Turkish Pide (Turkish Flatbread Pizza with 2 Different Fillings!) (2024)

Turkish Pide is a flavorful Turkish flatbread pizza that comes with various fillings that are layered with bold Mediterranean flavors! This pide recipe features two different filling options. One with a spiced ground beef mixture and another vegetarian option with melty cheese and a perfectly cooked egg right on top.

Pide is also known as Turkish pizza (not to be confused with another style of Turkish flatbread, called lahmacun). We saw pide all over the streets of Istanbul and were wowed with the bright colorful pictures of the long and oval shaped meat filled pies.

🇹🇷 What is Pide?

Turkish pide is a delicious Turkish flatbread that is oblong in shape and filled with various fillings. You will see alls sorts of different pide all throughout Istanbul, along with other Turkish favorites, such as Turkish red lentil soup and boreka. Istanbul is truly a feast!

For this recipe, I am sharing two different filing options. One with a savory spiced meat mixture with green peppers, tomatoes and paprika. The other popular filing is a cheese pide that is stuffed with a combination of creamy ricotta cheese and feta.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Authentic Turkish flavors of paprika, tomatoes and peppers.
• This recipe offers two different filling options, both with striking flavors.

🍅 Ingredients

Pide Dough Ingredients

• Flour: A simple all purpose flour is all you need.
• Yeast: Use active dry yeast for this recipe. Add the yeast to warm water with a bit of sugar, so the yeast can activate.
• Egg: This gives the pide some fat and richness to the dough.
• Yogurt: Use full fat yogurt for the best flavor. Yogurt is acidic and gives the dough a tender bite.

Meat Pide Ingredients

• Ground Beef: I like using a ration of 80/20 for maximum flavor. You can also substitute the ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken.
• Anaheim Peppers: These are long mild green peppers that are similar to the ones used in Turkey. If Anaheim peppers aren't available, substitute with a green bell pepper.
• Tomato: Use a large vine ripened tomato that is a deep red color and fragrant for the best flavor.
• Onion: Grated onion is a traditional ingredient in many Turkish recipes, such as grilled kofta that both flavors and moistens the mixture without having large pieces of onion to bite into.
• Spices: Smoked paprika and Aleppo pepper are the spices used in the pide mixture. If you don't like the flavor of smoke, substitute with sweet paprika. Aleppo pepper is slightly sweeter than traditional red pepper flakes. If Aleppo pepper is not available, use half the amount of regular red pepper flakes.
• Tomato Paste: In Turkey, red pepper paste is traditionally used but is harder to find in the states. Tomato paste is a good substitute which gives the meat mixture a sweet depth of flavor.
• Egg: Whisked egg is used to drizzle over the meat filling and to brush onto the dough before baking.

Cheese Pide Ingredients

• Ricotta Cheese: Look for a full fat ricotta cheese, which will have better flavor than low fat. Another tip is to look for a thick ricotta that is sold with a basket inside the package, which helps drain excess whey, making for a creamier ricotta cheese.
• Feta Cheese: Buy a block of feta cheese in brine, which will be creamier than the pre-crumbled options.
• Lemon Zest: This is a personal touch which gives the richer cheese a pop of brightness. Use a microplane to zest the very outside layer of the citrus peel.
• Herbs: Fresh mint leaves and fresh thyme gives the cheese a bright fresh layer of flavor. You can also use ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme and dried mint, if fresh isn't available.
• Egg: This is the time to use the small to medium sized eggs. Crack the egg into a bowl and then transfer it to the cheese pide. The whites may spill over if it's a larger egg.

Substitutions/Variations

• Add mozzarella cheese to the cheese mixture or substitute with only mozzarella and feta cheese.
• Instead of ground beef, use ground chicken, ground lamb or ground turkey.
• Make a vegetarian pide with Mediterranean roasted vegetables or with sautéed spinach.
• Instead of making the pide dough from scratch, use store bought pizza dough.

⏲️ How to Make Turkish Pide

Make the Pide Dough

1. In a large boxing bowl, add the water salt, yeast and sugar. Mix lightly with a fork to get all the yeast in the water and allow to rest for about 10-12 minutes until the mixture begins to get foamy.
2. Add the egg and yogurt and mix to incorporate well. Then using a dough attachment of a stand mixer, slowly mix in flour until a ball of dough forms.
3. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
4. Place the dough in a bowl and cover lightly with a sheet of plastic wrap or towel and let the dough rise until it's doubled in size, for about 1-1 ½ hours.
5. Once the dough has doubled in size, divide the dough into four equal portions and roll each to a smooth ball.

Make the Meat Filling

1. Bring a wide skillet over medium heat and add butter and olive oil.
2. Once melted, add the ground meat and use a spatula to break the meat up and cook until the ground beef is halfway cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the chopped green peppers and continue cooking cooking 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
4. Then add the chopped tomato, grated onion, smoked paprika, Aleppo pepper and tomato paste. Stir everything together and continue cooking on medium-high heat until the liquid evaporates and vegetables are soft.
5. Season with salt and pepper and taste for seasoning. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

Make the Cheese Filling

1. To a bowl, add the ricotta cheese, crumbled feta, olive oil, chopped mint and thyme, lemon zest and salt and pepper.
2. Stir the mixture together until everything is incorporated well and the mixture is thick and creamy. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
3. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.

Assemble and Bake the Meat Pide

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Roll out each dough on a lightly floured surface to a about a 9 inch long oval and about an ⅛ inch thick (not too thin).
3. Spoon the meat filling into two of the pide, leaving a border around the pide to fold over.
4. Use your hands to shape the dough into a long oval shape, crimping the ends. Then gently place the pide onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Brush egg wash over the dough border and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Use a small spoon to drizzle a bit of egg mixture over the meat mixture. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Assemble and Bake the Cheese Pide

1. For the cheese pide, use a spoon to spread the cheese filling into the center of the dough, also leaving a border around the edge. Form the dough into a long oval shape and pinching the ends.Brush the border with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
2. Bake the cheese pide for 6-7 minutes, then remove from oven and use the back of a spoon to make a well in the center of the cheese mixture. Gently crack an egg and place it onto the cheese mixture and continue baking for another 8-10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and egg is cooked.
3. Once both pide are done, garnish with chopped herbs and a additional sumac, if desired.

Recipe FAQs

More Turkish Recipes to Try

More Flavorful Weeknight Mediterranean Recipes