Pide with Feta, Spinach, and Mushrooms (Turkish Flatbread)

 Pide with Feta, Spinach, and Mushrooms:

This Turkish pide dish, also known as Turkish pizza, is an oval flatbread packed with a variety of ingredients. This vegetarian pide dish calls for feta cheese, spinach, red peppers, and mushrooms. It's great for a crowd, easy to make, and lots of spice!

Looking for a great and easy-to-make vegetable-loaded meal idea? Then try this Turkish flatbread called pide!

I made a vegetarian pide with spinach, mushrooms, onion, feta cheese, and red bell pepper for sweetness for this recipe. The filling is delicious, especially with the addition of sharp, acidic feta and a hint of spice from Aleppo pepper flakes.

Pide is my favourite favourite! Despite the fact that this Turkish flatbread is sometimes called "turkish pizza," there are significant differences between pide and pizza.

Pide is fashioned like a narrow American football, with a crispy surface and a soft, slightly chewy inside. Pide, unlike pizza, does not feature sauce, but it is laden with toppings, can be eaten by hand, and is enjoyed by practically everyone.

If you've made other breads like focaccia or pita but have never attempted Turkish pide, now is the time to embark on this cherished meal and experience the wonderful variants of Turkish flat bread.

What exactly is Pide?

Pide is an oval-shaped flatbread popular in Turkey that is topped with a variety of meat or vegetable toppings. Throughout Turkey, pide businesses called Pideci specialise in baking and serving these delectable flatbreads all day. It's one of my favourite aspects of my home country.

In Turkey, where I was born and raised, we call Pide "slow-cooked fast food." Pide has a long history. It originated in Samsun and has been relished by Turkish people throughout the Black Sea region since 1725.

Locals in my hometown of Antakya prepare pide toppings and then take them to the local bakery, Firin. The bakers would prepare the dough with the toppings and bake it in the stone oven for each family. Growing up, I adored going to the bakery with our pide toppings and then returning later to pick up our delicious, freshly baked pide—golden, delicious memories.

Pide Variations

When creating pide, I arrange the toppings in the centre, then fold the dough edges over just the outer portion of the filling, allowing the contents to show. However, there are numerous methods for making pide.

Some individuals make bafra pidesi, which is a thin layer of dough enclosing the filling.My pida is oval, but it can also be spherical. Trabzon pidesi is a prominent round pide type. Locals create this using Trabzon melting cheese and serve it with a cracked egg in the centre. It's delectable!

What exactly is in Pide?

Pide has a simple dough with the following ingredients:

All-purpose plain flour is commonly used in pide, however bread flour and even whole wheat flour can be used.

Active dry yeast is often used because it works well and quickly. To activate the yeast, dissolve it in warm water (90 to 110°F).

Water that is warm: It is critical to use warm water to activate the yeast; cold water will not work, while hot water will kill the yeast. To ensure that the dough proofs properly, use water that is between 90 and 110°F.

Adding a pinch of sugar: I use this to ensure that my yeast is active and alive. Stir it into the heated water and yeast to mix. After 5 minutes, the yeast should be frothy.

When cooking pide, I use olive oil as my fat of choice. It contributes to a soft dough, a lovely crust on the bread, and, according to the USDA, olive oil is healthy.

Some of my favourites pistachio garnishes

Consider pide to be the ultimate clean-out-the-fridge meal. The goal is to deplete your supplies. This was as true 300 years ago as it is today, so keep this in mind and use up any leftover cheese, olives, or vegetables!

Here are some of my favourite pide toppings to get you started:

Cheese: In Turkey, we love cheese. Popular pizza toppings include melted cheddar cheese and crumbled feta. We have a beautiful stringy, melting cheese called dil peyniri, which is akin to shredded mozzarella and goes well with pide. Use any cheese you have on hand; goat cheese pieces are very delicious on pizza.

Suuk, Turkish dry cured sausage: Suuk, or Turkish dry cured beef, is a favourite pide topping in Turkey, but it's difficult to get in the United States. A nice substitute might be sliced Spanish chorizo or your favourite cured meat.

Ground beef or tiny meat chunks: Toppings such as ground pork or little chunks of lamb or beef are also popular. I like to season the ground meat or small chunks of meat with sea salt and ground black pepper after sautéing them with diced onions.

I like veggies to meat: peppers, spinach, sautéed mushrooms, and olives. Pide toppings include sliced red onions, sautéed peppers, mushrooms, and spinach. When coupled with vegetables, olives can be a tasty substitute for cheese. What about roasted peppers or marinated artichoke hearts in little chunks? They'd be fantastic as pie toppings.

Pide with broken egg: This is another speciality, commonly known as Trabzon pidesi because it originated in Trabzon. This pie is typically round or oval and is made with local melting cheese and butter in the topping. Locals crack an egg in the centre of this pie near the end of baking and bake for additional minute. It's just amazing!

