Fresh From the Oven Challenge: Turkish Pide

That’s right, I couldn’t help myself.  I joined another monthly baking club: Fresh From the Oven.  This month, Pei Lin a.k.a Mrs Ergül hosted.  She chose a recipe from Iffet’s blog My Turkish Kitchen for a Turkish bread called pide – sounds like pita, looks not entirely unlike focaccia.  I made mine whole wheat because that’s the only kind of bread flour I have around, and it worked just fine.  Mine looks very, hm, rustic, but I got the basic shape with the scoring and the sesame seeds.  The inside was soft and evenly risen, with small holes throughout.  I think it would be best with some sort of jam or butter, but I had my Turkish friend Seda over (she helped me put together my croquembouche last month), and she liked it without.  She said it was good with a Turkish yogurt drink but she didn’t have a blender to make it with. Here’s the recipe with my notes, and the directions in my own words.

4 cups (to 5 cups) All Purpose Flour – I used 4 cups

1 and 3/4 cups Warm Water – I used 1 1/2 cups

1/2 stick Butter ( melted )

1/2 tablespoon Instant Yeast - I used active dry

1 tablespoon Sugar

1/2 tablespoon Salt

Black and White Sesame Seeds - I only used black

Mix dry ingredients and then add and mix in wet ingredients.  (Not the sesame seeds, of course.)
Knead.
Rise for about 2 hours, until doubled in size.
Fold, then let rest for a few minutes so it will be easier to stretch.
Stretch dough into a large rectangle on a cookie sheet. (The original recipe has measurements, which I ignored. I’m a rogue like that.  I made the rectangle close to the size of my cookie sheet, but not touching any of the sides.)  Score in a square pattern.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Preheat oven to 350F and let rise 30 minutes.
Bake 30 minutes.
Cool 20 minutes.

The dough had a high hydration level (around the level of ciabatta bread, that famously wet dough) even with my reduction in the amount of water, and yet I found it very easy to work with.  I would definitely make this recipe again, and try it as more of a regular loaf.