Step-by-step guide to making Pide develi

Pide develi is a traditional Turkish flatbread snack, typically filled with meat, vegetables, cheese; sometimes combination of different cheese. In Turkey, many people make their own pide at home, with a topping or filling of their choice and go to their local bakers to get it baked. A wooden oven gives the flatbread it's authentic earthy flavour. In Turkey, there are 'Pideci' or flatbread shops that exclusively bake and serve pide along with onions or coban salads.

Here is a guide to making Pide Develi: 

Ingredients: 

150 gms dough 

80 gms minced beef

50 gms tomatoes

5 gms chilli (green)

2 gms salt

5 gms parsley

1 tbsp lemon juice

For the meat mixture:

1. In a pre-heated pan add oil, and sauté green chilli/pepper for two to three minutes over medium heat. Then chop tomatoes and add them into the pan. Sauté for two more minutes. Add salt and mix. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice now. 

2. Mix the ground meat with the cooked vegetables, cover and keep it aside. 

For the dough: 

1. Mix yeast, sugar and half a cup of lukewarm water. Keep aside for 5 to 10 minutes for bubbles to form.

2. Combine the flour and salt in a big bowl/plate. Add oil and the yeast mixture to the flour. Pour half a cup of lukewarm water and begin kneading.

3. Draw in the flour from corners of the bowl/plate and knead the mixture with your hands.

4. Knead for 5 to 6 minutes until a soft dough is reached. Cover the dough with a cling film or wet muslin cloth and keep aside for atleast one hour.

5. In an hour the dough will rise and this is when you start breaking it into small balls. Dust some flour on a clean flat kitchen surface and place the dough. Knead it for one minute. Now break the dough into two equal balls.

6. Using your fingers flatten the dough, making an oval shape.

7. Press and stretch the dough further using your fingers.

8. Flatten the dough into a flat oval shape. 

9. Spread the minced meat on top of the dough. Cover the flat bread with the meat mixture. Make sure to leave some space on the sides of the bread. You can fold the edges or non-filled sides to keep the spread intact.

10. Place the dough onto a baking tray.

11. Add the cheese on top, spread it on the minced meat mixture. Keep the cheese towards the inside of the meat spread, so that it does not spill while melting.

12. Place the dough bread in a pre-heated oven. Pide is traditionally prepared in a wooden oven that has a maximum temperature of upto 450C. It is baked for four minutes and often leaves a lingering earthy or nutty flavour because of the wooden oven.

Alternatively, at home you can pre-heat the oven to 180C and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the flatbread and it's edges turn golden brown in colour.

Note: Brush the edges/non-filled white sides of the pide with olive oil to avoid the edges from getting dry in the oven.

Serve hot and enjoy.

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