Recipes

Bazlama, Turkish pan-fried bread

bazlama

Bazlama is typical Turkish bread cooked in a pan. Here's how to prepare it with the original recipe or in the variant with potatoes.

Bread is one of those dishes present in all cuisines around the world. The shape and perhaps the cooking techniques change, but never the concept it carries with it, not to mention the fact that it often tells the story of the country. Take for example bazlama, a thin, pan-baked Turkish bread.

Perfect to accompany other typical dishes of this cuisine but also excellent in place of our piadinas, it is really simple to prepare with or without yogurt . The original recipe does not include it but over time this ingredient has contributed to making the bread even tastier and more elastic.

Traditional recipe
Recipe without yogurt
Bazlama with potatoes
Conservation
Origin and history

How to prepare the bazlama recipe

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl and dissolve the yeast in the water separately. Then pour it over the powders, mixing with a spoon. Once the water has finished, add the yogurt and finish kneading.
As soon as the dough has taken consistency, finish working it on the floured surface in order to obtain a homogeneous dough.
Transfer it back to the bowl, cover and let rise until doubled.
Then divide it into 8 equal parts , shape into balls and let rise again for 30 minutes.
Roll them out one by one with a rolling pin until they reach a thickness of 2-3 mm.
Cook the bazlama in a non-stick pan for 30 seconds per side until it swells. As soon as they are ready, grease both surfaces with oil (or butter) and sprinkle them with chopped parsley and garlic.

Bazlama without yogurt

The procedure is similar to the previous one. However, you will have to omit the yogurt and use a total of 300 ml of liquids which can be:

300 ml of water for a 100% vegetable version
150 ml of milk and 150 m of water for a soft version

Bazlama with potatoes

Although it is not the original recipe, this variant of Bazlama with potatoes in the dough is one of the most popular. Soft and elastic, it is equally simple to prepare. You will need:

200 g of potatoes
140 ml of milk
250 g of flour
3 g dry yeast (or 7 g fresh)
1 teaspoon of salt
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Garlic and parsley to serve

Boil the potatoes whole and in their skins and then puree them using a potato masher. Dissolve the yeast in the milk and add it to the puree, then add the flour and salt . Knead first with a spoon and then by hand, on the pastry board, until you obtain a homogeneous dough which you will leave to rise covered for 2 hours.

Divide it into four parts, roll them out one by one with a rolling pin until they reach half a centimeter thick then cook them in a pan for about 1-2 minutes per side. Serve by brushing the surface with oil and completing with chopped garlic and parsley.

In this short video you can see all the steps to make it. Preparation and cooking are similar to the traditional recipe.

The best way to enjoy bazlama is with other typical dishes from the cuisine of these areas. Try it with babaganoush or hummus and you won't regret it.

Conservation

We advise you to consume Turkish bread freshly made or at most within a few hours because its consistency changes over time.

Origin and history

The history of Türkiye is closely intertwined with that of its breads. This food has been one of the most widespread in the region since ancient times and still plays a role of primary importance today. There are different types of Turkish bread, all having different shapes and sizes.

The most common is ekmek , a loaf with pointed ends resembling a baguette, usually served cut into slices. The trabzon , typical of the city of the same name, has a square shape and is used to make sandwiches.

Bazlama, on the other hand, is the typical bread of Anatolia, the westernmost region of the country. In all likelihood, this is where similar breads such asGreek pita and Indian naan were born. Last but not least the simit , a donut-shaped bread whose surface is decorated with sesame seeds.