Enjoy this Turkish Flatbread recipe that's perfect for any meal. Made with a handful of ingredients and a soft and chewy texture, this flatbread is perfect for pairing with dips, kebabs, or as a base for pizza.
Table of Contents
In Turkey, this is known as 'village bread' and is called Bazlama. This Turkish bread recipe is well known for good reason because once you have made these fluffy flatbread once you'll be drawn back to this recipe over and over again!
Ingredients and substitutions for Flatbread
- Yeast: This is what gives our bread rise during cooking and contributes to the soft texture with instant used here to allow minimal rising time. Active dry yeast could be substituted in equal measure, though you might want to give the bread slightly longer rest and rise time to achieve the same results.
- Greek yogurt: Thick Greek yogurt lends moisture to the dough whilst helping it not be too thin, you could substitute in equal measure with thick plain yogurt.
- Olive oil: Lending a little fat to our bazlama to give us a softed bread texture.
- Flour: Plain or all purpose is best, unless you live in the UK where the protein level in bread flour is equivalent to plain in the US, so check your protein levels in your bread where you live.
- Sugar and salt: The flavor boosters here add depth of flavor with sea or kosher salt and superfine or caster sugar working best to dissolve into the dough.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Flatbread:
Step 1: Get the yeast bubbly: Stir the yeast, warm water and sugar in a bowl and set aside to get bubbly.
Step 2: Remaining wet ingredients: Add the remaining wet ingredients to the yeast mixture and stir together before adding dry ingredients and forming the dough.
Step 3: Knead: Turn onto a floured surface and knead until it is no longer sticky.
Step 4: Divide and rest: Divide into 10 equal dough balls and set aside to rest.
Step 5: Roll: Until ¼ inch thick.
Step 6: Cook: Pour a little olive oil into a frying pan on medium heat and cook your flatbread until golden, flip and repeat until both sides are golden brown!
Step 7: Repeat: Repeat with the remaining flatbread.
Step 8: Serve: Serve topped with your favorite Middle Eastern and Mediterranean toppings. Enjoy!
FAQs for the best Flatbread
If you're serving the entire stack at one time, it's best to preheat your oven to 100C/210F. Simply place the flatbreads on a plate to keep warm as you cook the rest.
We top ours with a mix of Greek yogurt, sumac, a little lemon juice and finely chopped mint. Following this, you can add minced beef with a little more sumac, really any fresh topping such as sliced fresh tomatoes, squeaky golden haloumi, fresh cucumber, olives, and/or sliced roasted peppers will all taste delicious here.
Yes, Turkish flat bread can be used as a Turkish pizza base. Simply top it with your favorite ingredients, such as tomato sauce, cheese, vegetables, or meat, and bake it until the toppings are bubbly and golden.
Absolutely! One Bazlama bread is approximately 7-inch circle or 17 centimeters which is perfect for wrapping around your favorite fillings. Fill it with grilled meats, fresh vegetables, sauces, and herbs for a flavorful and satisfying wrap.
Yes, it can be frozen for future use. Once cooled, wrap tightly and place in freezer bags or an airtight container. To thaw, simply leave it at room temperature or warm it gently in the oven.
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Flatbread
Ingredients
- 310 mililliters / 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
- 6 grams / 2 ¼ teaspoons 1 small packet instant yeast
- 14 grams / 1 tablespoon superfine/caster sugar
- 180 grams / ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- 28 grams / 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 525 grams / 3 ¾ cups plain flour
Instructions
- Place the lukewarm water, yeast and sugar in a bowl, stir and set aside to sit for 10 minutes, until it is bubbling and foamy.
- Add the yogurt, olive oil and salt to the yeast and stir together.
- Stir the flour through and combine until the dough forms.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it is no longer sticky and springs back, this will take approximately 5 minutes by hand.
- Divide into 10 equal pieces and set aside on your kitchen surface to rest for 15 minutes with 2 inch gap between each piece of dough and a damp teatowel on top.
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll out one piece of dough until it's approximately ? inch thick.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy frying pan or skillet and place on medium heat until hot.
- Lay the flatbread into a hot pan or cast-iron skillet and cook for 2 minutes or until golden, flip and cook the opposite side until also golden brown.
- Remove and set aside on your serving plate (or see note to keep it warm if you want to serve the full stack at the same time).
- Continue with the remaining flatbread dough portions.
- Serve smeared with labneh or Greek yogurt mixed with some roasted garlic and scallions and a variety of toppings from minced beef or sliced tomato, cucumber and haloumi.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Yeast: This is what gives our bread rise during cooking and contributes to the soft texture with instant used here to allow minimal rising time. Active dry yeast could be substituted in equal measure, though you might want to give the bread slightly longer rest and rise time to achieve the same results.
- Greek yogurt: Thick Greek yogurt lends moisture to the dough whilst helping it not be too thin, you could substitute in equal measure with thick plain yogurt.
- Keeping the stack warm: If you're serving the entire stack at one time, it's best to preheat your oven to 100C/210F and place the flatbreads on a plate to keep warm as you cook the rest.
- Can be used as a pizza base: Simply top it with your favorite ingredients, such as tomato sauce, cheese, vegetables, or meat, and bake it until the toppings are bubbly and golden.
- These are perfect to use as wraps: Fill with grilled meats, fresh vegetables, sauces, and herbs for a flavorful and satisfying wrap.
- They can be frozen: Once cooled, wrap it tightly or place in freezer bags. To thaw, simply leave it at room temperature or warm it gently in the oven.
Nutrition
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Made it and loved it?
If you have made this recipe, it would mean so much to leave a review below to help more people find this.
Al
Delicous. A great recipe to make if you're having friends over for dinner!
Sylvie
Hi Al, thanks so much for your comment! Definitely agree with you!