Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi

Delicious, fluffy, and slightly chewy Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi (or Ramadan Pide) is a no-knead flatbread traditionally eaten during holy Ramadan.

This authentic Turkish Bread is best when served warm, fresh out of the oven.

In Turkey, bakeries make this Ramadan Bread a couple of hours before iftar (the evening meal during Ramazan).

Ramazan Pidesi is a staple in Turkish cuisine, and during the holy month of Ramadan, it takes on a special significance as Ramadan Pide or Ramazan Pidesi.

Jump to:

• What is Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi?
• History of Turkish Ramadan Pide Bread
• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Turkish Ramadan Pide - Ramazan Pidesi?
• Top Tips From the Chef
• What to Serve with Turkish Pide - Ramazan Pidesi?
• Can I Make Pide Bread in Advance?
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi

There are many different flatbread types in Turkey such as Sucuklu Pide (Turkish Bread with Spicy Sausage), Easy Rustic Sourdough Bread, Turkish Lahmacun, Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes), and Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread).

Although they all are scrumptious, this Ramadan Pide is the easiest to prepare and it only requires a few minutes of hands-on preparation.

What is Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi?

Turkish Pide Bread (or Ramazan Pidesi) is a classic Turkish flatbread that is traditionally baked during the fasting month of Ramadan.

It is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a delicious nutty flavor from the sesame or nigella seeds.

This delicious and fluffy flatbread is at almost everyone's iftar table during the holy month. 

During Ramadan, Turkish Pide Bread is usually paired with a bowl of soup, most commonly with Yayla Corbasi, Ezogelin Soup, Mediterranean Lentil Soup, or Turkish Lentil Soup.

The iftar usually ends with a milk-based pudding such as Güllaç, Muhallebi (Mahalabia), or Keskul - Turkish Almond Pudding.

Same as Bazlama and Simit (Turkish Sesame Bagel), this soft, fluffy, and slightly chewy Turkish Ramadan Bread is also great for breakfast.

And we love consuming it not only during Ramadan but throughout the whole year.

History of Turkish Ramadan Pide Bread

The history of Turkish pide bread goes back centuries. Pide is derived from the Persian word "pīshkān," which means "to lay flat."

The bread was originally made by the Ottoman Empire's bakers, who were known for their expertise in creating delicious baked goods.

Pide bread is now a staple of Turkish cuisine and can be found in bakeries and restaurants all over the country.

We love freshly baked homemade bread recipes, from Homemade Sandwich Bread to Homemade Wheat Tortilla Bread, Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread, Manakish with Za'atar and Cheese, and Banana Bread.

And there is nothing more satisfying than the aroma of freshly made Turkish Pide Bread- Ramadan Pide, totally addictive!

Why This Recipe Works?

• To make this fluffy Turkish Pide Bread- Ramazan Pidesi, all you need is a bowl and a few simple pantry ingredients you might already have in hand.

• With this simple recipe, you can easily make your fresh homemade Pide Bread any time of the year! No need to knead it, simply form the dough, let it rise, and shape it.

• Turkish Pide Bread is soft, pillowy, and delicious thanks to the aroma coming from the sesame seeds and nigella seeds.

• Although it’s best to eat Ramadan Pide Bread when it’s still warm and fresh, it still tastes delicious even a day or two later. Simply cut the leftovers into thin strips, lightly toast them on a griddle pan and serve with a selection of mezze dishes such as Tirokafteri(Spicy Whipped Feta Dip), Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme), and Baba Ganoush Without Tahini.

• This Turkish Bread can be served with most of your favorite dishes and makes the ultimate accompaniment to any meal!

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Strong white flour - It is also known as strong bread flour. It is made from hard wheat varieties and contains more gluten than other types of flour. It gives some elasticity to the dough and helps it to rise with a good structure.

• Milk – I use semi-skimmed or full-fat milk. Make sure it is lukewarm to help activate the yeast. Milk also enriches the dough, makes the bread soft, and helps add color.

• Water - Use lukewarm water to help activate the yeast. Water is another ingredient that binds the ingredients together.

