Turkish Bread – quick and easy

It’s been quiet here on my blog as I tried to get to terms and find a rhythm in the days. I’m still not there yet and wonder if I ever will as the situation keeps on changing. But I miss my blog and need to find a way to get back into it all.

So, to ease into it and since so many are out there in their homes baking and cooking up a storm I decided to jump in with a very easy recipe on a Turkish bread. Am I alone here that all the food posts can be a tad intimidating at times? I mean WOW… such an amazing crowd of cooks out there and among my friends. And it’s so inspiring to see new recipes popping. And if you are anything like me – the easy once, with less ingredients are usually the once that get my attention.

Now, speaking of intimidating…bread baking can be very intimidating I find. I had my fair deal of hit and miss. So when a friend shared this one I got excited as it makes for a great new dinner companion or a snack with fresh (beetroot) hummus!

The Quick Easy Turkish bread is based in the recipe found under www.lazykitchen. And if you have flour and yeast at hand – sadly, not everybody does these days – give it a try I would say!

Easy Turkish Bread

 Ingredients

• 250 g / 2 cups bread flour
• 7 g / 2¼ tsp instant dried yeast
• 200 ml / ¾ cup + 4 tsp warm water
• 2 tsp fine sugar
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 15 ml / 1 tbsp olive oil, for glazing
• handful of white and black sesame seeds

Preparation

1. Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Create a small well in the middle of the flour and add the yeast. Pour the water into the well and mix everything together with your hands. At this stage the dough should be very wet and fairly hard to manage.
3. Cover the mixing bowl with cling film. Leave to prove for about one hour (or until it has doubled in size).
4. Flour a work surface and tip the proven dough out on to the work surface. Make sure to add enough of flour to avoid sticking. Shape the dough into a flat circle (about 2-3 cm high).
5. Place the dough on a olive oil-greased baking tray. Cover the dough with a tea towel and leave to prove for another 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 250° C / 480° F in the last 20 minutes of this time.
6. Dent the top of the dough by first drawing a rough inner circle (with your fingertips) of about 3 cm from the edge of the bread. Then fill in the centre of the inner circle with criss-crossed diagonal lines about 2-3 cm apart (see 2nd picture in this recipe to get the idea).
7. Using a pastry brush, coat the top of the bread with olive oil. Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds and press the seeds in as far as you can to make sure that they stay in the bread.
8. Bake the bread for 8 minutes at 250° C / 480° F and then turn the oven down to 200° C / 390° F and bake for another 5 minutes (or until golden brown)

Having said that…I made my circle a bit too thin as the bread should be a bit fluffier. But none theless it was tasty and family approved. Next time I will make it closer to dinner time to enjoy it hot out of the oven. I might play around with some garlic or garlic salt on top of it instead of sesame seeds too. I think it could work well!

But go ahead, try yourself!

And – stay well and safe – and find your ease wherever you are these weeks!

AK