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Turkish Flat Breads with Spinach, Feta and Peppers; Peynirli Pide

Turkish flatbreads with feta, spinach, onion and peppers; Peynirli ve Sebzeli Pide

Turkish flatbreads with feta, spinach, onion and peppers; Peynirli ve Sebzeli Pide

Pide is one of the most popular snacks and our slow cooked “fast food” in Turkey. In Rural Anatolia and at my home town Antakya, locals would prepare the filling and take it to their local bakery, firin to be baked as these delicious flat breads with toppings. There are also “Pideci” Turkish flat bread shops that solely bake and serve these flat breads. Great value, delicious and nutritious, we can’t get enough of pides.

Feta cheese, onions, spinach and peppers make a delicious vegetarian topping for the Pide, Turkish flat breads.

Feta cheese, onions, spinach and peppers make a delicious vegetarian topping for the Pide, Turkish flat breads with toppings.

Pide can be made in various toppings; some favorite toppings are ground meat & onion (here is recipe for the Turkish flat breads with ground meat and onion, Kiymali Pide),Turkish kasar (cheddar) cheese, feta cheese & spinach, cheese and pastrami (Turkish dried beef), cheese and Turkish spicy sauage (sucuk). Sometimes an egg or two can be cracked over pide towards the end of baking too, as in some examples of Karadeniz Pidesi a specialty of a pide prepared in the Black Sea region.

This pide recipe and many more are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland, along with stunning photography and personal stories. Signed copies are available at this link and delivered worldwide including the USA.

Sade Peynirli pide; pide with mild cheddar cheese - one of the many we enjoyed while in Bodrum

Sade Peynirli pide; pide with mild cheddar cheese – one of the many we enjoyed while in Bodrum

We do enjoy this combination of spinach, feta, onions and pepper; sautéed onions and pepper add a delicious sweetness. There is also a gentle but lovely heat from the Turkish red pepper paste, biber salcasi (optional), for a delicious balance. You can also use grated mozarella or mild cheddar cheese instead of feta cheese. I hope you enjoy this vegetarian Turkish specialty, our version of pizza, packed with flavor and have a chance to recreate at home.

Turkish vegetarian flat breads with feta cheese, peppers, onion and spinach, Peynirli, Sebzeli Pide

Turkish vegetarian flat breads with feta cheese, peppers, onion and spinach, Peynirli, Sebzeli Pide

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

3.7 from 3 reviews
Turkish Flat Breads with Spinach, Feta and Peppers; Peynirli Pide
 
I hope you enjoy this delicious, easy to recreate Turkish flat breads with vegetarian toppings; Peynirli ve Sebzeli Pide. They are the ultimate snack and our "to go" food, our version of "Pizza". Spinach, feta cheese, onions, peppers and a hint of red pepper paste make a delicious, healthy vegetarian topping; a real crowd pleaser.
Author:
Recipe type: Turkish flat breads with vegetarian toppings
Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine
Serves: 8 (makes 2 pides)
Ingredients
  • For the dough:
  • 300 gr/ 10½ oz + 2 tbsp. all-purpose plain flour
  • 14 gr/4 tsp. dried yeast (2 packs of 7gr dried yeast)
  • 1tsp sugar
  • 1tsp sea salt
  • 8 fl. oz. /1 cup warm water
  • 45ml/3 tbsp. olive oil
  • For the topping:
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 200 gr/7 oz. spinach leaves, washed and pat dried
  • 200gr/ 7 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut in half lengthways and thinly sliced
  • 15 ml/ 1 tbsp. Turkish red pepper paste (optional; you can use ½ tsp. if you prefer less spicy or omit)
  • 15 ml/ 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt (optional, as feta cheese maybe quite salty too) and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 egg + 15 ml/ 1 tbsp. olive oil to brush the pide
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F
  2. Stir in the dried yeast and sugar in a small bowl and pour in ½ cup warm water. Dissolve the yeast in water, mixing with your fingers. Set aside for the yeast mixture to get frothy for 5 minutes.
  3. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in 2 tbsp. olive oil and the yeast mixture. Pour in the remaining ½ warm water to the flour mixture. Using your hands, draw in the flour from the sides and work the mixture into a dough. Knead for 3 -5 minutes, until you reach a soft, smooth dough. The dough gets sticky as you knead, so pour the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil and stir in additional 2 tbsp. flour to help shape into a soft dough.
  4. Place the dough in large bowl and cover with a cling film. Leave it in a warm place for minimum 1 hour; it will be doubled in size.
  5. In the meantime, prepare your filling. Heat 15ml/1tbsp. olive oil in a wide heavy pan and stir in the onions and peppers. Sauté the onions and peppers for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, until they start to soften. Turn the heat off and stir in the spinach, red pepper paste (if using) and feta cheese, combine well. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper; the topping is ready.
  6. Once the dough is risen, place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for a minute then divide the dough into two pieces and roll into two balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough balls into 2 oval shapes of 20 cm x 40 cm (about 8”x16”), with ½ cm (0.2”) thickness.
  7. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and place the 2 oval flat bread dough on the tray.
  8. Spread the filling evenly over the 2 flat breads, leaving 2 cm at the edges as a border with no filling (I’ve found it’s easier to spread the filling while the oval dough is in the tray). Fold in the sides to act as border to keep the filling intact. Squeeze the oval dough at each end to make it pointy.
  9. Beat an egg in a small bowl and mix it with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Brush the edges of dough with this mixture. Bake for 25 minutes, until the pides golden brown and crispy at the edges.
  10. Once cool, cut into slices and serve.
 

