Pide are Turkey’s answer to pizza, and surprisingly easy to make. The dough came together in minutes, and by the time I’d made the toppings, it was risen and ready to roll.
I went with two traditional toppings – spicy ground meat and spinach and cheese – but there’s definitely scope to experiment here.
I divided the dough into four pieces, and made four largeish pide, but you could just as easily make six individual ones.
Note that the recipe below is for the amount of filling you need if you plan to make both types of pide. If you want to make only one, either freeze half the dough to use another time or double the quantity of filling.
My pide is based on this recipe from Ozlem’s Turkish Table, though I chose to cook the ground beef before baking.
Pide
(serves 4-6)
For the dough:
- 300g bread flour
- 7g (1 sachet) instant yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tb olive oil
- 125 ml cold water
- 1/4 cup melted butter, and 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
For the meat topping:
- 2 Tb olive oil
- 250g ground beef (or lamb)
- 1/2 a large onion, minced
- 1 /2 a large red pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- chilli powder, to taste
- 2 Tb tomato paste
- salt and pepper
For the spinach topping:
- 1 Tb olive oil
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 400g spinach, fresh or frozen (thawed)
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, instant yeast and salt.
- Make a well, and add the oil and water. Mix until it comes together as a dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for 5-10 minutes, until elastic and smooth. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, make the filling(s).
- For the beef topping, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the beef until browned. Add the onion, red pepper and garlic and sauté until softened. Stir in the cumin, and chilli powder to taste, then add the tomato paste. Cook for a few minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, then leave to cool.
- For the spinach topping, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until softened. Stir in the cumin powder, then add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted and any water has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and leave to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- When the dough is ready, cut into four pieces. Shape each piece into an flattish oval, then roll out to about 12″ long and 6″ wide. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Spread the dough with filling, leaving a margin round the edges. Scatter the spinach topping with cheese. Fold the sides over the filling, and pinch the ends together in a point. Brush the edges with olive oil, then bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.
- Drizzle with melted butter, slice crosswise and serve with lemon wedges.
Ten More Bites 
Oh! I love Pide! This is yummy and beautiful!
Thanks, Gloria — me too! I have never tried making them at home before, but will certainly make them again, and experiment with different fillings.
It is fun! 🙂
I’ve never heard of pide before but now I want one! This looks delicious!
Thank you – they are pretty yummy, and not at all difficult to make…
I never tried the Pied yet, but this look like a real deal! 🙂
They were a big hit with the kids, who’ve already requested I make them again. That’s one of the best things about doing challenges like this — it is so easy to get into a rut with your cooking, and now I’ve got half a dozen things I’ll want to make again.
That’s exactly what I meant by saying that your recent posts were very inspirational. I love your idea of food challenges, I must try it for myself.
It’s certainly given the blogging a boost. I’d lost energy for it a bit with other things going on, and it’s been satisfying to put it more centre stage for a bit.
I know what do you mean. Sometimes, business, laziness or lack of free time is taking over, but then I remember that we will never find time for anything. If we want time, we must make it.
I so need to make time for cooking and blogging!
I hope you do — I always enjoy your recipes. I think we have very similar palates!
Thank you, Andrea. I think so too 🙂