Turkish Pide, Two Ways

Back in 2014, I hosted a Mediterranean themed March Break for the kids, and these Turkish Pizzas, a.k.a. Pide, were our favourite recipe of the week!

Back by popular demand, here’s a gently revised version of my Turkish Pide recipe from The Lunchbox Season:

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Turkish Pide, Two Ways

Makes 4 Individual Pides or 2 Shareable Pides

Ingredients

DOUGH

• 2 tbsp lukewarm water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 c [- 2 tbs] warm milk [or lukewarm water]
• 2 tsp [1 sachet] active dry yeast
• 3 ¼ c flour
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 4+ tbsp olive oil, plus 2-3 more [Sub melted butter, cooled, for the additional 2-3 tbsp if desired]
• 1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 tbs water

Cheese and Sausage Toppings [makes 2 of the 4 individual pides]

• 3-4 c grated Kashkaval or Mozzarella Cheese [we used Mozzarella]
• 36-40 slices Turkish Sujuk Salami or 1 8-in cured Hungarian Csabai sausage Hot or Mild, [we used Csabai], sliced 1/8 to 1/16-in thick

Spinach Onion & Cheese Topping [makes 2 of the 4 individual pides]

• 2-3 c crumbled Kashkaval or Feta Cheese [we used Kashkaval]
• 1 sweet onion, sliced thin
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 4 c fresh spinach, rough chopped
• .5 c flat leaf parsley, rough chopped [optional]
• salt and pepper to taste

GARNISH

• Several slices of lemon for squeezing onto the Pide
• Sprigs of flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

DOUGH

• Combine the sugar and the lukewarm water in a small measuring cup.
• Sprinkle over the yeast, stir gently, and let sit and foam for 8-10 minutes.
• Add the yeast mixture to the lukewarm milk.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt.
• Slowly stir in the milk & yeast mixture until the dough begins to string.
• Slowly stir in olive oil by the tablespoon until the dough begins to form a rough, stretchy ball.
• [Depending on the weather, temperature, behaviour of your yeast, if you need to add additional oil by the tbs. You can also add cooled, melted butter by the tbs. I almost always add 1-2 tbs of a mix of oil and butter.]
• Dust a clean surface with a bit of flour.
• Bring the ball of dough onto that surface and knead for 3-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Place a small amount of oil into a bowl.
• Spread the oil around the bowl with a clean napkin or cloth.
• Place the dough ball into the bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap and set aside an a warm, dark place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

PIDES I

• Heat the oven to 425 F, placing a pizza stone on the lower-middle rack if desired.
• Pat down the dough down and turn it back out onto the floured surface.
• Divide the dough into 4 balls. [2 if making larger pides.]
• Place the balls on a tray and cover loosely with a towel or plastic wrap.
• Let sit and rise for at least 30 minutes while you are preparing the toppings.

SPINACH, ONION, AND CHEESE TOPPING

• Warm a dab of oil on a skillet over medium heat, and add the sliced onion, stirring until brown.
• Add the minced garlic and stir, browning for another minute.
• Add the spinach to the browned onion and garlic, heated gently on the skillet for 1-2 minutes.
• Added the parsley [optional] and heat gently for 1 more minute before removing from the stove.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. Recall that the Kashkaval cheese is quite salty.

PIDES II

• In a small bowl mix your egg yolk(s) with your water.
• One at a time, on pieces of parchment, roll each ball of dough out into an oval, about 15 by 9 inches [this way, the pides will fit by 2’s on the pizza stone or singly on baking trays].
• Leaving a 1-inch border around all sides, place the filling in the oval to your liking.
• Pull that 1-inch border of dough up around the edges of each pizza boat, crimping the edges as need be.
• Brush those exposed edges of dough with your egg mixture.
• Carefully, place pides in batches [still on the parchment] on the pizza stone or onto individual baking trays.
• If using a pizza stone, after 10 minutes of baking, carefully slip the parchment from underneath the pide and discard.
• Bake for a total of 14 minutes, or until the dough looks golden and the filling cooked.
• Carefully remove the pide from the pizza stone with a a peel or a spatula and cookie sheet, or remove the pide on its pan and cool slightly before slicing.
• Serve with slices of lemon to squeeze over top and a few handfuls of flat-leaf parsley!