TURKISH PIE BREAD 😋🥰

INGREDIENTS

• Strong white flour – It is also known as strong bread flour. It is made from hard wheat varieties and contains more gluten than other types of flour. It gives some elasticity to the dough and helps it to rise with a good structure.

• Milk – I use semi-skimmed or full-fat milk. Make sure it is lukewarm to help activate the yeast. Milk also enriches the dough, makes the bread soft, and helps add color.

• Water – Use lukewarm water to help activate the yeast. Water is another ingredient that binds the ingredients together
• Sugar – A little sugar goes long way. It feeds the yeast, enhances bread flavor, gives the crust a golden color, and improves the crumb texture
• Salt – Salt is necessary for a steady and slow rise of the dough to develop the flavor of the bread.
• Fast-action dried yeast – You can substitute it with 10 grams of fresh yeast.
• Butter – It adds flavor and gives the bread a pillowy and soft texture.
• Egg – I use the egg yolk to eggwash the pide and the egg white in the dough.
• Yogurt – It helps the bread to have a nice brown color when mixed with the egg yolk.

• PREPARE THE DOUGH

  Line a large baking sheet or a pizza tray with baking paper.

Alternatively, you can dust it with a generous amount of semolina to avoid the bread sticking to the tray.

Combine the yeast, sugar, warm milk, and water in a bowl, and stir well.

Let the yeast activate for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is foamy and bubbly.

Add the egg white, salt, melted butter, and flour gradually.

Mix well until combined and you get a soft and slightly sticky dough.

Pide dough doesn’t need much kneading.

Cover the dough, place it somewhere warm, and let it rise until it has doubled in size.

SHAPE THE PIDE

Once the dough has doubled in size, gently fold out the air and transfer it to a generously floured surface.

Knead it for a minute and turn it into a big dough ball.

Preheat your oven to 190° C (375° F).

Place the dough ball on a pizza tray or baking sheet and let it rest for another 15 minutes.

Wet your fingertips and shape the dough ball into a flat circle about 2-3 cm (1″) high.

Using your wet fingertips, make indentations to form a circle inside the dough, leaving a 3 cm (1″) border that will act as the edge of the bread.

Make diagonal indentations in two different directions to make diamonds inside that circle.

GLAZE THE PIDE AND BAKE

To make the egg wash, combine the egg yolk and yogurt in a bowl and whisk well.

Brush the egg wash over the Turkish bread and sprinkle the sesame seeds and nigella seeds over it.

Bake the pide bread for about 20 minutes or until it is golden on top. Lower the heat to 160° C (320° F) and bake for another 5 minutes.

Remove it from the oven and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let it rest for 15 – 20 minutes before serving it..