Pide, A Taste of Turkish Tradition

Fire up the oven and get ready for a feast!

Pide with vegetable filling (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Rolling in Dough: All About Pide

When the crunchiness of the base meets the succulent filling, every bite becomes pure delight!

How to Make Ordu Pide

Pide with Roasted Meat (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Pide: Diverse Toppings

Pide is a relatively thin, baked bread made from leavened dough, and it is topped with various combinations of magnificent ingredients.

Various types of pide (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Such as eggs, minced meat, cheese, pastırma (Turkish cured beef) and even tahini.

Pides baked in the oven (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Wood-Fired Pide Magic

Traditionally cooked in wood fire stone ovenspide has a crisp base with a tender texture in the middle where the filling and/or toppings are placed.

Pide with vegetable filling (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Pideci's Secret Touch

As anyone can prepare their own version of pide içi with the ingredients they choose, this has become a long-lived tradition that greatly contributed to the overall variety of pide in Türkiye.

But then… How does a pideci turn the homemade filling into an irresistible one?

Different shapes of pide (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

The Art of Pide Making

It is the combination of prime ingredients and hand kneading with a finesse that makes pide dough so special.

The most common shape of pide (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Anatolian Pide Origins

Pide is shaped in an elongated boat-like form, which is believed to have originated from the ancient Anatolian tradition of cooking flatbread on the walls of brick ovens.

The shape allows the crust to become crispy as the filling remains succulent in the hot pide oven.

Pide with handground beef (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Satır Arası Technique

The ingredients, commonly beef, vegetables, cheese, and spices are finely chopped with a special knife, using a technique called satır arası.

Then blended together to form a homogeneous filling that can be spread on the dough for a more balanced, well-harmonised flavour.

Pide baked in wood-fired oven (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Crafting Pide Dough

Pide dough, which is made with flour, water, salt and yeast, is prepared a few hours in advance and left to rise. The quality of the flour, the resting time and the temperature are the prerequisites for a good pide dough.

Baker making pide (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Perfecting Pide Dough

Kneading the dough until smooth is of the utmost importance, as well-made pide dough should not tear and lose its elasticity after the filling and toppings are placed on it.

It should also be suitable for rolling out and stretching and become crispy after cooking.

Pide baking in a stone oven (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Firing up the Flavours in Pide Ovens

Traditional wood-fired stone ovens bring out the aromatic flavours of pide by harmonising the dough with the fillings for an authentic taste.

Pide baking in a stone oven (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Traditional Pide Kilns

Pide ovens (kiln) are built using the traditional methods, with fire bricks, clay or stone.

The high heat and dome-like structure of the oven allow the pide to cook quickly and evenly, giving it a crispy crust and soft, perfectly cooked filling. 

Putting pide into a stone oven (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Hardwoods in Pide Ovens

In traditional Turkish pide ovens, resin-free hardwoods such as oak, alder, and hornbeam are commonly used to fire up the oven as they burn cleanly and do not produce a lot of smoke or ash.

Pide with tahini (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Pide Facts That Will Stir Your Appetite!

Pide is a culinary treasure trove of fascinating facts and tidbits!

Pide Stretching Challenges

The elasticity of pide dough is so well-known that pideciler (pide makers) challenge each other to make the longest pide by rolling out the dough and stretching it as far as they can!

This competition between pide masters eventually lead to the creation of pides that are 1.5 metres long.

Pide baked on wood-fire (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Seasoning the Firewood

The wood used in pide ovens is usually seasoned for at least one year before it is used so that it burns hot and clean.

Giving the pide a crispy crust and a smoky flavour, which is considered a desirable characteristic.

Pide with cheese and herbs (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Pide & Ayran, the Inseparable Duo!

Pide is often paired with ayran, a traditional Turkish yogurt drink, which helps to balance the flavours and cool the palate with its refreshing taste.

As pide and ayran are served during special occsions and celebrations, they are the inseparable duo of the Turkish Culinary Culture.

Sivas Katmeri (2023) by GoTürkiyeGoTürkiye

Pide: Türkiye's Legacy

A timeless delicacy in the culinary legacy of Türkiye, pide continues to be loved by many with its great variety!

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
Explore more
Related theme
Treasures of Türkiye
Go off the beaten track to explore Türkiye's heritage, food, and culture
View theme
Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites