Name: Sourdough Pide (Turkish Flatbread)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 16 h 30 min
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 22g sourdough starter (100% hydration); 22g bread flour; 22g water; 300g bread flour (I used Japanese high gluten flour); 6g salt; 10g olive oil; 220g water (please hold back 30 - 40g and add in later as each flour absorbs water and hydrates differently); 60g of active sourdough starter (from the above); 50g grated parmesan cheese; 250g mozzarella cheese; 1 medium red pepper, diced; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced; 16 pitted olive, diced; 150g frozen spinach, defrosted and squeeze out liquid (optional), this amount for one pide; Feta cheese (optional); 4 pieces of parchment paper (9 inch X 6 inch); Baking Stone/Steel or Cast Iron

Last Updated 6 December 2025

By Bake with Paws

Sourdough Pide (Turkish Flatbread) — Homemade & Delicious

There’s something deeply satisfying about making a warm, boat-shaped pide from scratch — a dough fermented slowly, baked until golden, filled with gooey cheese and savory toppings, and shared around the table. I first experimented with pide a couple years ago after a trip to a food market abroad. At the time I wasn’t fully pleased with the crust. More recently, I tried using my sourdough pizza-crust dough as the base — and the result was even better than I hoped: a tender, chewy crust with a slight tang and perfect texture.

This version is ideal as a cozy weekend bake or a fun alternative to pizza nights. Whether loaded with veggies and cheese, or filled with spinach and olives — each pide becomes a delicious, customizable feast.

What Makes This Sourdough Pide So Special

Soft, chewy crust with subtle sourdough depth: The long fermentation builds flavor and a supple dough structure that stays tender yet sturdy enough to support toppings.
Olive-oil rich and flavorful: Olive oil enriches the dough and adds a lovely aroma and mouthfeel to each bite — classic to Turkish flatbreads.
Simple ingredients, accessible process: Using basic pantry staples — flour, water, salt, olive oil, and a healthy starter — this recipe is approachable even for home bakers.
Versatile — endless topping possibilities: From classic cheese-pepper-olive combos to spinach-feta, meat, or mixed-vegetable fillings — you can tailor pide to what you love or what’s on hand.
Great for sharing & mealtimes: Pide’s boat-shape makes it perfect for family meals, lunch spreads, or a cozy dinner alongside soups, salads, or dips.

Expert Tips Before You Begin

Use strong bread flour (high-gluten flour) to give the dough enough strength and elasticity to handle hydration, fermentation, and shaping.
Reserve some water at the start — different flours absorb differently, so hold back 30–40 g and add later if dough feels dry.
Use gentle stretch-and-fold instead of heavy kneading — this helps build gluten strength without overworking, preserving extensibility and airiness.
Cold ferment (retard) overnight after initial mixing — this improves flavor complexity and makes dough easier to work with.
Preheat your oven thoroughly — bake on a hot pizza stone, cast-iron pan, or heavy tray (top 2/3 of the oven) at around 250 °C (fan-forced) for best crust and oven-spring.

How To Make Sourdough Pide (Turkish Flatbread)

Ingredients - Yields 4 Pides (8 inch X 4 inch)

Sourdough Starter/Levain (60g):

22g sourdough starter (100% hydration)

22g bread flour

22g water

Bread Dough:

300g bread flour (I used Japanese high gluten flour)

6g salt

10g olive oil

220g water (please hold back 30 - 40g and add in later as each flour absorbs water and hydrates differently)

60g of active sourdough starter (from the above)

Filling/Toppings (This are just estimated amount)

50g grated parmesan cheese

250g mozzarella cheese

1 medium red pepper, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 medium tomato, seeded and diced

16 pitted olive, diced

150g frozen spinach, defrosted and squeeze out liquid (optional), this amount for one pide

Feta cheese (optional)

Tools:

4 pieces of parchment paper (9 inch X 6 inch)

Baking Stone/Steel or Cast Iron

Note: I made 1 X Spinach & Cheese Pide and 3 X Red Pepper, Onion, Olive & Cheese Pide.

Step-By-Step Method:

Levain - 5.30 pm

Mix all of the ingredients for levain. Cover and leave it to rise until tripled in size at room temperature (28C - 30C). It took about 2.5 - 4 hours.

