Pide with Cheese and Egg – Turkish Bread Boat Recipe
Pide is an oblong, soft bread shaped like a little boat, baked with various toppings; the cheese and egg version is especially popular for late breakfasts and light dinners. In Turkey, it’s often ordered from bakeries that specialize only in this type of bake. The taste is something between pizza and a cheesy toast bake, but on a fluffy, slightly crisp crust.
This pide combines a fluffy, slightly crisp crust with a rich, salty cheese filling and a soft egg yolk on top, creating a comforting dish that works equally well for a late breakfast, brunch, or light dinner. It brings a taste of a traditional Turkish bakery into your home kitchen.
Chef's tips
Make sure the water is only lukewarm so the yeast activates properly without being killed by high temperature. Heating the baking tray in advance helps the bottom of the pide puff up and stay pleasantly crisp. When adding the egg, work quickly so the oven doesn’t lose too much heat and the white sets evenly.
How to serve
Serve the pide straight from the oven, cut into slices, with a simple fresh salad and strong black tea. It also pairs well with a bowl of natural yogurt or a garlicky yogurt dip. For brunch, arrange different pide flavors on a large board and let everyone help themselves.
Ingredients
- wheat flour - 400 g
- instant dry yeast - 5 g
- sugar - 5 g
- salt - 7 g
- water lukewarm - 220 ml
- vegetable oil - 30 ml
- feta cheese or another salty salad cheese - 200 g
- yellow cheese grated, e.g. mozzarella or gouda - 100 g
- eggs one per bread boat - 4 piece
- butter melted, for brushing the edges - 20 g
- fresh parsley chopped, for sprinkling - 5 g
- black pepper - 1 g
Preparation
- Put the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt into a bowl and mix with a spoon.
- Add the oil and gradually pour in the lukewarm water, mixing until the ingredients come together.
- Knead the dough by hand for 8–10 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and slightly soft; if needed, add a little flour or water.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and leave in a warm place for about 45 minutes, until doubled in size.
- In the meantime, crumble the feta into a bowl, add the grated yellow cheese and pepper, and mix the cheese filling.
- Preheat the oven to 230°C (top and bottom heat) and place a baking tray inside to heat up.
- Divide the risen dough into 4 equal parts and shape each into a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into an oval about 0.5 cm thick.
- Spread the cheese filling in the center of each oval, leaving about a 2 cm border all around.
- Fold the long sides of the dough toward the center, gently rolling them in and pinching the ends together to form a boat shape with an open center.
- Remove the hot baking tray from the oven, line it with baking paper, and transfer the bread boats onto it.
- Brush the edges of the dough with melted butter.
- Place in the oven and bake for about 10–12 minutes, until the dough puffs up and the cheese starts to melt.
- Quickly remove the tray, gently crack one egg into the center of each pide, trying not to break the yolk.
- Return to the oven for another 4–6 minutes, until the white is set and the yolk remains slightly runny (or longer if you prefer it more set).
- After baking, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately, preferably cutting the bread boats into pieces.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This version of pide is one of the most comforting dishes I know: simple ingredients, soft dough, and a runny egg yolk that blends with the melted cheese. Once you get used to shaping the little bread boats, it becomes a relaxed, almost meditative weekend ritual.
