Broad Bites: Pide - Turkish Pizza
Every country has its answer to pizza and flatbread...Pide is Turkey's. This delicious treat can be whipped up in an hour and makes a great appetizer, lunch or dinner. Fill the pizza-like dough with odds and ends from the refrigerator or crack an egg on top for a spicy breakfast alternative. I love using lamb because it is traditional, but any meats can work or make it vegetarian with an assortment of seasonal vegetables.
PIDE
FOR TEH DOUGH:
10 ½ oz All-purpose flour + 2 tbsp
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
34 tbsp olive oil
8 oz warm water
4 tsp (2, 7-gram packets) dried yeast
1 egg for egg wash
FOR THE FILLING:
1 small onion diced (I used two small spring onions)
1-2 small tomatoes diced (I used 20 grape tomatoes)
1 bell pepper diced (I used 3 seeded jalapenos)
14 oz ground meat (I used 4 lamb sausages removed from their casings)
Dissolve sugar, yeast and ½ cup warm water in a bowl. In a separate, large bowl mix flour and salt and dump out onto worktop. When yeast is bubbly and active, make a well in flour and add yeast plus additional ½ cup warm water and olive oil. Draw additional flour into well and work flour into dough. Knead dough until it is smooth and springy (about 5 minutes) using extra flour if dough gets too sticky. Shape dough into a ball and place into oiled bowl. Cover with clingfilm and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). While waiting for the dough to rise, make the filling.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in shallow pan. Sautee onions and peppers until soft. Add tomatoes and sautee an additional 3 minutes. **To quickly slice cherry and grape tomatoes, secure them under a plastic lid and slice through them all at once with a bread knife!**Season with salt and pepper. When vegetables are cool, mix with meat until well-combined.
When dough has doubled in size, turn out onto floured surface. Divide in half and shape one half into an oval. Roll out into a long oblong and place on sheet tray lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Spread filling down the center, leaving an inch border along the entire edge. Fold edge over, pinching the dough at each end to create Pide’s distinctive boat shape. Brush with egg wash and bake for 30 minutes at 350. This recipe makes two Pide.
