Description
Bazlama, a traditional Turkish flatbread, is a versatile and delicious bread perfect for use as a pizza base, shawarma wrap, or simply dunked into soup. This easy-to-make recipe yields soft and fluffy flatbreads that are cooked on the stovetop in a skillet or frying pan. The combination of yogurt and olive oil in the dough makes these breads tender and flavorful. Once you master this recipe, it will become a staple in your kitchen.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 310 milliliters / 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
- 180 grams / ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- 28 grams / 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Dry Ingredients
- 6 grams / 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (1 small packet)
- 14 grams / 1 tablespoon superfine/caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 525 grams / 3 ¾ cups plain flour
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: Place the lukewarm water, instant yeast, and superfine sugar in a bowl. Stir gently and set aside for 10 minutes until the mixture is bubbling and foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Add the Greek yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir well to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
- Add Flour and Form Dough: Gradually add the plain flour while stirring to bring the dough together. Once combined, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead the Dough: Knead by hand for approximately 5 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky and springs back when pressed, achieving a smooth and elastic texture.
- Divide and Rest: Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Place them on your kitchen surface spaced about 2 inches apart. Cover them with a damp tea towel and let them rest for 15 minutes to relax the gluten and make rolling easier.
- Roll Out Dough: Lightly flour your work surface again. Take one piece and roll it out to approximately ⅓ inch thick, shaping it into a round flatbread.
- Preheat Pan: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until the oil is hot but not smoking.
- Cook Flatbread: Lay the rolled dough into the hot pan. Cook for about 2 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Flip the flatbread and cook the other side until also golden and cooked through.
- Keep Warm: Remove the cooked flatbread and place it on a serving plate. If cooking all at once, keep the cooked breads warm by wrapping them in foil or covering with a clean tea towel.
- Repeat and Serve: Continue with the remaining dough pieces, repeating the rolling and cooking process. Serve warm, optionally smeared with labneh or Greek yogurt mixed with roasted garlic and scallions, and topped with minced beef, sliced tomato, cucumber, or haloumi cheese as desired.
Notes
- To keep cooked flatbreads warm and soft, stack them and wrap in foil or keep covered with a clean tea towel.
- Flatbreads can also be used as a base for pizza or sandwiches like shawarma.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute plain flour accordingly but note texture changes.
- Adding a bit more olive oil to the pan can enhance browning and flavor.
- Ensure water is lukewarm (not hot) to properly activate the yeast without killing it.
