Freshly baked Etli Pide. The crust is perfectly golden-brown and crispy on the ridges, yet remains wonderfully soft to the bite.

Freshly baked Etli Pide. The crust is perfectly golden-brown and crispy on the ridges, yet remains wonderfully soft to the bite.

Etli pide are Turkish dough boats filled with a savory minced beef topping, pointed peppers, tomatoes, pepper paste, and warm spices.

Preparation time 45 minutes, plus dough resting time
Making time 20 minutes per tray
Servings 8 large pide boats
Course Main course, lunch, dinner
Country / Region Turkey

Ingredients

  • 100 g milk
  • 100 g water
  • 1/2 cube fresh yeast, about 20 g
  • 10 g sugar
  • 150 g yogurt, 3.5% fat
  • 450 g flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 110 g olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg white, save the yolk for brushing
  • 1 sachet baking powder
  • 300 g minced beef or lamb
  • 100 g onions, finely chopped
  • 1 red pointed pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 green pointed pepper, finely chopped
  • 150 g tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 30 g olive oil
  • 15 g Biber Salçası, Turkish pepper paste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons hot paprika pulp or powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon yogurt, for brushing
  • 1 tablespoon black cumin or nigella seeds

Instructions Link to heading

Make the dough Link to heading

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, water, yeast, sugar, and yogurt until the yeast dissolves.
  2. Add the flour, olive oil, salt, egg white, and baking powder.
  3. Knead for a few minutes until you get a smooth, pliable dough.
  4. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
  5. Shape each piece into a tight ball on a lightly floured surface.
  6. Cover with a clean tea towel and let the dough rest.

Make the filling Link to heading

  1. Finely chop the onions, red pointed pepper, green pointed pepper, and tomatoes.
  2. Place the chopped vegetables into a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl.
  3. Press gently with a spoon to remove excess moisture.
  4. Heat 30 g olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
  5. Add the Biber Salçası and minced meat.
  6. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned.
  7. Season with salt, black pepper, hot paprika, and dried thyme.
  8. Remove from the heat and stir in the drained onion, pepper, and tomato mixture.

Shape the pide Link to heading

  1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
  2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. On a floured surface, roll each dough ball into an oblong rectangle, roughly 25 x 15 cm.
  4. Place 4 dough pieces onto each prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them.
  5. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into the center of each piece.
  6. Spread the filling out while leaving a clear 1.5 cm border around the edges.
  7. Fold the long edges slightly inward over the filling.
  8. Pinch and twist the top and bottom ends firmly to create the classic boat shape.

Glaze and bake Link to heading

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved egg yolk, 1 tablespoon yogurt, and nigella seeds.
  2. Brush the mixture over the folded dough borders.
  3. Bake one tray at a time at 220 °C for about 20 minutes, until the edges are puffed and golden brown.
  4. Garnish with chopped spring onions if you like.
  5. Serve warm.

Notes Link to heading

Etli Pide
Divided, shaped, and resting. Giving the gluten a few minutes to relax makes rolling out the boat shapes incredibly easy.
Etli Pide
Stretching the dough into elongated ovals right on the parchment paper. Preparing 4 per tray ensures they have plenty of room to expand.
Etli Pide
Adding the spiced beef, pepper, and tomato filling. Leaving that small border around the edges is key for the fold.
Etli Pide
Shaped into boats and brushed with a rich egg yolk, yogurt, and black cumin glaze. Ready for a hot oven! 🚤

The secret to a good pide is draining the vegetable mixture before adding it to the meat. This keeps the topping rich and flavorful without making the soft dough soggy during baking.

The yogurt and olive oil in the dough help the crust bake up golden while staying pillowy inside.

You can make this with minced beef or lamb. Lamb gives it a stronger, more traditional flavor, while beef keeps it a little milder.

Vesela kuharija 😋👌

Up close with that savory filling. The aromatic combination of Biber Salçası, hot paprika, and thyme smells absolutely incredible.

Up close with that savory filling. The aromatic combination of Biber Salçası, hot paprika, and thyme smells absolutely incredible.