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Make this easy Turkish Bread with a total of just 15 minutes of prep. This soft, delicious, focaccia style overnight bread is soft inside with a crispy crust. Having homemade bread in the morning has never been this easy!
I'm a real sucker for bread, and there really is nothing better than a piece of homemade bread topped with loads of butter for a weekend breakfast.
For years my go-to was scones, followed by an English muffin period - but for the past few years now this quick, easy, and oh so delicious Turkish Bread has taken its place.
Why you will love this recipe
- It's easy - just a few simple steps to make this overnight bread
- It's quick - 15 minutes of prep, and 14 minutes to bake
- No kneading required - nope, zero
- Kind of like a foccaccia - but this Turkish Bread is easier to make
- It's delicious - that slow rise allows for so much flavor to develop
- It's versatile - change up the toppings and what you serve with it. Have it for breakfast or brunch, as a side for soup, or with a meze platter with hummus and acili ezme!
What you need to make it
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour
- Milk can be partly or completely switched for luke warm water and should
- Olive oil is just used to grease the pan, and can be swapped for vegetable oil, cooking spray, butter or margarine
- Yeast: I prefer active dry yeast for slow rise recipes, but you can also use wet yeast - mix it with the milk
- Flax seeds can be swapped for the topping of your choice, for example crushed or whole sesame seeds, nigella seeds or poppy seeds
- Sea salt flakes can be omitted, but add a great touch
- Egg is used for egg wash to brush on top just before baking. You can also use a bit of yogurt mixed with water, or just plain water.
How to make it
- Place flour in a large bowl enough to hold all the dough, even after rising
- Add yeast, sugar and salt
- Mix
- Add most, but not all, of the milk
- Mix
- Add the rest of the milk as needed to get a good dough
- Mix continuously as you add milk. When done, the dough should be wet to the touch, but release from the sides when pulled.
- Cover with clingy plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight or for at least 12 hours
- When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 440°F (225°C) and bring out the dough from the fridge. It should now have risen a bit, but it probably won't have doubled in size. You should notice it's a bit "poofy", and when touching it, it should feel elastic.
- Bring out a deep baking sheet, and pour in the olive oil. Use a piece of paper towel to coat the pan evenly with oil.
- Place the dough in the pan
- Spread it out as evenly as possible, using your hands
- Crack the egg into a glass or small bowl and whisk together with a fork. Then use a pastry brush to brush the egg onto the bread. You will need about half the egg.
- Top with flax seeds
- Crush the sea salt flakes slightly in your hand and sprinkle on top
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 14 minutes, until golden brown
Tips & tricks
- Mix the dry ingredients together first to ensure they are well combined
- Add part of the milk first to make sure your dough doesn't end up too wet or too dry
- Add more or less milk if you need to, to get the right consistency
- If your dough is too wet, just add more flour
- Cover with plastic film to keep the dough from drying out
- If you wish to bake it sooner, leave covered in room temperature for 1-2 hours instead of placing it in the fridge
- If it hasn't risen at all overnight, let it sit in room temperature for 30-60 minutes before baking
- If you want to make the dough the same day instead just let it rise in room temperature 1-2 hours. You can also double the amount of yeast and it will rise in 1 hour.
- Place leftover Turkish bread in a plastic bag before cooling down completely
- Store leftovers in a plastic bag - it's good for 4-5 days
FAQ
Turkish bread is not more or less healthy than other bread. It is made from the same common bread ingredients as other bread.
Bread is a big part of Turkish cuisine, and there are many different types of Turkish bread. Some common ones are Pide Ekmek, Ramazan Pidesi, Mısır Ekmeği, Pita bread, Yufka, Bazlama, Simit and Gözleme.
This specific recipe is based on a recipe for Diyarbakır Çöreği, a bread that's a staple in the Diyarbakır region. It is very similar to Pide Ekmek.
There is really nothing different about Turkish bread in general - it all depends on what type of bread you're making.
