By: TAYLOR BENNETT
Staff Writer
Ramazan Pidesi is an incredibly significant type of bread in Turkish culture. Similar to Persian barbari, it becomes extremely popular in the month of Ramadan, as people that fast during this month often break the fast with pide – an amazing, fluffy bread. Pide is incredibly simple to make and has a light, airy texture that makes it perfect for any occasion. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 cup of warm milk – This makes the bread soft, unlike most bread that only calls for water. Whole or 2% milk is preferable.
- 1 cup of warm water – Essential for all bread making.
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoon of instant dry yeast – That’s right, no blooming is necessary. If you decide to use active dry yeast instead, let it bloom in the water and sugar combination before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
- 1 large egg white – The egg whites will be used in the dough, while the yolks will glaze the bread.
- 4 ½ cups of all-purpose flour – Make sure you don’t use too much!
The next list is for the yogurt glaze:
- 1 large egg yolk – I recommend separating this from the egg white needed to make the bread in order to avoid wasting eggs.
- 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt – Mainly used for the color and texture of the bread when mixed with the egg yolks.
- 1 tablespoon of water
- 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds – These are to top the bread after it is glazed, and are entirely optional but recommended.
Directions:
- In a large bowl mix milk, water, olive oil, sugar, salt, instant dry yeast, and egg white.
- Add the flour in batches and mix until the dough comes together.
- Cover and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to rise.
- Sprinkle your surface generously with flour. Transfer the dough from the bowl to the surface and shape it into a boule. Cut the dough into 8 pieces.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place two of the dough balls on the baking sheet. Cover loosely and let them rise for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400ºF and place an empty baking dish on the lower rack.
- Mix the egg yolk, yogurt, and water in a small bowl and set aside. This will be your glaze. Brush with some of the glaze and using your fingers, spread the dough into a round circle with ½ inch thickness.
- Using your fingers, make indentations on the dough about 1 inch from the edge to make a circle. Then with your fingers make diagonal indentations in two different directions to make diamonds inside that circle. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 10 minutes. Repeat the same process with the remaining 6 dough balls.
- Once the oven is hot, uncover the prepared dough and make the indentations again. Top with sesame seeds and place the baking sheet on the middle rack.
- Fill the baking dish on the lower rack with 2 cups of water and close the oven door. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes until golden on top.
- Once out of the oven, cover the loaves with a damp paper towel. The steam of the bread will be trapped and your bread will be soft and fluffy. Repeat the baking process with the remaining loaves.
Tips:
- If you want to make larger pieces of bread (which is entirely common), cut the dough into two loaves instead of eight, and continue with the recipe. Bake at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown on top.
- Covering the pide with a damp paper towel is crucial for maintaining its consistency!
- If you want to reheat your bread, lightly sprinkle it with water and heat in the oven at 250ºF for 5-10 minutes.
- Brush the dough with the glaze in order to roll out the dough easier, as you should not need a rolling pin.