- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 400 g
- 7 g
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- 240 ml
- 2 tbsp
- 400 g
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- 15 g
- 30 g
- 1 tsp
Process
Timers built in · swap anything · ask as you cook
Whisk the warm water, sugar and instant dry yeast in a jug and leave for 5 minutes until foamy. If it does not foam, the yeast is dead and the dough will not rise.
Combine the strong white bread flour and fine salt in a large bowl, pour in the yeast mixture and 2 tbsp olive oil, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, heat a dry pan over medium heat and cook the minced beef with the onion and green bell pepper for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking up lumps, until the beef is no longer pink and the vegetables have softened.
Stir the grated tomato, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, ground cumin and black pepper into the beef mixture and cook for 3 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Take off the heat and fold in the flat-leaf parsley, then cool completely.
Heat the oven to 230°C and line two baking trays with baking paper.
Divide the dough into 4 equal balls. Roll each into an oval about 30 cm long and 15 cm wide, then transfer to the trays.
Spread the cooled beef filling down the centre of each oval, leaving a 3 cm border. Fold the long edges over the filling and pinch the pointed ends firmly to make a boat shape.
Lay the sliced tomato over the filling, brush the exposed crust with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 12 minutes, then pull the trays out and crack one egg into the centre of each pide. Return to the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until the egg white is set but the yolk still jiggles and the crust is deep golden.
Rest the pide for 2 minutes, then slide onto boards and cut into slices to serve.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common mistake is a wet filling: cook the beef mixture until no liquid pools in the pan, otherwise the dough turns soggy in the middle.
- Do not roll the dough thinner than 5 mm, or the boat walls collapse and the egg runs off the pide.
- Crack the eggs only after the first 12 minutes of baking; adding them at the start gives rubbery whites and a set yolk.
- Pinch the pointed ends of the boat very firmly, as they are the first place the filling leaks out.
Substitutions
- minced beef→minced lamb or minced chicken thigh
- green bell pepper→green or red long pointed pepper
- butter→olive oil for brushing the crust
- instant dry yeast→fresh yeast, 21 g, crumbled into the warm water
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers completely, wrap each pide tightly in foil or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, unwrap and bake at 180°C for 8 to 10 minutes, or warm in a dry pan over medium heat for 4 minutes per side; avoid the microwave, which makes the dough tough and the egg rubbery. The raw beef filling can be cooked and refrigerated separately for up to 2 days, and the unbaked shaped pide can be frozen on a tray for up to 1 month, then baked from frozen at 220°C for 18 to 20 minutes before adding the egg.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my pide dough turn out dense and heavy?
The yeast was probably killed by water that was too hot, or the dough was not kneaded long enough to develop gluten. Use water at about 38°C, no hotter than your finger can comfortably tolerate, and knead for a full 8 to 10 minutes until the dough springs back when pressed. Letting it rise only until doubled, not longer, also keeps the crumb light.
Can I make Turkish pide dough ahead of time?
Yes. After the first rise, punch the dough down, cover it and refrigerate for up to 24 hours; the cold slows the yeast and deepens the flavour. Bring it back to room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling, otherwise the dough fights back and shrinks as you shape it.
Why is the middle of my pide soggy?
The filling was too wet or the dough was rolled too thin. Grate the tomato and cook the beef mixture until the liquid has fully evaporated, then cool it before spreading. Keep the base at least 5 mm thick and do not overload it, since a heavy topping steams the centre instead of baking it crisp.
Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh?
Yes, but drain them well first. Use about 150 g of drained canned chopped tomatoes in place of the grated fresh tomato and cook the mixture 2 to 3 minutes longer to drive off the extra moisture. Canned tomatoes are wetter than fresh, so skipping the draining step is a common cause of a soggy pide.
How do I know when the egg on the pide is done?
The white should be fully opaque and set, while the yolk still wobbles when you gently shake the tray. This takes 5 to 7 minutes at 230°C, depending on egg size. If the crust is browning faster than the egg is setting, move the tray to a lower shelf rather than lowering the temperature.
Can I freeze baked Turkish pide?
Yes, but freeze it without the egg for the best texture. Cool the baked pide, wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 1 month, then reheat at 180°C for 10 minutes and crack a fresh egg on top for the last 5 minutes of baking. Pide frozen with the egg already baked becomes watery and rubbery on reheating.
What can I use instead of minced beef?
Minced lamb is the closest traditional substitute and needs no other changes. Minced chicken thigh also works but is leaner, so add an extra teaspoon of olive oil to the pan to keep the filling juicy. For a meatless version, use crumbled firm tofu or cooked lentils with the same spices, and reduce the cooking time to 4 minutes.
Ask KitchenMind about this recipe
Tell it what’s different tonight — it works within the actual recipe.
