This Turkish flatbread is incredibly soft and fluffy, and the best part? It only requires one proofing! You don’t even need to turn on the oven—just cook it on a non-stick pan over the stove.
Turkish bread is soft, fluffy, and often has a slightly crispy crust. There are different types, but the most common are round or flat loaves, sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds. This bread is an important part of Turkish meals, often served with dips, soups, or meat dishes.
If you’ve never tried it before, it’s definitely worth discovering for its unique taste and texture! You can pair it with this Easy Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry) for a delicious vegetarian option
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: The base of the dough, all-purpose flour provides the right texture for soft, fluffy bread.
- Instant yeast: This fast-acting yeast allows the dough to rise quickly, making the process easier and faster.
- Warm water: The water should be warm (not too hot or cold) to help activate the yeast and create the right dough consistency.
- Warm milk: Adding warm milk gives the bread a rich, slightly creamy texture and helps to keep it soft.
- Melted butter: Used to brush the bread after cooking, it gives the flatbread a golden, soft finish with a rich flavor.
See recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast.
- Add warm water and warm milk to the dry ingredients, along with a little olive oil. Stir everything together and knead the dough for a few minutes until it becomes smooth.
- Lightly oil a pan, then place the dough in the pan. Cover the pan with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the air. Roll the dough into a large ball and divide it into 6 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a small ball, then use a rolling pin to roll each ball out into a flat circle.
- Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place the dough circles in the hot pan. When bubbles start to form on top, flip the bread over and cook the other side. Each side should cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove the bread from the pan. Brush the warm flatbread with melted butter and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and parsley or cilantro.
- Serve the bread warm and enjoy!
Watch the video below for visual instructions
Recipe notes
- Yeast: If you don’t have instant yeast, you can use active dry yeast. Just make sure to activate it in warm water first before adding it to the dough mixture.
- Water and Milk: Make sure both the water and milk are warm, but not hot—around 100°F (38°C) is perfect. If they’re too hot, it can kill the yeast, and if too cold, it won’t activate properly.
- Resting Time: The dough needs to rest and rise until it doubles in size, so be patient. If your kitchen is cool, it might take a little longer than an hour.
- Rolling the Dough: Try not to roll the dough too thin—about ¼ inch thick is perfect for a soft, fluffy texture.
- Cooking: Be sure to cook the flatbread over medium-high heat. A hot pan ensures the bread cooks quickly and gets those lovely bubbles on top.
- Storage: This bread is best served warm, but you can store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat, simply warm it in a pan for a minute or two.
Faqs
Yes, you can make the dough ahead of time. Once it has risen, punch it down, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let it come to room temperature before continuing with the recipe
f you don’t have instant yeast, you can substitute it with active dry yeast. Just dissolve it in warm water with a pinch of sugar and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes frothy, then add it to the flour mixture.
You’ll know the bread is ready when both sides are golden brown and slightly crispy, and you can see bubbles on the surface. It should take about 3-4 minutes on each side, but keep an eye on it to avoid burning.
The key to getting the bread to puff up is cooking it on a hot pan. As it cooks, the steam inside the dough creates bubbles. Be sure to flip the bread when you see bubbles forming on top.
Recipe video
📖 Recipe
Turkish Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups+2 tbsp(500g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 150 ml warm water
- 150 ml warm milk
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
For Garnish
- 3 tablespoon melted butter
- few parsley or cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast.
- Add warm water and warm milk to the dry ingredients, along with a little olive oil. Stir everything together and knead the dough for a few minutes until it becomes smooth.
- Transfer the dough in a greased pan. Cover the pan with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the air. Roll the dough into a large ball and divide it into 6 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a small ball, then use a rolling pin to roll each ball out into a flat circle.
- Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place the dough circles in the hot pan. When bubbles start to form on top, flip the bread over and cook the other side. Each side should cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove the bread from the pan. Brush the warm flatbread with melted butter and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and parsley or cilantro.
- Serve the bread warm and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Yeast: If you don’t have instant yeast, you can use active dry yeast. Just make sure to activate it in warm water first before adding it to the dough mixture.
- Water and Milk: Make sure both the water and milk are warm, but not hot—around 100°F (38°C) is perfect. If they’re too hot, it can kill the yeast, and if too cold, it won’t activate properly.
- Resting Time: The dough needs to rest and rise until it doubles in size, so be patient. If your kitchen is cool, it might take a little longer than an hour.
- Rolling the Dough: Try not to roll the dough too thin—about ¼ inch thick is perfect for a soft, fluffy texture.
- Cooking: Be sure to cook the flatbread over medium-high heat. A hot pan ensures the bread cooks quickly and gets those lovely bubbles on top.
- Storage: This bread is best served warm, but you can store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat, simply warm it in a pan for a minute or two.
