Chunky Mushroom Turkish Pides
We are genuinely obsessed with these right now. Turkish pides are like the pizza of our dreams, all crispy golden dough shaped into those gorgeous little boats, packed with a chunky, deeply savoury mushroom filling. There's something about making your own dough that feels a bit special without being a faff, and the result is so much better than anything you'd knock together on a weeknight with shop-bought stuff. The mushrooms get beautifully meaty and rich, and when it all comes together in that boat shape, honestly it looks impressive enough to serve at a dinner party. Make these tonight and watch them disappear.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 200°C
- Large baking tray lined with parchment
- Stand mixer (or bowl for hand-kneading)
- Frying pan
- Dough to rise for 1 hour
- Filling to cool before assembling
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 250g strong white bread flour
- 1 x 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- 150ml water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 red bell peppers
- 500g mushrooms
- Pinch of salt
- 1 red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ tbsp harissa paste or tomato purée
- small bunch of parsley
- 1 Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt & pepper to taste
Method
Make the dough
- Add the flour, yeast, sugar and salt to the bowl or mixer and mix to combine
- Add the water and the 1 tablespoon oil and mix together
- Knead well for 10 minutes either in the mixer or by aggressively bashing the dough on to the floured surface, punching and turning it and folding repeatedly, until smooth and springy
- Put in a bowl, cover loosely and leave to rise for 1 hour, or until at least doubled in size
Make the filling
- Trim and finely chop the peppers and mushrooms
- Place the frying pan over a high heat and add the olive oil
- Add the chopped peppers and mushrooms to the hot oil with the salt
- Fry for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the water has evaporated and the vegetables are cooked down and starting to turn golden
- Peel and finely chop half the red onion and add it to the pan
- Cook for 5 minutes
- Peel and grate the garlic directly into the pan
- Add the harissa or tomato paste and stir well, then add the spices and stir again
- Remove from the heat
- Finely chop half the parsley and stir it through the mixture
- Taste and season with salt and pepper
- Halve the lemon and squeeze in the juice of half
- Set aside to cool
Bake the pides
- Heat the oven to 200°C
- Tip the risen dough on to a clean surface, roll it into a log and cut it into 4 equal pieces
- Roll each piece into an oval about 10cm wide and 20cm long
- Transfer to the lined baking sheet
- Spoon the filling over the middle of each oval, leaving a 2cm dough border around the edges
- Fold the edges up and over the filling around the edges of the pides and pinch together at the ends to create boat shapes
- Press a little to make sure the edges stick to the filling and don’t flare out during baking
- Brush with olive oil and bake for 15–20 minutes, until the dough is deep golden and the bottoms are crisp
Serve
- Finely slice the remaining red onion and put the slices into a small bowl
- Squeeze over the juice of the lemon half and toss to coat
- Pick the parsley leaves and mix them with the lemon and onion
- Remove the baked pides from the oven and top them with the onion and parsley mixture
- Slice each pide diagonally into 3 pieces and serve
Tips & Variations
- Get a good brown on the mushrooms: Don't rush this step. A hot pan and a bit of patience means proper caramelisation, which is where all the flavour comes from. Stir as little as possible.
- Make the dough ahead: You can make the dough the night before and let it slow-rise in the fridge overnight. It actually develops even more flavour that way. Just bring it back to room temperature before shaping.
- Load up the toppings: We love adding a dollop of vegan yoghurt, some fresh herbs and a drizzle of chilli oil when these come out of the oven. It takes them from great to absolutely incredible.
Why This Works
The trick here is kneading the dough properly. Ten minutes feels like a lot but it's what gives you that chewy, springy texture that makes pides so satisfying. And with mushrooms, the key is not overcrowding the pan so they actually brown and go deep and flavourful rather than just steaming. Trust us on this one, that caramelisation is everything.