Turkish Meat Bread Recipes

TURKISH MEAT BREAD

Steps:

• Stir yeast into 1/4 cup of the water; set aside for 10 minutes.
• Sift flour into a large bowl, and make a well in the center. Add salt and olive oil, and work in with your fingers, then add the yeast mixture and remaining 1/4 cup water. Transfer to a clean work surface, and knead for 5 minutes, or until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, combine all the ingredients for the topping in a large bowl.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Line two baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, and roll each into a ball. Take 1 ball, flatten it with your hands into a 5-inch disk, then pull and stretch into a long oval (the bread will be quite thin). Transfer to one of the prepared baking sheets. Using your fingers, make indentations just inside the edges. Spread a quarter of the topping all over. Repeat the procedure with the remaining dough and topping.
• Bake until lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

TURKISH FLATBREAD (YUFKA)

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, add flour and salt. Use your hand to make a well in the center; pour in water and olive oil. Mix until dough forms, adding more flour if necessary, about 3 minutes. The dough will be extremely sticky and shaggy. Transfer to a clean bowl, drizzle with a little bit of oil, and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature at least 20 minutes, or up to 4 hours (or overnight in the refrigerator).
• When the dough has rested, it will look smooth and be very soft. Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into three equal pieces. Roll the first ball into a very thin 8- or 9-inch round, using more flour to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Heat a cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan over low heat until hot. Cook the first flatbread on one side until it starts to bubble up and lightly brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side, about 30 seconds; the bread should stay soft and pliable. Set finished flatbread aside.
• Wiping out excess flour in the pan as you go, continue rolling and cooking until you have a stack of warm yufka. Serve immediately with hummus, baba ghanoush, or another dip. (Alternatively, use flatbreads for Chef Sortun's Red Lentil Wraps.) (Note: After completely cooling, flatbread can be stored in a zip-top plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, wrap in aluminum foil and place in a 250 degrees F oven for 8-10 minutes, or wrap in a damp towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds.)

HOMEMADE TURKISH BREAD

Steps:

• Mix the sponge ingredients, except the flour together and set aside until foamy, about 15 minutes.
• Add the flour and combine well.
• Cover with a tea-towel or loosely with plastic wrap and set aside overnight. Don't cover the sponge tightly because the air inside with become anoxic and the yeast will die.
• The following day, mix the second lot of yeast, water and honey/sugar together until foamy then add the remaining ingredients except the sesame seeds or nigella seeds and egg then knead until the dough is smooth and very elastic.
• Add more flour if the dough is too wet. It should be slightly damp but silky smooth. About 20 Minutes.
• Once the dough is the right consistency, ball up and place in an oiled bowl covered with a tea-towel or loosely with plastic wrap for 3+ hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Punch down the dough then kneed again for another 10 minutes or so.
• Divide into six pieces and roll out to the desired shape, quite thinly and put on a greased baking tray and put in a warm place for an hour or more until the dough has risen significantly.
• Pre-heat your oven to 250ºC.
• Brush with an egg wash and sprinkle over the sesame or nigella seeds.
• Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the crush is golden.