Ground Beef Pide

It has been a few months, yet my taste buds still yearn for the foods we ate in Turkey. To indulge myself I try this innovative pide recipe. Pide are boat shaped bread receptacles filled with spicy ground meat. My beef filling is liberally infused with baharat, a fragrant Turkish spice mix. We found some in this tiny spice shop in Antalya. This nondescript shop had the best selection of fresh spices. Much much better than anything from Istanbul's Spice Market. 

The dough is soft and yeasty. There is a technique to making these pide. Small discs of dough are filled with some spicy beef. The edges are crimped together into a half-moon shape. Dipped in molasses water and toasted sesame seeds, the parcels are flipped over. You then take a sharp knife and make a vertical slit. The edges are pressed outward into an oval shape. Sounds hard, but it really is pretty simple. A fast bake in a hot oven and you some delicious pide.

GROUND BEEF PIDE

Adapted from Chef Burcinarda

Serves 2-4

DOUGH

2 cups AP Flour

3/4 cup Warm Water

2 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon soft Butter

1/2 teaspoon active dry Yeast

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

FILLING

1/2-pound Ground Beef

2 tablespoons Baharat powder

1 teaspoon Chili Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

3 tablespoons toasted Sesame Seeds

1 tablespoon Molasses

1/2 cup Water

Parsley leaves

Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl and keep aside.

Place flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl of a stand mixed.

Make a hole in the center and add warm water to the bowl. 

Cover bowl and leave for 5 minutes. 

Uncover and add oil and butter. 

Use a dough blade and knead dough on low for 3-5 minutes. 

Dust a counter with a little flour.

Place dough on counter and knead till smooth.

You should have a soft dough.

Divide dough into 6 equal parts.

Roll each part into a neat round. Place on a baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Dust the counter with a little flour. 

Place one ball on to the flour. 

Flatten with your hands into a 4-5 inch disc.

Divide the meat filling into 6 portions.

Take one portion and place it in the center of the disc.

Bring the two ends of the disc together and pinch to close to form a crescent shape.

Repeat with other discs. 

Dissolve molasses and water in a bowl.

Place sesame seeds in a plate.

Heat oven to 400F/200C.

Line a sheet pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Dip one crescent into the molasses and then into the sesame seeds. 

Place on the prepared sheet pan, the seeded side facing up. 

Repeat with other crescents. 

Take a sharp knife and make a vertical slit. 

With your fingers press the dough outwards to form an oval shape. Spread the meat filling all the way to the edges of the dough.

Repeat with other crescents. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes till breads are golden brown. 

Garnish with parsley and enjoy.

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