Instructions for Making Turkish Pide Bread

Turkish flatbread is really simple to make (especially if you are unfamiliar with yeasted breads). Simply follow a couple of my easy recommendations below for beautiful, delectable pide.

When creating the dough, use warm water and a pinch of sugar. It will aid in the activation of the yeast and test its viability. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. You can proceed if the yeast is frothy. If it isn't, your yeast may be old, and you should wait to prepare the dough until you have new yeast. Make sure the water temperature is between 90 and 110°F. The yeast will be killed if the water is too hot.

Locate a warm location. Allow the dough to double in size in a warm place. Mine is near a prepared oven.

When kneading the dough and shaping the pie, always work on a clean, dry, lightly floured surface.

Use parchment paper to line baking sheets. Place the pie on a baking sheet lined with parchment after rolling out the dough into an 8x16-inch oval. Spread the filling on top of the dough. Once the pie is on the parchment paper, it's easy to spread the filling and shape it.

Allow for folding the border and pinching the end. Make a border around the borders of the pides before spreading the filling evenly over them. Fold the sides in towards the filling to form a border and keep the filling in place. Make the oval dough pointed by squeezing it at either end.

Allow the topping to cool before adding it to the dough. Before putting the topping over the dough, make sure it has cooled or is at room temperature.

Vegetarian Pide Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

After baking and cooling, slice the pide and store it in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days. Although pide is finest when freshly baked, it also stores nicely.

To freeze pide, wrap it in foil, whole or in slices, in one layer, and place it in the freezer. If you have a large amount to freeze, put it between parchment paper and store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

To reheat pide, follow these steps: Place the pide on a baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes in a 400°F preheated oven.

Ingredients

To make the dough:

1 cup of hot water

2 14 tablespoons dried instant yeast

1 granulated sugar teaspoon

2 14 cups (300 g) universal flour

1 teaspoon Kosher salt or sea salt

3 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

For the garnish:

divided 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium coarsely chopped onion

4 minced garlic cloves

8 ounces cremini mushrooms or white button mushrooms

1 large de-seeded, quartered, and thinly sliced red bell pepper

5 oz. cleaned and dried spinach leaves

344 cup (7 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

1 tsp. Aleppo pepper

To taste, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To make the egg wash:

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp olive oil for brushing the pide

Instructions  

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking pans with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking pans with parchment paper.

• Blooming yeast: Warm the water to a temperature of 90° to 110°F. It should be somewhat warm but not hot to the touch. Combine the instant yeast, sugar, and warm water in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy, with a spoon.
• Mix the flour and salt together: In a large mixing basin, whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Draw the flour in from the sides with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula and knead the mixture into a sticky, shaggy dough.
• Knead the dough: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 3-4 minutes, or until it is smooth. As you knead the dough, drizzle it with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle it with an extra 2 tablespoons flour (or a little more if it still seems moist) to help shape it into a soft, smooth dough.
• Allow the dough to rise. In a big mixing bowl, drizzle a little olive oil and spread it about with your hands. Cover the bowl with cling film or plastic wrap after placing the dough in it. Allow it to double in size in a warm environment for 1 hour.

• To make the topping, follow these steps: In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss in the onions, garlic, sliced pepper, and mushrooms for the topping. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the peppers are softened, the mushrooms have shrunk, and the onions are translucent, over medium heat. Turn off the heat and whisk in the spinach, feta cheese crumbles, and Aleppo pepper until completely blended. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside to cool.
• Shape the dough: Once the dough has risen, knead it for 1-2 minutes on a lightly floured surface. It will compress slightly. Form the mixture into a smooth ball. Divide the ball into two equal parts and roll each piece into a ball. Stretch the dough balls into two oval shapes about 8 x 16 inches on a lightly floured surface. This requires some patience because the dough will want to bounce back, but if you keep working it, it will stretch. You can use a rolling pin or simply move the oval of dough around the outside edge with your fingers and thumbs, allowing gravity to stretch and pull the dough downward as you turn it.
• Fill, fold, and pinch: On the prepared baking sheet, place 1 oval of flat bread dough. Half of the filling should be spread over the flat bread, leaving a 1-inch border around the outside. Fold the sides in towards the filling to form a border and keep the filling from falling apart. You're still curious about the filler. Make the oval dough pointed by squeezing it at either end.
• Repeat with the remaining oval-shaped dough on a baking sheet.

• Brush with egg wash and bake: Combine the egg and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small basin. Mix it all together, then brush the borders of both plates with it. Bake the pides for 23-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy around the edges. Serve warm, cut into slices. In Turkey, we say, "Afiyet Olsun (May you be healthy and happy with this food)."