TURKISH PIDE - BREAD

This bread is delicious hot from the oven with butter or with any savoury dish with your meal.

PIDE

• 4 cups of strong bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• half a cup warm water
• 2 tsp easy blend dried yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp natural yogurt
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp nigella seeds

For glazing

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp milk

Sieve the flour with salt. 

1) Mix the yeast and sugar in a jug with warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes until is is frothy.

2) Make a well in the flour and add the yeast mixture. Add the oil, egg white and the yogurt. Knead by hand for about 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Alternatively use an electric mixer with the dough hook for 6-7 minutes. Add little more flour if sticky but make sure the dough is not too hard.

3) Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 2 hours until it has doubled in size. Knock back the dough and knead for 1-2 minutes.

4) Place the dough on a floured surface and divide dough into 2 pieces.. Flatten each dough with the heal of your hand, use your fingers to stretch it from the middle.

5) First mark the dough with a knife  like a diamond shape on the surface. Then push your fingers into the dough to achieve a dimpled effect.

6) Place the dough on to a baking tray, brush with milk and egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Cover and leave the dough to rise again for 30 minutes.

7) Place 2 cups of water in a oven proof dish and place at the bottom of the oven. Bake the pide in preheated oven 220 C, 200 Fan setting for 10 - 15 minutes. Bake the other pide the same way.

8) Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

KIYMALI PIDE ( PIDE WITH GROUND MINCE )

INGREDIENTS

FILLING

• 250-300 g lean lamb or beef mince
• 1 onion, diced
• 2-3 tomatoes
• handful of fresh parsley
• salt and black pepper
• chili pepper ( optional )

FOR THE DOUGH

• 400 g plain flour
• 2 tsp dried yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp natural yogurt
• 50 ml olive oil
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 50 ml warm milk
• 1 egg yolk for glazing

METHOD

Mix yeast and salt with  sifted flour. Add sugar olive oil,  whisked eggs and warm milk  in a dip bowl and mix it to bind. Transfer the dough on to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Form a ball, cover with cling film and let it rise for an hour until it doubled in size. Knock the air out and knead for 1-2 minutes. Cover and let it rest another 45 minutes.

In the mean time, prepare the FILLING

Put the onion in a food processor and pulse it 2-3 times. Add chopped tomatoes, mince, parsley, chili, salt and peeper and pulse it until mixed well and you achieved a ball of the mixture. Transfer into a calender and let the excess water drain.

Transfer the dough on the floured surface. Break the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each dough 25-30 cm long and 10 cm wide. Put 1 heaped tbsp of the mince mixture in the middle of the dough and shape it with your finger tips. Fold  the edges of the pide inwards  like a boat ( see picture above ) Place pides on greased baking tin and glaze them using the brush, with egg yolk. Cook  the pides in preheated oven, in the middle shelf at 220 C,  200 fan  setting, for 15- 20 minutes. 

NOTE : I cooked 4 pides at a time but  if you are cooking one or two at a time you may need less time to cook.