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Bazlama is a soft and fluffy Turkish Flatbread that has become more popular over the last few decades.
It is one of the oldest Turkish bread recipes, and probably the favorite of many as well.
This versatile flatbread is very easy to make and needs only a few ingredients you might already have in hand.
Bazlama is traditionally cooked on outdoor stoves over a wood fire in the villages of Anatolia, but you can easily cook them at home on a good quality heavy-based pan or skillet.
Jump to:
- What is Flatbread?
- Why This Recipe Works?
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Top Tips From the Chef
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage Instructions
- Recipe FAQs
- Related Recipes
- Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread)
Bazlama is similar to Greek Pita Bread and it is great for dipping into Chicken and Dumpling Soup, Moroccan Harira Lamb and Chickpeas Soup, or Kapuska\Turkish Cabbage Stew.
It is also perfect for serving at breakfast/brunch, a very popular component of a traditional Turkish breakfast.
This fluffy Turkish flatbread is best when served warm and freshly cooked.
What is Flatbread?
Aflatbreadis a type of thin bread made withflour,a type of liquid (generally water,milk, or yogurt), andsalt.
The dough is then portioned and rolled into flatteneddough.
Most flatbreads areunleavened such as Homemade Wheat Tortilla Bread, although some are leavened, such asTawa Naan, Manakish with Za'atar and Cheese, andTurkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi.
Flatbreads have different thicknesses and you don't have to slice them.
They can be plain or with toppings and there are many different ways of cooking them.
You can bake them in an oven, fry them in hot oil, grill them over hot coals, and cook them on a hot pan,Tava,comal, or metal griddle.
They are best when eaten freshly made but can be frozen and kept for up to 3 months.
Flatbread in Turkey is a staple and there are many different varieties such as Sucuklu Pide (Turkish Bread with Spicy Sausage), Turkish Lahmacun, Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes), and Bazlama.
The main differences are in the shape, toppings, and cooking methods.
Why This Recipe Works?
- This recipe for Turkish flatbread needs only five pantry ingredients that you might already have in hand.
- It is a very easy recipe to follow with step-by-step pictures, a video tutorial, and instructions.
- Bazlama is perfect for dipping soups or stews as well as for breakfast & brunch.
- It freezes beautifully. You can keep the leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for thefull ingredients list withmeasurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Strong white flour - It has ahigher protein percentage than plain/all-purpose flour and it gives more reliable results when making bread and bread rolls. You can replace it with plain flour as long as you don't mind a bit less chewy bread.
- Plain natural yogurt - Use plain natural or Greek yogurt with no added sugar or flavor.
- Fast-action dried yeast- You can use 10 grams of fresh yeast instead.
- Sugar - A little sugar goes a long way. It feeds the yeast, enhances bread flavor, gives the crust a golden color, and improves the crumb texture.
- Salt - Salt is necessary for the steady and slow rise of the dough to develop the flavor of the bread.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Bazlama is surprisingly one of the easiest bread to make at home.
You don't necessarily need a fancy fire stove, and you can cook them on a good-quality pan in just a few minutes.
There are a few easy steps that you need to follow to achieve the best results:
Prepare the Dough
Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a bowl, and stir well.
Let the yeast activate for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is foamy and bubbly.
Whisk in the yogurt, then add ¾ of the flour along with the salt.
Mix all together to form a dough.
Gradually add the remaining flour until you get the right consistency.
Knead it for a few minutes until you get a soft and slightly sticky dough.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until it doubles the size.
The rising time depends on the temperature of the room and it might take up to an hour.
Shape the Bazlama
When the dough doubled its size, divide it into 4 equal pieces (around 235 grams each) and turn them into balls.
I suggest using an for this step but use your eyes and hands if you don't mind slightly different size bread.
Place the dough balls on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle some flour on top, and let them rest for 10 minutes covered with a clean kitchen cloth.
Take a dough ball and press it down.
Roll it into a circle with a rolling pin about 20 cm (8") wide. Repeat the same with the remaining dough balls.
Let the dough circles rest for another 10 minutes before cooking.
Cook on a Pan
Heat a heavy-based frying pan on medium heat.
When the pan is hot, place the dough in the pan.
Lower the heat and cook the bazlama until bubbles appear on the surface and the bottom of the dough is golden brown. This should take 4 to 5 minutes.
Flip the dough and bake for another 4 to 5 minutes.
Set it aside on a plate and lightly brush it with butter.
Cover the cooked bazlama with a clean kitchen cloth or tin foil to keep them warm.
Repeat the same with the remaining dough and serve them when they are still warm.
Top Tips From the Chef
- The most important step for fluffy Bazlama bread is to get the consistency of the dough right. Add the water gradually as the humidity of the room might change the amount of water you need. Achieving a soft and fluffy bazlama texture requires a slightly soft and sticky dough.
