Turkish Pide with Minced Meat - Turkish Pizza

Turkish Pide with Minced Meat - Turkish Pizza  - Pide is a ellipse (oval with pointed ends - canoe shape) shaped Turkish Pizza that is topped with ground meat and vegetables.  It is a popular Turkish Street Food that is a real crowd pleaser!

Turkish Pide with Minced Meat - Turkish Pizza

Pide is a popular Turkish Street Food that is often referred to as a Turkish Pizza.

It is traditionally cooked in a stone oven but sadly I don’t have one of those so I stick to my standard oven!

In some areas in Turkey, the locals make their own fillings and then take them to a local bakery who will then add it to a pide dough and bake it.

Similar to Lahmacun, this is a popular Turkish flatbread.

Turkish Cuisine is one of my favourites cuisines and Pide is one of my favourite lunches. 

It can be made with a variety of toppings but is most commonly seen with a Ground Meat topping such as Ground Beef or Lamb (Kiymali Pide), onions and red pepper. 

Many of the toppings have a slight kick to them so I like to add a hint of Turkish pepper (Aleppo pepper) or chilli flakes.

What does Pide mean?

Pide means Turkish flatbread. It is usually a boat shape/oval flatbread shape.

The flatbread cooked with various toppings makes Turkish pizza.

What is Homemade Turkish Pide made of?

Turkish Pide is made with a flatbread/pizza dough can include a variety of toppings such as ground lamb, beef, red peppers, tomatoes, onions. 

What is the difference between Pizza and Pide?

The most obvious difference in the shape.

It is also traditionally basted with melted butter when it comes out of the oven.

How do you eat Turkish Pide?

You can eat Turkish Pide as it is whilst it is warm and you can also dip it into a poached/fried egg (if baked with an egg on top) or with a dip.

Pide Dough Ingredients 

The ingredients in this recipe are pretty straight forward and can be swapped out for similar alternatives if need be:

Yeast

My preference is always to use Instant yeast but you can also use dry active Yeast. The recipe also works with standard active/dry yeast. 

Flour 

You can use Plain Flour or Strong Bread Flour. I always thought that you shouldn’t use Plain Flour when making dough but I’ve since found that it is ok to replace one with the other.

Although Strong Bread Flour is preferable because it produces a chewier fluffy dough, the differences are very minimal. Plain Flour produces a more crisp dough. 

Oil

This makes the dough more pliable and helps to stretch it without making any holes. Oil also adds flavour.

In this case, a good Olive Oil adds a lovely overall flavour to the dough but you can also use a flavourless oil if you prefer.

Salt

Helps with the gluten structure of the dough. It also helps to regulate the Yeast. It should always be added on the opposite side to the Yeast because it can kill the Yeast if it is added on top of it.

Sugar

Helps to balance the flavour but also helps to bloom the Yeast. It helps to brown the dough too. It also helps to create a fine crumb and makes the dough softer.

Warm water

This needs to be warm enough to dissolve the years and and help to make it active. It also makes the proofing process quicker.

Ingredients in Pide Filling/Topping 

Tomatoes - Use fresh or tinned tomatoes.

Tomato Paste - You can use a flavoured puree or Turkish red pepper paste.

Peppers - Red or Yellow work best.

Onion - White or Red.

Garlic - You can use Garlic Powder or Granules instead.

Parsley - Just the leaves or use dry Parsley.

Lemon Juice - This really perks the flavours up.

Aleppo Pepper - Also known as Pul Biber.

 Salt and Black Pepper

How to make Turkish Pide/Kiymale Pide

How to make Pide Dough

There are many Pide recipes out there. 

My research was via some Turkish Cookbook/s. These are the ones I used,  Oklava, John Gregory Smith and Ozlems Turkish Table. 

The variations were mainly between oven temperature and thickness of dough. From my research this is down to personal preference. 

Here I will walk you through exactly how I make the dough and topping for this recipe:

Authentic Turkish Pide Base Recipe

Step 1 - Bloom Yeast 

If using Dry Yeast, bloom the Yeast by adding the yeast to 50 ml of warm water and sugar. Mix and then set aside for 10 minutes. It will begin to foam. 

Note - If using Instant Yeast, you can skip this step and use the instructions for instant yeast. 

Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the Yeast mixture. 

Drizzle in Oil.

Then mix in olive oil and remaining warm water. 

Stir together with a wooden spoon. 

Then skip to kneading.

If using Instant Yeast

Combine Strong Bread Flour with Yeast and Sugar. Add Salt on the opposite end of the bowl.  

Sprinkle in some sugar.

Drizzle in oil.

= Add lukewarm water slowly. You may not need all of it. 

Step 2 - Kneading Stage

Knead by hand or in a stand mixer for 7 - 10 minutes. This amount of time is needed for the gluten to develop.

The Window Pane Test

Stretch a portion of the dough and if it stretches without breaking and you can see through it slightly, the dough is ready.

Step 3 - Shape and Prove

Shape into a ball.

Leave to rest in a warm place in an oiled bowl for 1 - 1.5 hours. Cover the bowl with lightly oiled cling film (plastic wrap)/a spacious bag or a damp clean tea towel. It will double in volume.

