Turkish Bread

There is something especially satisfying about making fresh bread at home, and this Turkish bread is a simple one to add to a regular meal. The dough is made with everyday ingredients, left to rise, rolled into thin rounds, and cooked in a hot pan instead of an oven. As it cooks, the bread can puff up, giving it a soft, chewy texture with lightly cooked surfaces.

I like making this bread when I want something warm to serve alongside a meal. It works particularly well with dishes that have sauces, rice, grilled meats, salads, or creamy dips. Because it is cooked one piece at a time in a pan, there is no need to heat the oven or use complicated equipment.

The dough itself is straightforward. Flour, salt, sugar, yeast, warm water, warm milk, and olive oil come together to make a soft dough. The most important part is giving the yeast and dough enough time to work. Once the dough has risen, it is divided into smaller portions and rolled out before going into a hot pan.

What Makes This Bread Worth Making?

One of the nicest things about this recipe is that it uses ingredients that are easy to find. There is no long list of specialty ingredients, and the preparation is uncomplicated.

The bread is also versatile. It can be served as a side with kebabs, chicken, fish, rice, salad, or other dishes. It is also useful when you want something to scoop up food or enjoy with a meal.

Another advantage is that the dough can be made in a larger quantity when more bread is needed. The recipe can be doubled or tripled to feed more people.

The texture is another reason to make it. When the dough is rolled thin enough and cooked over sufficiently high heat, the bread can puff as it cooks. The finished bread is soft and chewy rather than dry and hard.

Ingredients I Use

The main ingredient is 500 g all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour works well for this dough, although bread flour can also be used.

The recipe uses 150 ml warm water and 150 ml warm milk. Both liquids should be warm rather than hot. The temperature matters because the yeast needs suitable conditions to work.

For seasoning and structure, I use 1 teaspoon salt and 0.5 teaspoon of sugar.

The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of dry yeast, fast action. Yeast is what helps the dough rise, so it is worth checking the expiration date before starting.

For the dough, I also use 3 tablespoons of olive oil. More olive oil is used when preparing the plastic wrap so that the dough does not stick while it rises.

For finishing the bread, the ingredients listed are fresh parsley, chopped, and chili powder. The original method also allows melted butter or olive oil to be brushed over the cooked bread before adding the chili powder and parsley.

Getting the Dough Started

I begin by putting the flour, dry yeast, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. I whisk the dry ingredients together so the yeast, salt, and sugar are distributed throughout the flour.

In another bowl, I combine the warm water and warm milk. I make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the liquid mixture into it.

At this stage, I use a fork to stir everything together. The goal is simply to bring the ingredients together until there are no large areas of dry flour remaining.

Once the mixture starts forming a dough, I add the olive oil. I continue mixing with my hands until the dough comes together into a ball.

I then use my hands to shape the dough into a smooth ball as much as possible. It does not need complicated kneading. The important thing is to bring everything together into one piece of dough.

Letting the Dough Rise

Once the dough is ready, I prepare it for its resting time. I add olive oil to the plastic wrap so it does not stick to the dough while it rises.

I cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and leave the dough to rise for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.

This is one of the stages where it is worth being patient. The dough needs time to rise before it is shaped and cooked. The exact time can vary, but the recipe gives a range of one hour to one hour and thirty minutes.

The yeast is particularly important here. If the yeast has expired, the dough may not rise properly. I always check the yeast before starting rather than finding out later that it is no longer active.

The water and milk should also be warm rather than extremely hot or cold. Very hot liquids can affect the yeast, while liquids that are too cold may not activate it properly.

Shaping the Dough

Once the dough has risen, I remove the plastic wrap and punch a hole into the center of the dough with my fist. This knocks out some of the air.

I dust a clean work surface with all-purpose flour and transfer the dough onto it. I gently tuck the edges toward the middle to form the dough back into a ball.

There is no need to overwork the dough at this stage. If it needs a little kneading, I can knead it gently, but I avoid doing too much. The goal is to keep the dough workable without unnecessarily knocking out all the air.

Next, I divide the dough into equal-sized pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Dividing the dough evenly helps make the individual breads similar in size and makes cooking them easier.

