I had a look around because I know what she’s talking about. It’s a soft, thin bread and covered in nigella seeds, sesame seeds and sea salt. I love it. I love pieces torn off and dipped in olive oil with some balsamic vinegar swirled at the bottom of the dish and then dipped in dukkah. I brought one of these loaves to a dinner with friends last night along with the oil and dukkah and we all ate too much of it. We also like to slice it, then toast it and use it with dips on our meat free nights.
It’s the height of summer and it’s really hot. We live along the water and if there isn’t a breeze, it’s quite humid and everyone talks about how we can’t get anything done because it’s too hot. Thankfully there’s usually a nice breeze but not today. It’s 33C/92F and humid.
Before I started this post I received an email from New England Today/Yankee Magazine with a link to photos of barns in winter all covered with ice and snow. You know what? It didn’t cool me off at all so I decided I’d make myself useful and share this recipe with you. I’ve made this recipe 3 times and each time it worked perfectly.
I made this Turkish pide bread in my Thermomix but it’s equally easy to make by hand. I’ll give both methods. I love to eat this bread with Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly Slices.
- 500g (3⅓ cups) all-purpose (plain) flour
- 1 teaspoon (7g/1 packet) dried yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 375ml (1½ cups) warm water
- Olive oil to grease the bowl for rising
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
- ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, then add water. A wooden spoon works best to mix ingredients, then use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 15 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
- Brush a bowl with oil to grease. Place dough in the bowl and lightly coat with oil. Cover with a piece of cling film and set in a warm place away from drafts for about an hour until the dough has doubled in size.
- Place a baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven. Preheat oven to 230°C / 450°F.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Flatten slightly with hands. Place each half on separate pieces baking paper and with floured hands, stretch each piece into a rectangle no wider than the width of your pan.
- Cover with a damp cloth and set in the same warm, draft-free place for about 15 minutes.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon dipped in flour, poke a few holes in the bread that can collect some of the olive oil/egg yolk combination. (if you don't have store bought fingernails, you can use your fingers)
- Whisk egg yolk and oil in a bowl. Brush the top of each pide with egg and olive oil mixture.
- Combine sesame and nigella seeds. and sprinkle over the top of each bread then sprinkle the sea salt flakes.
- Remove tray from oven and slide 1 pide onto tray. Cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
- When you take the first bread off the baking tray, slide the 2nd one on and into the oven.
Thermomix Method
500g (3 1/3 cups) plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon (7g/1 packet) dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
365ml (1 1/2 cups) warm water
Olive oil to grease rising bowl
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add warm water to bowl, then yeast and sugar. Set at 37 degrees and mix on speed 3 for 30 seconds to dissolve the yeast. Wait 5-10 minutes to be sure the yeast is alive and kicking.
Then add the flour and then the salt and slowly bring up the speed to 4 to mix just til combined.
Knead for 2 1/2 minutes then place on a lightly floured surface and form into a ball.
Grease a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough ball in and then turn it over so all sides are coated with oil. Cover the bowl with cling film and set in a warm place for about an hour. (it depends on how warm your spot is)
Once doubled in size, place the dough on the floured surface and divide into two. Form two rectangles by stretching and pressing the dough and then place them on pieces of baking paper. Cover with a damp cloth and set in a warm place for about 15 minutes until the pide are puffy.
Preheat oven to 230F / 450F and place a baking tray on a rack in the middle of the oven.
Once the loaves are ready for baking, use the end of a wooden spoon dipped in flour and poke holes in the bread.
Whisk the egg yolk and one tablespoon of olive oil together and brush over the loaves. Sprinkle with the seeds and salt and bake for 10 minutes. (check at 9 minutes as your oven might be different from mine – you want to see a golden brown pide when you look in the oven)