Step 4 - Punch Down

Punch the dough down and place on a floured surface.

Step 5 - Shape and Prove Again

Shape the dough into a cylinder and divide into 4. Mine worked out at 90g each.

Cover lightly with a towel on a = lined baking tray. Let the dough rise for 20 minutes.

Once the dough has proved, place it = on a lightly floured surface (or add Semolina - a tip via the late Luis Troyano) and use a rolling pin to create a oval shape. 

Step 6 - How to make the topping

Add tomatoes, chilli, parsley, garlic, onion, bell peppers, tomato puree, cumin, Lemon juice, Aleppo pepper, salt and pepper to a blender. Blend till pureed.

Add the meat, blend again till coarsely blended.

Step 7 - Add topping to Dough and Assemble 

Add the topping to the middle of the dough.

= Fold the edges of the dough in and pinch the ends together.

Sprinkle over cheese if using.

Optional - Make an egg wash and brush over.

Step 8 - Bake

Bake for 18 minutes in a preheated oven at 220 C, GM 9. 

Optional - Baste with melted butter before serving.

Afiyet Olsun!

Variations

This Traditional Turkish Flatbread is easily adaptable and just like Pizza, you can make it with various fillings and can make a round shape too if you like!

Popular variations include:

Cheese Pide

This is a good Vegetarian option. Simply add Kesar Cheese or any Cheese of your choice. Even a sprinkling of Feta Cheese is lovely.

Add some Garlic and Veg too if you like such as Green Peppers, Red Onion and Tomatoes or just top with an Egg.

Sucuk 

With Turkish Sausage and Vegetables. You could add Pepperoni or even Doner meat.

Spinach and Cheese

Spinach and Turkish Cheese (Tulum).

tips and tricks for making turkish pide

Proving overnight

This dough can be proved overnight in the fridge. If proving overnight, press cling film directly onto the dough to avoid a crust being formed. 

Floured Work Surface and Tray 

Make and assemble the pide on a lined tray. Lightly dust both the work surface and tray with semolina to stop the dough from sticking.

Yeast 

Make sure the yeast and salt don’t touch in the bowl prior to mixing. Add them at opposite ends of your mixer.

If using dry yeast, activate it first by adding it to slightly warmed water and setting aside for 10 minutes. Then continue with the recipe. If you are unsure what type of dry yeast you have, I would suggest blooming it in water before using just in case that step is needed.

Lamb Mince

You can use Beef or even Chicken Mince instead. Just make sure it has a good percentage of fat so that it doesn’t dry out.

Water 

The water should be warm but not boiling and it should don’t be cold. The yeast will not activate in cold water. Luke warm is the perfect temperature.

How to store Turkish Pide

Before Baking

You can make the dough and keep it in the fridge over night if you are pressed for time. You can keep it longer (up to 2 days before), as long as you remove it from the fridge every so often and punch the air out of it. 

Take the dough out from the fridge at least 1 hour prior to making the pide. Let the dough come to room temperature. Then stretch, shape, top with your favorite toppings and bake your pizza.

How to store Pide in the Fridge

The baked Pide lasts in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How to store Homemade Pide in the Freezer

 The frozen or baked Pide can be frozen for up to 3 month as long as it is well wrapped and in a sealed container that keeps out moisture.

How to reheat

You can then bake in the oven at 150 C/gas Mark 2 for around 10 – 15 minutes before serving.

FAQs, Tips and Tricks

How to make Pide with Egg

If using an egg, take out at 12 minutes, add the egg carefully and put back into the oven. Please try this version too because..OMG.

Can I double the recipe for Pide?

This dough recipe yields 4 pides. 

You can of course double the recipe or use the same amount of dough to make 2 larger pides. 

How to pronounce Pide?

Pide is pronounced pee-day.

What is the best Cheese to use for Pide?

Turkish kasar is traditionally used on top of Pide. You can also use Mozarella or Cheddar like I do.

You can also use Tulum or Feta.

What goes in a Pide filling?

The most well known and popular toppings include:

Spinach and Turkish Cheese (Tulum)

Turkish cheese (Kesar) and pastrami

Turkish cheese (Kesar) and Turkish spicy sauage (sucuk).

Sometimes Pide is topped with an egg (my fave version)!

Is a double rise necessary for Pide?

No it isn’t but in my experience, it produces a fluffier dough, with a chewy and thicker crust.

What is the difference between Pide and Lahmachun?

A Lachmachun is a thinner round pizza that can be rolled up before being eaten.

Should the filling be cooked before adding to the Pide?

NOTE - When I first shared this recipe, I cooked the filling first before adding it to the pizza. I have since done some research which suggests that this isn't how it is always made. So I tried it without cooking the topping first and it tastes so much better then the original one!

As the meat is blended so fine, it does not need to be cooked beforehand.

You will need to make sure that you remove most of the water from the meat (strain over a colander) before adding to the pide.

Other Turkish Recipes:

Simit

Menemen with Feta – Turkish Scrambled Eggs

Revani

Turkish Cilbir – Poached Eggs in Yoghurt

Manti Recipe

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