so, you know how I always say I can’t bake bread because it’s too complicated and I’m impatient?

alright, so I have to tell you about this Turkish bread thing I accidentally made really well last month. My neighbor is from Istanbul and she brought over this puffy flatbread situation and I was like okay I need to figure this out. She gave me her mom’s recipe over text with measurements that made zero sense and I just kind of winged it.

First attempt was a disaster. Like literally a flat dense frisbee that my dog wouldn’t even eat. But the second time I actually paid attention to the yeast proofing part instead of scrolling Instagram and it puffed up like a cloud. Now I make it every weekend and my kids use it for sandwich wraps or whatever.

Why This Actually Works

No fancy equipment needed just a bowl and your oven

The dough is really forgiving so even if you mess up the measurements it usually turns out okay

Takes like 2 hours total but most of that is just waiting around for it to rise while you do other stuff

Way cheaper than buying flatbread at the store and tastes a million times better

You look like you know what you’re doing when you serve fresh bread but it’s honestly super easy

What You’ll Need

How I Make It

Mix the yeast with warm water and sugar in a big bowl. Let it sit for like 5-10 minutes until it gets foamy on top. This is important. If it doesn’t foam your yeast is dead and you need to start over. Trust me.

Once it’s foamy add the yogurt and olive oil and stir it around. Doesn’t have to be perfect.

 

Dump in the flour and salt. I start with like 3.5 cups of flour and add more as needed. Mix it with a wooden spoon until it gets too hard to stir then just use your hands.

 

Knead the dough on a floured counter for maybe 5-10 minutes. I honestly just knead it until my arms get tired. It should be smooth and not super sticky. Add more flour if it’s sticking to everything. Mine’s always a little sticky and that’s fine.

 

Put it in an oiled bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let it rise somewhere warmish for about an hour or until it doubles in size. I usually stick mine in the oven with the light on. Gets messy if you forget it’s in there and turn the oven on later though lol.

 

Punch it down when it’s all puffy. This is the fun part. Just literally punch the air out of it.

 

Divide the dough into 6 or 8 pieces depending on how big you want your breads. Roll each piece into a ball. Mine aren’t perfect sizes but whatever.

 

Let them rest for like 10-15 minutes covered with the towel. This makes them easier to roll out.

 

Roll each ball out into an oval or circle shape. About 1/4 inch thick maybe thinner. I use a rolling pin but you can also just stretch it with your hands if you’re feeling fancy.

 

Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds or nigella seeds if you have them. Sometimes I do garlic powder too.

Now here’s where you can go two ways. Either bake them at 475 degrees for like 8-10 minutes until they puff up and get golden brown spots. Or cook them in a hot skillet for a couple minutes on each side. I do the oven because it’s less hands-on.

 

Let them cool a tiny bit before eating but honestly they’re best warm right out of the oven.

Done.

Tips That Help

• Add herbs to the dough like za’atar or dried oregano for extra flavor – my sister does this and
• it’s really good
• Make garlic butter by melting butter with garlic powder and brushing it on right when they come out of the oven
• Double the recipe and freeze half the dough after the first rise – thaw it overnight in the fridge when you want fresh bread
• If you don’t have yogurt use sour cream or just skip it and add a bit more water

Storage Situation

These keep in a plastic bag on the counter for like 2-3 days. They get a little less soft but you can warm them up in the oven or microwave for a few seconds.

So here’s what happened last time I made these. I made a huge batch and stored some in the freezer in a ziplock bag. Didn’t label it obviously because I was in a hurry. Three weeks later I found this mystery bag of flat bread things and had no idea if it was this Turkish bread or the tortillas I made that one time. Had to defrost one to figure it out. Now I write what it is and the date on the bag with a sharpie before it goes in the freezer.

They freeze really well for like a month. Just let them thaw at room temperature or warm them up straight from frozen in the oven.

Nutrition Info

these are rough guesses because it depends on how many pieces you cut and what size

Questions People Ask Me

 

Why didn’t my bread puff up?

Probably the yeast wasn’t fresh or the water was too hot and killed it. Or the oven wasn’t hot enough. Make sure it’s really preheated. Mine didn’t puff the first time either and I’m pretty sure my oven wasn’t actually at temperature yet.

 

Can I make this without yogurt?

Yeah you can just use more water or milk instead. The yogurt makes it extra soft and gives it a slight tang but it’s not required. I’ve made it without when I ran out and it was still good just not as fluffy.

 

Do I have to let it rise twice?

Technically no. The second rise after you divide it is more of a rest period to make it easier to roll. But if you skip the first rise you’ll get dense bread that’s not fluffy at all. Don’t skip that one.

 

Can I use whole wheat flour?

You can but use like half whole wheat half white flour or it’ll be really heavy and dense. My mom tried making it all whole wheat once and it was like eating cardboard. Mix it with regular flour for better results.

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