Turkish Flatbread (Pide)

This Turkish flatbread comes very close to the one I used to buy in my German hometown. I still remember this wonderful Turkish store that sold the freshest produce, with crates of veggies and fruit sitting outside on display during the summer months. I loved to shop there for their amazing mezes which are Turkish appetizers, all those different kinds of olives, stuffed grape leaves and yes, of course, their delicious pide flatbread. This bread is perefct to accompany Middle Eastern stews and to scoop up all kinds of sauces, mezes, and dips.

Ingredients (for approximately 4 servings):

For the dough:

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp (270 ml) lukewarm, filtered water
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• generous 3½ cups (1 lb/460 g) all-purpose einkorn flour (I used Jovial)
• 1 tsp Celtic sea salt

For baking sheet:

• some extra virgin olive oil

For the vegan egg wash:

• 1 Tbsp finely ground golden flax seed
• 2 ½ Tbsp filtered water
• ¼ tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp maple syrup

Sprinkle with: 

• 1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
• ¼ tsp black sesame seeds

Preparation:

Place active dry yeast into a small bowl and combine with warm water and maple syrup. Let sit for about 10 minutes until foamy.

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Meanwhile, place einkorn flour with Celtic sea salt into a large mixing bowl and form a well in the center. If you’re using a stand mixer, attach the kneading hook.

When the yeast/water mix is frothy, pour it into the well and start kneading. If necessary, add a little bit more water to achieve a soft and elastic dough. For a stand mixer it will take abot 5 minutes until the texture of the dough is perfectly smooth and it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If you’re kneading by hand, it will take about 10 minutes.

Dust the bottom of your bowl and the dough with some more flour and place it into the bowl.

Cover with a damp kitchen towel and either let it sit in a warm spot of your kitchen or use the proof setting of your oven to let it double in size. This takes, depending on temperature, about one hour.

When the dough is almost ready, place all the “eggwash” ingredients into a small bowl and stir well to combine. Let sit for about 10minutes.

Once the dough has about doubled in size, push it down with your fist, pull it away from the bowl, and briefly knead it again. Transfer dough to a flour-dusted work surface and flatten it with your hands.  Roll or pull it into a round shape of about 11 inches (28 cm) diameter. The edge should be slightly thicker than the rest. Brush baking sheet with extra virgin olive oil.

Transfer the flatbread dough onto the baking sheet, make an indentation in the center, evenly brush the surface with “egg wash”, and sprinkle with white and black sesame seeds.

Set oven temperature to 400°F (200°C) while the dough is resting for about 15 minutes.

Bake pide in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Keep checking after 10 minutes. It should be golden with some darker spots.

Enjoy with all kinds of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean delicacies!

Notes:

• If you can’t find a warm spot in your house to let the dough rise, heat your oven to 110°F (43°C). Not higher! Then turn it off again! Yeast loves warm conditions but will die when it’s too hot. Wrap one or two damp kitchen towels around your bowl to give it some insulation and to prevent the dough from drying out. Put it in the warm oven (did you turn off the heat???) and let it rise. This technique will definitely speed up the process.
• Pide tastes best fresh out of the oven on the first day, but you can freeze it for several weeks or keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To enjoy again, preheat your oven at 350° F (175° C) and bake for 5-7 minutes. Toaster oven at the same temperature in less time works as well.