Turkish bread can be everything from soft or crispy Turkish flatbread to pita bread, and breads similar to foccaccia.
How to eat it
This Turkish bread is great with any dish that goes well with bread. Some of my favorite ways to have it are:
- For breakfast, topped with Whipped Butter or Whipped Feta or served with Menemen (Turkish Shakshuka) or a Stovetop Frittata
- As a side for soup - especially lentil soup and chicken soup
- With a meze platter - it's delicious dipped in hummus or acili ezme
- For dinner - as a side for lamb chops, moussaka or baked chicken drumsticks
More quick and easy breakfast recipes
- Classic Savoury Scones
- Greek Breakfast Egg Muffins
- Chocolate Oatmeal with Peanut Butter & Blueberries
- Fried Potatoes Breakfast Bowl with Feta Cheese & Poached Egg
- Vegetarian Tapenade Sandwich with Feta Cheese & Jalapeños
Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Turkish Bread
Print RateIngredients
- 2½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1¼ cup milk
For topping
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ egg whisked together
- 1 tablespoon whole flax seeds
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes*
Instructions
The night before baking
- Combine flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl and mix.2½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon dry active yeast, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar
- Add ⅔ of the milk and mix again. Then add more milk as needed to reach a good consistency. It should be a bit wet to the touch, but should release from the sides when pulled.1¼ cup milk
- When satisfied with the consistency, cover with clingy plastic film and place in the fridge overnight or for at least 12 hours.
20 minutes before you want to eat your bread
- Preheat your oven to 440°F (225°C).
- Bring out the dough from the fridge and remove the plastic film.
- Bring out a deep oven sheet that's about 8x10' (20x25 cm)', or slightly smaller. Pour in the olive oil and use a paper towel to grease the entire inside of the pan evenly.½ tablespoon olive oil
- Place your dough in the pan and push it out into the pan as evenly as possible. It should fill the bottom of the pan.
- Brush it with the egg, and then top with whole flax seeds and sea salt flakes that you crush slightly with your fingers.½ egg, 1 tablespoon whole flax seeds, 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes*
- Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown.
Equipment needed for this recipe
- Measuring cups (metric or US)*
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour
- Milk can be partly or completely switched for luke warm water and should
- Olive oil is just used to grease the pan, and can be swapped for vegetable oil, cooking spray, butter or margarine
- Yeast: I prefer active dry yeast for slow rise recipes, but you can also use wet yeast - mix it with the milk
- Flax seeds can be swapped for the topping of your choice, for example crushed or whole sesame seeds, nigella seeds or poppy seeds
- Sea salt flakes can be omitted, but add a great touch
- Egg is used for egg wash to brush on top just before baking. You can also use a bit of yogurt mixed with water, or just plain water.
Tips & tricks
- Mix the dry ingredients together first to ensure they are well combined
- Add part of the milk first to make sure your dough doesn't end up too wet or too dry
- Add more or less milk if you need to, to get the right consistency
- If your dough is too wet, just add more flour
- Cover with plastic film to keep the dough from drying out
- If you wish to bake it sooner, leave covered in room temperature for 1-2 hours instead of placing it in the fridge
- If it hasn't risen at all overnight, let it sit in room temperature for 30-60 minutes before baking
- If you want to make the dough the same day instead just let it rise in room temperature 1-2 hours. You can also double the amount of yeast and it will rise in 1 hour.
- Place leftover bread in a plastic bag before cooling down completely
- Store leftovers in a plastic bag - it's good for 4-5 days
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Anita
This was so good and very easy to handle and bake, almost like Italian focaccia. Now I have another favorite bread recipe. 🙂
Emmeline Kemperyd
Very similar, yes! And equally as delicious - happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Noelle
This was delicious! I loved how easy it was to make too 🙂
Kelly Anthony
I'm also a bread lover and I've never made Turkish bread before so I'm excited to try something new.
Jessica
This will be great for sopping up soup! It looks so thick and crispy.
Matt Ivan
Love the flavor and texture! It’s perfect with almost any recipe.