Turkish Pide Bread (Fladenbrot)
Traditional Turkish pide bread, also known as Fladenbrot in German, is a round or oval focaccia-like flatbread that’s incredibly fluffy and easy to bake. The pillowy texture makes it a great wrapper for doner kebabs and sandwiches. The yeasted bread is very simple, yet full of flavor, thanks to the unique taste of nigella seeds topping the golden flatbread.
What is Turkish pide?
Pronounced ‘pie-DEH’, it is a classic Turkish flatbread that has a soft and fluffy texture. The no-knead Turkish bread is traditionally baked on clay rocks, creating a crisp base.
Ramadan pide aka Ramazan Pidesi is a special pide flatbread that is commonly eaten to break the fast after sunset during Ramadan. It has a unique pillowy pattern and a thick crust on the outside. A generous egg wash gives it a special, golden color.
Ingredients
- Flour – All-purpose flour works well for this recipe but you can use bread flour as well.
- Water – Make sure to use filtered water as chlorine can negatively impact the taste and yeast. Use lukewarm filtered water, around 100F/37C, to activate the yeast.
- Yeast – I use active dried yeast but you can also use fresh yeast. To convert from fresh to active dry yeast, multiply the dry quantity in grams by 3.
- Sugar – The sugar helps the yeast to activate faster. You can omit it but the yeast will then need more time to activate in water alone.
- Salt – Sea salt adds flavor to the bread and is essential for this recipe. You can use regular table salt as well.
- Olive oil – I recommend using extra virgin olive oil but any mild vegetable oil will work.
- Egg yolk & milk – Thoroughly mixed egg yolk and full-fat milk create the golden glaze. You can omit the yolk to make an egg-free and less golden flatbread.
- Nigella & sesame seeds – While both seeds give Turkish bread its traditional appearance, nigella seeds create the unique taste of this flatbread. They’re small black seeds and have a nutty, peppery flavor and they’re typically sold at specialty spice stores. You can replace them with black sesame seeds.
Tips
- To create a crisp base, bake the Turkish bread on a pre-heated pizza stone in the oven or on a baking tray at a lower rack in your oven.
- The taste of nigella seeds can hard to get or too strong in taste. You can substitute them with black sesame seeds for a similar look but a milder taste.
- You can make 1 large or 4 smaller flatbreads with this recipe. Smaller ones are perfect for doner kebabs and sandwiches.
- Store any leftover bread in a plastic bag to prevent it from drying out quickly.
Serving
Fill it: The pillowy texture makes this Turkish flatbread perfect for doner kebabs and sandwiches. My meatball wrap recipe can be easily adapted to make it a complete meal.
Dipping: You can also cut it into strips and serve it with a platter, alongside mezze dishes, your favorite dip such as my lemon pesto sauce, or simply enjoy it with some extra virgin olive oil.
Pizza: Cut it in half you can even use the Turkish flatbread as a base for pizza.
Side: This soft flatbread makes a great side, especially for mopping up the sauce of pasta dishes such as my chicken bolognese, or comforting meals incl. my beef stew and lamb goulash. Perfect as a side for soups as well such as my broccoli cheese soup and potato asparagus soup.
FAQ
You can store this flatbread in a plastic or bread bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. It lasts for up to a week in the fridge but it will need toasting at that point.
Yes. Simply slice it in half and pop it onto a toaster or reheat it under the grill in the oven for a few minutes.
Related recipes
For more easy bread recipes, check out the following recipes:
Turkish Pide Bread (Fladenbrot)
Equipment
- Pizza stone optional
Ingredients
Flatbread Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups water lukewarm
- 1 1/2 tsp active dried yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
Glaze & Topping
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp black sesame or nigella seeds
Instructions
Activate yeast
- Add the yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water to activate the yeast. Mix well and set it aside.1 1/2 cups water, 1 1/2 tsp active dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar
Prepare flatbread dough
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp salt
- Add the activated yeast and olive oil, and thoroughly combine all ingredients until you have a smooth dough which will take 2-3 minutes.3 tbsp olive oil
- Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and rest it at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and add it to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Form a round flat circle, with a diameter of about 30cm. Add a check pattern with a large knife or simply add your fingertips to add dimples to the dough. Cover it with a tea towel for another 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Add a pizza stone if you have one.
- Combine the egg yolk with milk and mix it thoroughly. Brush the top of the flatbread generously with the glaze.1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp milk
- Sprinkle sesame and/or nigella seeds evenly onto the pide flatbread and bake it on the pizza stone or a baking tray for 25 minutes until golden brown. Best enjoyed while it's still warm!1/2 tsp white sesame seeds, 1 tsp black sesame or nigella seeds