Mixing the dough - 8.30 pm

Dissolve levain and water in a bowl of stand mixer. Add in olive oil, salt and flour. Mix with paddle attachment for 2 minutes at low speed. Transfer the dough into a greased bowl. Cover and rest for 30 minutes (RT at 25C - 26C in air conditioned room).

Stretch and Fold (S&F) - 9.15 pm

S&F 1 – Make 4 folds. Your dough will be quite weak at this time. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
S&F 2 – Make 4 folds. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
S&F 3– Make 4 folds. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
S&F 4 – Make 4 folds. By this time, your dough should be smooth and strong. Cover and rest for 1 hour in aircon room (24C - 25C). The dough should increase 50% of the size.

Cold Retard - 11.45 pm

Retard in the fridge for 8 - 12 hours

Portion and pre-shaping - The next morning

Transfer to a floured counter top. The dough should be sticky. Dust the dough with some flour and cut into 4 equal portions with a scrapper.
Shape the each portion into a rough ball and rest for 1 hour on the counter top.

Shaping and Baking -

Preheat the oven together with the pizza stone / cast iron pan or baking tray inside (in the upper 2/3's of the oven) to 250C (fan-forced) for 60 minutes before baking. I used pizza stone.
After one hour of resting, press the dough ball into an oblong round disc with a rolling pin. Transfer to the dough onto a prepared parchment paper.
Spread evenly the filling/topping ingredients that you like and fold the two sides to create a shape of a boat. Please refer to the video.
Transfer the dough together with the parchment paper with a pizza scrapper onto the baking stone and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. I baked 2 pide at a time.
Remove the pide with a pizza scrapper from the oven. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with some salt before serving.

Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Adding all water at once: Dough may become too sticky or overly dry depending on flour — always reserve some water and adjust hydration after initial mix.
Over-kneading instead of gentle folding: Aggressive kneading tightens gluten excessively, resulting in dense pide instead of light chewy crust.
Skipping cold retard: Dough will be harder to shape, less flavorful, and texture may be less pleasant.
Not preheating oven or baking surface enough: Crust may come out pale, under-baked, or too soft at the bottom — ensure stone/pan is very hot before baking.
Overloading toppings: Too many toppings may weigh down the dough and cause soggy pide or uneven baking.

Serving Suggestions & Storage

Serve pide hot or warm, drizzled with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, perhaps a sprinkle of fresh herbs (like parsley), or a squeeze of lemon for a fresh finish.
Pair with salads, grilled meats, dips (hummus, tzatziki), or enjoy as-is — it makes a great lunch, dinner, or snack.
If you have leftover pide, store it at room temperature in a paper bag (for 1 day) or freeze — reheat in a hot oven to revive crust crispness and interior chew.

FAQ

Q: Can I skip the cold ferment and bake the same day?

A: Yes, but expect less flavor depth and dough may be harder to shape. Cold fermentation yields better taste, texture, and manageability.

Q: I don’t have a pizza stone — can I bake on a regular tray?

A: You can, but crust may be less crisp underneath. If you have a heavy cast-iron pan or baking steel, that helps — and preheating it thoroughly is key.

Q: What toppings work best for pide?

A: Pide is versatile — you can go for classic cheese + vegetables, spinach + feta, meat fillings (minced meat or sausage), or simple cheese + herbs. Don’t overload toppings to avoid sogginess.

Q: Why is olive oil used in the dough and after baking?

A: Olive oil enriches the dough, adds flavor and aroma, helps crumb stay tender, and after baking creates a lovely sheen and extra richness — a signature quality of pide crust.

Love Pide? Subscribe to Bake with Paws

If you enjoy home-baked breads, sourdough experiments, and simple dough recipes that turn into delicious meals — don’t forget to subscribe using the pop-up box. You’ll get new recipes, baking tips, and inspiration delivered straight to your inbox.

Tried This Recipe? Share & Tag Me!

I’d love to see your homemade pide — share your results in the comments below or tag @Bakewithpaws on Instagram. Seeing your bakes helps me refine recipes and inspires future posts.

Recipes You Might Like

Comments

Jose18 May 2021 at 05:01
The flat bread look delicious my to you is can use regular high glue-ten flour thank you jz
Unknown10 June 2021 at 14:55
I made the Pide last week and it was delicious! Thank you for the perfect recipe
kelatae16 June 2021 at 04:05
I halved the recipe and made the pide. It's yummy 😋😋. Thanks for the recipe.

BAKE WITH PAWS

Sourdough Pide — Soft, Chewy Turkish Flatbread at Home