Turkish bread usually refers to soft, fluffy bread with a slightly chewy texture, often used for sandwiches, dips, or serving with meals like kebabs and mezze. The most common type is “Ekmek” (plain Turkish white bread).
Here’s a guide to it:
🍞 Basic Turkish Bread (Ekmek) Recipe
Ingredients (makes 1 large loaf or 2 medium loaves):
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) warm water
- 2 tbsp olive oil (optional, for softer texture)
🥖 Instructions
- Activate yeast: In a small bowl, mix warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Make dough: In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add yeast mixture and olive oil. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- First rise: Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise 1–1.5 hours, until doubled in size.
- Shape bread: Punch down dough, shape into a round or oval loaf. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment.
- Second rise: Cover and let rise 30–45 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Optional: Brush with water and sprinkle sesame or nigella seeds. Bake 25–30 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
- Cool: Let it cool on a rack before slicing.
🌟 Serving Ideas
- Slice and serve with hummus, baba ganoush, or Turkish dips.
- Use for sandwiches with meats, cheese, or falafel.
- Toasted with olive oil and za’atar for breakfast or snack.
If you want, I can give a recipe for traditional Turkish flatbread (Pide), which is softer and slightly chewy with a classic oval shape often used for pizzas or sandwiches.
Do you want me to do that?
