Pide

Bread - Ekmek - is the staple of Turkish cuisine. The fertile Anatolian plains are well suited to wheat culture and there is evidence for bread production dating from the earliest Selçuk Turkic invasions of Anatolia. In Ottoman times it is clear that bread was consumed daily at every level of society. Whilst the bread ovens in the Topkapı Sarayı kitchens are vast there also seems to have been a 'village oven', where all-comers could bake their breads, in every settlement. Whilst these have been superseded in urban areas there remain some in rural Anatolian communities. Turkish food anthropologists have documented literally scores of traditional Anatolian breads (link here). Bread remains the most important staple in current Turkish cuisine.

No kebab would be complete without it's accompanying bread. With Adana Kebab we usually serve a Pide bread. Pide is a flat bread and would traditionally have been made in a clay oven or tinürü or tandir. These ovens achieve very high temperatures and a really hot oven is the secret of success for delicious pide.

I have collected literally scores of recipies for Pide over the years. They are all simple and the main variations are in how thick the final shape is before baking and the various glazes and toppings. Some recipies call for the Pide dough to be stretched whilst others use a rolling pin. Some use finger indentations for dimpling whilst others are flat. Some are glazed with milk, others with egg yolk and yet others with yoghurt. Nigella and sesame seeds are popular toppings. Finished thickness can vary from 1/8 inch to 1/2 inch.

We cook it many ways for different occasions and you should experiment. This is how we baked it to accompany the Adana Kebab...

Pide

2.5 cups flour
heaped tspn dried yeat
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup warm water
2 tblspn whole yoghurt

Dissolve the sugar in the water and add the yeast. Stand for 10-15 minutes then stir.

Make a well in the flour. Add the yoghurt and oil and pour in 1/2 cup of the water. Mix. If the mix is too dry add more water/yeast. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes until it is elastic and consolidated. You'll probably need more water/yeast whilst you're kneading but don't let the dough get sticky...when it's ready form it into a ball and leave it to rise for an hour or more in an oiled bowl covered with cling film. (Don't let the young man poke it).

Knock it back and knead it again for a couple of minutes. Divide it into 3 or 4 pieces. Roll these out into thin ovals about 10" by 6". Cover these with a tea towel and leave them for 15 minutes.

Heat up the oven to 250. When the oven is hot put in the pizza stones (if you have them) or oiled pizza-baking platters. Let these heat up.

Glaze the Pide with yoghurt and sprinkle with Nigella. Bake the Pide for 4-5 minutes. They should puff up and brown on the surface. Serve quite warm.

Tabouna...Focaccia

Of course with Merguez we should really bake some Tabouna - but I don't have a reliable and authentic recipe. So we make foccacia. (Tabouna photo: Nafaar on Flickr)

Focaccia

8g dried yeast
280 ml luke warm water
7 Tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp sea salt
2 Tblsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
500 g unbleached white bread flour
2 tsp coarse sea salt (I used Maldon)

Place half the flour in a large bowl, add the salt, chopped rosemary and mix briefly. Tip in the yeast and mix well. Pour in all the water and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix until the flour is incorporated.

Gradually work in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft but not sticky dough. You may or may not need all the flour - depending on the flour and the kitchen conditions

Knead for 10 minutes until smooth or 5 minutes slowly in a mixer with dough hook.

Leave to rise in a lightly oiled mixing bowl covered with cling film until doubled in size. (About 2 hours).

Knock back and shape into a rectangle then press into a low baking tin (a swiss roll tin is perfect). Cover and let rise until doubled (about 45 minutes).

Make 1cm deep dimples in the dough at regular intervals with your finger. Cover and let double again. (About 45 minutes). While dough is rising again, preheat oven to 220C

Press rosemary leaves into the dimples and fill with the remainder of the olive oil. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt and then bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Ready for the oven...

Cooked! On the rack and cooling.