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

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

• Fast-action dried yeast - You can substitute it with 10 grams of fresh yeast.

• Butter - It adds flavor and gives the bread a pillowy and soft texture.

• Egg - I use the egg yolk to eggwash the pide and the egg white in the dough.

• Yogurt - It helps the bread to have a nice brown color when mixed with the egg yolk.

How to Make Turkish Ramadan Pide - Ramazan Pidesi?

Making this delicious Turkish Pide bread is extremely easy.

However, you need to follow a few simple steps to achieve the best results:

Prepare the Dough

Line a large baking sheet or a pizza tray with baking paper.

Alternatively, you can dust it with a generous amount of semolina to avoid the bread sticking to the tray.

Combine the yeast, sugar, warm milk, and water in a bowl, and stir well. 

Let the yeast activate for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is foamy and bubbly. 

Add the egg white, salt, melted butter, and flour gradually.

Mix well until combined and you get a soft and slightly sticky dough.

Pide dough doesn’t need much kneading.

Cover the dough, place it somewhere warm, and let it rise until it has doubled in size.

Shape the Pide

Once the dough has doubled in size, gently fold out the air and transfer it to a generously floured surface. 

Knead it for a minute and turn it into a big dough ball.

Preheat your oven to 190° C (375° F).

Place the dough ball on a pizza tray or baking sheet and let it rest for another 15 minutes.

Wet your fingertips and shape the dough ball into a flat circle about 2-3 cm (1") high.

Using your wet fingertips, make indentations to form a circle inside the dough, leaving a 3 cm (1") border that will act as the edge of the bread.

Make diagonal indentations in two different directions to make diamonds inside that circle. 

Glaze the Pide and Bake

To make the egg wash, combine the egg yolk and yogurt in a bowl and whisk well.

Brush the egg wash over the Turkish bread and sprinkle the sesame seeds and nigella seeds over it. 

Bake the pide bread for about 20 minutes or until it is golden on top. Lower the heat to 160° C (320° F) and bake for another 5 minutes.

Remove it from the oven and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let it rest for 15 - 20 minutes before serving it.

The steam of the bread will make it soft and fluffy.

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

Top Tips From the Chef

• You can make this Turkish Ramadan Pide smaller by cutting the dough into four equal pieces. The baking time would be slightly shorter for smaller pide bread.

• To keep the Ramazan Piodesi soft, cover it with a clean damp kitchen towel as soon as it is out of the oven.

• Don't add all the flour in one go. Add it gradually until the dough comes together but is still sticky. Too much flour will make the dough denser and the bread harder. 

What to Serve with Turkish Pide - Ramazan Pidesi?

• Serve this delicious Turkish bread as a part of the Turkish breakfast along with Traditional Shakshuka, Kuymak (Mihlama), Turkish white cheese, olives, butter, and spreads such as Muhammara Acuka (Red Pepper Dip).

• You can also serve it with Kebab dishes or stews such as Lamb Shish Kebab, Shish Tawook (Turkish Chicken Kebab), Slow Cooked Lamb Tagine With Apricots, or Ali Nazik.

• Serve Ramadan Bread along with a bowl of soup such as Yayla Corbasi - Turkish Yoghurt Corbasi, Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Celeriac, or Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup).

• You can slice the Pide Bread to dip into mezes or spreads such as Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt with Cucumbers), Smoked Salmon Pate, Mediterranean Hummus Dip, or Haydari (Turkish Yoghurt Dip).

Can I Make Pide Bread in Advance?

If you want to enjoy Turkish Pide Bread (or Ramadan Pide) in advance, there are a few things you can do to prepare it ahead of time:

• You can prepare the Pide Bread dough in advance and freeze it before baking. After the dough has risen, shape it into the desired pide shape and wrap it in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil before freezing. When you're ready to bake, thaw the dough at room temperature for a few hours before baking it in the oven.

• Alternatively, you can bake the bread, let it cool down, and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap before storing it in the freezer. When you're ready to enjoy it, simply thaw it at room temperature for a few hours, or heat it in the oven wrapped in foil.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more delicious Turkish Flatbread recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi (Ramadan Pide) as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

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