- Every stove cooks differently so you might have to adjust the cooking time accordingly. If you don't see the bubbles appearing on the top surface after about 45 seconds to 1 minute, increase the heat. If the underside of Bazlama is getting brown too fast, slightly decrease the heat.
Serving Suggestions
The same as Easy Rustic Sourdough Flatbread Recipe, Bazlama is great for dipping sauces, soups, or stews as well as making sandwiches.
You can eat these delicious flatbreads as you would a dinner roll.
They are also perfect as a part of Turkish breakfast whether you dip them in Shakshuka, have it with some delicious Turkish omelet Kaygana, or just spread homemade Rhubarb Jam or Nutella on them.
For more serving ideas, try this delicious Turkish flatbread out with Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup), Baked Prawns (Karides Guvec), Mediterranean Hummus Dip, Kuymak (Mihlama), Slow Cooked Lamb Tagine With Apricots, or Turkish Lamb Stew with Chickpeas.
Storage Instructions
You can keep this fluffy flatbread in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Simply defrost and reheat them in the oven or on a pan, and they will taste as if they are freshly cooked.
Recipe FAQs
How to reheat Bazlama?
The easiest way to reheat your leftover flatbreads is to place them in a preheated oven to 190° (375° F) wrapped in tin foil and warm them up for 7-8 minutes.
You can also reheat your bazlama bread using a pan or skillet. Simply heat the pan/skillet to medium and warm per flatbread for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
Can I make Bazlama ahead?
Yes, you can prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance. Simply let it rise and cover it with cling film before putting it in the fridge. When you want to cook, make sure you bring the dough back to room temperature before shaping and cooking.
For more easy homemade bread recipes why not try:
- Homemade Sandwich Bread
- Pitka (Bulgarian Christmas Bread)
- Keema Naan Bread
- Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag@cookingorgeouson Instagramand hashtag it#cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Bazlama (Turkish Flat Bread) as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
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Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread)
Ayla Clulee
This pillowy and delicious Turkish bread is very easy to make and extremely delicious!
5 from 25 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine Turkish
Servings 4 Bazlama
Calories 520 kcal
Equipment
1 kitchen scale
1 measuring spoons
1 Measuring cups
1 Rolling Pin
1 frying pan
Ingredients
- 300 ml tepid water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fast action dried yeast (7g) (or 10 grams of fresh yeast)
- 100 g plain natural yogurt
- 550 g strong white flour (plus some extra for dusting)
- ½ tablespoon salt (12 g)
- butter (for brushing)
Instructions
Combine the yeast, sugar, and water into a bowl, and stir them well.
Let the yeast activate for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is foamy and bubbly.
Whisk in the yogurt then add ¾ of the flour along with the salt. Mix all together to form a dough.
Gradually add the remaining flour until you get the right consistency and knead it for a few minutes until you get a soft and slightly sticky dough.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until it doubles the size. The rising time depends on the temperature of the room and it might take up to an hour.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces around 235 grams each, and turn them into balls. I suggest using an electronic kitchen scale in this step.
Place the dough balls on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle some flour on top and let them rest for 10 minutes covered with a clean kitchen cloth.
Take a dough ball and press it down. Roll it into a circle with a rolling pin about 20 cm/8" wide.
Repeat the same with the remaining dough balls. Let the dough circles rest for another 10 minutes before cooking.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan on medium heat and place the dough in the pan when it is hot.
Lower the heat and cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the bottom of the dough is golden brown. This should take 4 to 5 minutes. Flip it and cook it for another 4 to 5 minutes.
Set it aside on a plate and lightly brush it with butter. Cover the cooked bazlama with a clean kitchen cloth or tin foil to keep them warm.
Repeat the same process with the remaining dough and serve them when they are still warm.
Video
Notes
- The most important step for fluffy Bazlama bread is to get the consistency of the dough right. Add the water gradually as the humidity of the room might change the amount of water you need. Achieving a soft and fluffy bazlama texture requires a slightly soft and sticky dough.
- Every stove cooks differently so you might have to adjust the cooking time accordingly. If you don't see the bubbles appearing on the top surface after about 45 seconds to 1 minute, increase the heat. If the underside is getting brown too fast, slightly decrease the heat.
- You can prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance. Simply let it rise and cover it with cling film before putting it in the fridge. When you want to cook, make sure you bring the dough back to room temperature before shaping and cooking.
- The easiest way to reheat your leftover flatbreads is to place them in a preheated oven to 190° (375° F) wrapped in tin foil and warm them up for 7-8 minutes.
- I suggest using an for this step but use your eyes and hands if you don't mind slightly different size bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 107gProtein: 15gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 886mgPotassium: 186mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 25IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 6mg
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