Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread)

Bazlama is a soft and fluffy Turkish Flatbread that has become more popular over the last few decades. It is one of the oldest Turkish bread recipes, and probably the favorite of many as well.

Bazlama is traditionally cooked on outdoor stoves over a wood fire in the villages of Anatolia, but you can easily cook them at home on a good quality heavy-based pan or skillet.

Jump to:

• What is Flatbread?
• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread)?
• Related Recipes
• Top Tip From the Chef
• Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread)

Bazlama is similar to Homemade Pita Bread and it is great for dipping into soups or stews. It is also perfect for serving at breakfast/brunch, a very popular component of a traditional Turkish breakfast. This fluffy Turkish bread is best when served warm, freshly cooked.

What is Flatbread?

A flatbread is a type of thin bread made with flour, a type of liquid (generally water, milk or yoghurt), and salt. The dough is then portioned and rolled into flattened dough. Most flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as Tawa Naan and Pita Bread.

Flatbreads have different thicknesses and you don't have to slice them. They can be plain or with toppings and there are many different ways of cooking them. You can bake them in an oven, fry them in hot oil, grill them over hot coals, and cook them on a hot pan, Tava, comal, or metal griddle. They are best when eaten freshly made but can be frozen and kept for up to 3 months.

Flatbread in Turkey is a staple and there are many different varieties such as Sucuklu Pide (Turkish Bread with Spicy Sausage), Turkish Lahmacun, Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes and Bazlama. The main differences are in the shape, toppings and cooking methods.

Why This Recipe Works?

• This frecipe for Turkish bread needs only five pantry ingredients that you might already have in hand.

• It is a very easy recipe to follow with step-by-step pictures and instructions.

• Bazlama is perfect for dipping soups or stews as well as for breakfast&brunch.

• It freezes beautifully. You can keep the leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Strong white flour - It has a higher protein percentage than plain / all purpose flour and it gives more reliable results when making bread and bread rolls. You can replace it with plain flour as long as you don't mind a bit less chewy bread.

• Plain natural yoghurt - Use plain natural or Greek yoghurt with no added sugar or flavour.

• Fast action dried yeast - You can use 10 grams of fresh yeast instead.

• Sugar - A little of sugar goes long way. It feeds the yeast, enhances bread flavour, gives the crust a golden colour, and improves the crumb texture.

• Salt - Salt is necessary for steady and slow rise of the dough to develop the flavour of the bread.

How to Make Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread)?

Bazlama is surprisingly one of the easiest bread to make at home. You don't necessarily need a fancy fire stove, and you can cook them on a good-quality pan in just a few minutes. There are a few easy steps that you need to follow to achieve the best results:

Prepare the Bazlama Dough

Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water into a bowl, and stir well. Let the yeast activate for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is foamy and bubbly. Whisk in the yoghurt, then add ¾ of the flour along with the salt. Mix all together to form a dough. Gradually add the remaining flour until you get the right consistency. Knead it for few minutes until you get a soft and slightly sticky dough.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until it doubles the size up. The rising time depends on the temperature of the room and it might take up to an hour.

Shape the Bazlama

When the dough doubled its size, divide it into 4 equal pieces and turn them into balls. I suggest using an electronic kitchen scale for this step but use your eyes and hands if you don't mind slightly different size bread.

Place the dough balls on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle some flour on top and let them rest for 10 minutes covered with a clean kitchen cloth. Take a dough ball and press it down. Roll it into a circle with a rolling pin about 20 cm (8")wide. Let the dough rest for another 10 minutes before cooking.

Cook the Bazlama

Heat a heavy-based frying pan on medium heat. When the pan is hot, place the dough in the pan. Roll another dough ball out as soon as the first one starts cooking so that it has enough time to rest. Lower the heat and cook the bazlama until bubbles appear on the surface and the bottom of the dough is golden brown. This should take 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the dough and bake for another 4 to 5 minutes. 

Set it aside on a plate and lightly brush with butter. Cover the cooked bazlama with a clean kitchen cloth or tin foil to keep them warm. Repeat the same with the remaining dough and serve them when they are still warm.

Related Recipes

For more easy homemade bread recipes why not try:

• Homemade Toast Bread

• Homemade Pita Bread

• Pitka Bread (Koledna Pitka)

• Tawa Naan with Garlic

• Simit (Turkish Sesame bagel)

• Keema Naan Bread

• Turkish Pide Bread (Ramazan Pidesi)

Top Tip From the Chef

The most important step for a fluffy Bazlama bread is to get the consistency of the dough right. Add the water gradually as the humidity of the room might change the amount of water you need. To achieve a soft and fluffy bazlama texture requires a slightly soft and sticky dough.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this soft and delicious Bazlama as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

FOOD SAFETY

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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