I dust the work surface with more flour whenever needed to prevent sticking.

Rolling the Bread Thin

The rolling stage is important because the thickness of the dough affects how the bread cooks.

I take one dough ball and gently flatten it with a rolling pin, working it into a circular shape. I continue rolling until it is quite thin.

It is tempting to leave the dough thicker, but the recipe specifically recommends rolling it thin. If the dough is too thick, it may not puff properly while cooking in the pan.

I repeat the process with the remaining dough balls, keeping the rolled pieces lightly dusted with flour as needed.

Cooking Turkish Bread in a Pan

Once the dough has been rolled, I heat a pan over medium to high heat. The pan needs to be hot enough for the dough to cook properly and puff.

I place one rolled piece of dough into the hot pan and cook it for 2–3 minutes. Then I turn it over and cook the other side for another 2–3 minutes.

The bread should cook on both sides before being removed from the pan. As it cooks, the dough may puff up, which is one of the best parts of making this bread at home.

The heat is important. If the pan is not hot enough, the bread may not puff properly. I keep the heat sufficiently high while cooking, while still keeping an eye on the bread so it does not burn.

I continue cooking the remaining pieces in the same way.

Finishing the Bread

Once the breads are cooked, I stack them together. While they are still warm, I can brush the top with melted butter or olive oil.

For the final touch, I dust the bread with chili powder and garnish it with freshly chopped parsley.

The finished bread is best served warm. It can be placed in the middle of the table and served alongside the main meal.

What to Serve with Turkish Bread

This bread is easy to pair with many different meals. It can be served with chicken kebabs, beef dishes, rice, fish, salad, or hummus.

It also works well with dishes that have sauces or flavorful juices because the soft bread can be used alongside the meal.

For a simple spread, I would serve the warm bread with hummus, salad, and a main dish such as kebabs. The parsley and chili on top add a little color and extra flavor without changing the basic bread.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

The yeast is one of the first things I check. It should be within its expiration date and should be fast-action or instant-style yeast as specified in the recipe.

The temperature of the liquids matters as well. The water and milk should be warm, not hot. This helps create the right conditions for the yeast.

When rolling, I make sure the dough is thin enough. A thicker piece may not puff properly when placed in the pan.

Finally, the cooking temperature should be high enough. A pan that is too cool can prevent the bread from puffing as expected.

Once all the pieces are cooked, brushed with olive oil or melted butter, and finished with chili powder and chopped parsley, the Turkish bread is ready to serve.

Description

Soft and chewy Turkish bread made with a simple yeast dough, warm milk, warm water, and olive oil. The dough is rolled thin and cooked in a hot pan until lightly cooked and puffed. Finish with olive oil or melted butter, chili powder, and fresh chopped parsley.

Prep/Rest Time: 1 hour–1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2–3 minutes per side

Ingredients

500 g all-purpose flour
150 ml warm water
150 ml warm milk
1 teaspoon salt
0.5 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons dry yeast, fast action
3 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh parsley, chopped
Chili powder

Instructions

Add the all-purpose flour, dry yeast, sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the warm water and warm milk.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the warm milk mixture into the center and stir with a fork until combined.

Add the olive oil and mix with your hands until a dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball.

Brush olive oil onto the plastic wrap to help prevent sticking. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.

Once risen, punch the center of the dough with your fist to knock out the air.

Dust a clean surface with all-purpose flour. Transfer the dough to the surface and gently tuck it toward the middle to form a ball.

Divide the dough into equal-sized pieces and roll each piece into a ball.

Dust the surface with more flour if needed. Use a rolling pin to flatten each dough ball into a thin circle.

Heat a pan over medium to high heat. Cook each piece of rolled dough for 2–3 minutes on one side.

Flip and cook for another 2–3 minutes on the other side.

Stack the cooked breads. Brush with melted butter or olive oil, dust with chili powder, and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Serve warm.

Notes

Check the expiration date of the yeast before starting.
Use warm, not hot, water and milk so the yeast can work properly.
Roll the dough quite thin so it can puff properly in the pan.
Keep the pan sufficiently hot while cooking. If the heat is too low, the bread may not puff properly.
The recipe can be doubled or tripled when making bread for more people.