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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Turkish Pide Breads

Makes two 10-inch breads

2¼ hours 30 minutes active

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The Turkish name for this bread is pide ekmeği, which translates as “pita bread.” But these are not the thin, pocketed flatbreads familiar to most Americans. Pide ekmeği are roughly the size of a small pizza, with an airy, open crumb and a tender, almost pillowy quality. Sometimes a sprinkling of seeds adds texture and flavor. We encountered pide ekmeği served alongside tepsi kebabı, or “tray kebab,” during a visit to Türkiye. We tried basic bread-making formulas, but ultimately found that starting with a sponge—a mixture of yeast, flour and water that becomes bubbly after standing for 30 minutes—produced breads with not only the lightness we were after, but also a more complex flavor. For dusting the breads just before baking, we use nigella seeds, which have an earthy, slightly bitter flavor with notes of allium. Sesame seeds are good, too—or use a combination. The bread is best served warm or at room temperature the day of baking, but foil-wrapped leftovers reheat well in a 400°F oven in about 10 minutes.

Makes two

10-inch breads

Tip

Don’t be tempted to add more flour to the dough during mixing. The dough’s relatively high hydration is key to the bread’s light, airy crumb.

2¼ hours

30 minutes active

Ingredients

  • 2

    cups warm water (110°F), divided

  • 2¼

    teaspoons instant yeast

Directions

Reviews
Jenny A.
June 21, 2026
Love Pide!
Man, when you nail Pide bread . . . ahhhh, so good. But it can be tricky. I've done a lot of recipes for it, and this is one of the best. Has a nice little rise to it when others fall flat. One comment mentions how wet the dough is. Yes, it's very wet. don't freak out.
Leslie B.
February 4, 2025
Light & Fluffy
This recipe was easy to make. The result was a dough with a lot of air and bubbly. I would make this again.
Caroline D.
January 28, 2025
Delicious
Easy prep. Great flavor and texture. Dough is super wet-don't get too hung up on how soupy it looks. Bakes up like a charm
kathleen h.
January 8, 2025
winner
excellent with soup. Nigella seeds excellent
Kathleen F.
July 16, 2024
Turkish Pide Bread
so very delicious. Everyone loved it. Pretty easy and I will make it again and again.

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