you can add chopped bell peppers. You can also top the filling with grated cheese.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

PIDE WITH CHEESE

Steps:

• Combine the flour and sugar with ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Dissolve the yeast in 175 ml (¾ cup/6 oz.) water. Make a well in the flour and mix in the yeast. Knead for 5 minutes into a dough, cover with a damp dish towel and rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, roll into balls and rest, covered, for a further 15 minutes.
• Crumble the cheese into a bowl. Finely chop the spring onions (scallions), parsley, and dill and add to the bowl with all of the other filling ingredients. Season with ¼ teaspoon black pepper and ½ teaspoon salt and gently combine by hand. Divide the filling into 4 equal parts.
• Preheat oven to 475°F. Flour your hands and flatten the dough. Stretch each disc into a 4 by 10-inch rectangle. Spread the filling equally among the rectangles. Fold ¾ inch of dough in all around and join the corners of the short sides together.
• Put the flatbreads on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 9-10 minutes, making sure they are evenly baked. Remove from the oven, brush with melted butter, cut into 1½-inch strips and serve.

CHEESE PIDE (KASERLI PIDE)

Steps:

• add flour, and salt and water to bowl.
• add lemon juice and baking soda.
• stir until combine in a ball.
• knead for 5 or 6 minutes.
• turn onto floured surface and cut into 5 balls.
• flatten balls into oval shape.
• top balls with cheese (as much as you want) and you can put tomato sauce under the cheese if you like.
• turn edges over dough about half an inch.
• fry one at a time in a pan until bottem is cooked.
• transfer to oven in an oven pan and broil until top is golden and cheese is bubbling.