 

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29 Responses to Turkish Flat Breads with Spinach, Feta and Peppers; Peynirli Pide

  1. Peri's Spice Ladle September 2, 2014 at 5:10 am #

    Spinach and pepper with feta sounds like a great flatbread combination, Ozlem, and I’d definitely add the Turkish red pepper, always on hand in my fridge for your walnut dip:) xxPeri.

    • Ozlem Warren September 2, 2014 at 1:08 pm #

      Many thanks Peri, our taste buds are similar and such a pleasure to share 🙂 So glad you’re still enjoying the walnut and red pepper paste dip! Ozlem xx

  2. senior dogs abroad September 2, 2014 at 5:40 am #

    Özlem’ciğim, Glad to read your blog today and thus to know you’re back home and comfortably settled in and blogging again. I’ve promised myself that I really have to try to make pide. This combo of ingredients is always a winner and although we love our meat, we’ve had to cut back on it a bit, so it’s nice to have a healthy vegetarian alternative. Thanks so much. Best to your lovely family. Öptük. J

    • Ozlem Warren September 2, 2014 at 1:07 pm #

      Merhaba Jolee, lovely to be back to blogging too! We do enjoy this vegetarian version of the pide, especially in warmer days – hope you enjoy making it, cok sevgiler 🙂

  3. Alan September 2, 2014 at 5:53 am #

    Oh, the joys of Turkish ‘fast food’! Delicious, cheap and above all, wholesome!

    • Ozlem Warren September 2, 2014 at 1:06 pm #

      Merhaba Alan, we have fond memories of enjoying pide together in Bodrum, thanks so much for coming over to see us – and enjoy those amazing pides at home 🙂

  4. Phil in the Kitchen September 2, 2014 at 10:52 pm #

    Now that could convert me to “fast food”. It’s making me feel very hungry.

    • Ozlem Warren September 3, 2014 at 10:08 am #

      Very nice to hear from you Phil, indeed that’s my kind of fast food too; prepared in front of you, with the freshest of ingredients. Hope you had a good summer, Ozlem

  5. Terry (Adventures in Ankara) September 6, 2014 at 7:06 am #

    It’s true, can’t get enough pide! I know people in Ankara who make their own fillings and take it to the baker. Thanks for sharing!

    • Ozlem Warren September 6, 2014 at 2:21 pm #

      Many thanks for stopping by Terry, I think we all love pide! By the way, really enjoyed your posts from Kas -we were in Kalkan next door 🙂 Beautiful part of the world.

  6. Feroza September 24, 2014 at 6:07 pm #

    Hi can you please tell me where can I get Turkish red pepper & paste, I’m in Canada. Thanks…

  7. Mallory November 21, 2014 at 4:42 am #

    Merhaba Ozlem! I made this recipe tonight 🙂 It was delicious!! My husband loved it, too!!

    • Ozlem Warren November 21, 2014 at 8:03 pm #

      Merhaba Mallory, delighted to hear it, afiyet olsun!:)

      • Nehal Padia September 30, 2015 at 3:06 am #

        Hi Ozlem, your all Turkish recipes sounds so delicious! I would like to make vegetarian pide this Saturday for my guests. Can I prepare all the things prior? I mean all pides are ready and at the time of dinner I just need to bake it. Can you please tell me is that possible? Will there any change in taste or texture?

        Looking forward to your reply.

        Thanks,
        Nehal

        • Ozlem Warren September 30, 2015 at 8:40 pm #

          Merhaba Nehal,

          Thank you for your note, I am glad you are enjoying my recipes. Many thanks
          for giving a go for Pide too. You can prepare the pide with fillings over
          the top and bake when your guests arrive – I wouldn’t leave uncooked pide
          out more than 20 mins – Alternatively, you can bake ahead of time and give a
          gentle heat – at 180 C for 5-8 mins or so to warm up –

          Hope this helps and you enjoy it, Afiyet olsun,
          Ozlem

  8. Diana- yebanci gelin!:) January 21, 2018 at 8:21 am #

    Selam Ozlem! I’ve been a fun of your recipies for a while now and I would like to thank you for sharing all of those goodies with us! It’s pretty hard to find original Turkish recipies written in English, before I always asked my Turkish boyfriend to translate some for me but then I didn’t have a chance to surprise him! So farr I’ve tried your simit, pogaca, gozleme and now I’m preparing this pide for a surprise breakfast, I’m sure he will be over the moon. Thanks again!

    • Ozlem Warren January 21, 2018 at 4:46 pm #

      Merhaba dear Diana, so very kind of you, so glad you are enjoying my recipes, cok tesekkur ederim! Hope you enjoy Pide too, one of our favorites! Just to let you know, all these amazing recipes, stunning photography and many more at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table too, you can pre-order here with 10 % discount, – with a signed copy! – delivered in March. My best wishes, Ozlem https://www.gbpublishing.co.uk/product-page/ozlem-s-turkish-table-hardback

  9. Marcy May 27, 2018 at 1:29 pm #

    Hello Ozlem. Made these flat breads yesterday and they were delicious! I have tried several of your other recipes and not only did I enjoy making them but also learn’t how easy it is to create simple, healthy and tasty meals. Thank you for sharing all your wonderful recipes. Regards from Portugal.

    • Ozlem Warren May 28, 2018 at 1:05 pm #

      Merhaba dear Marcy, thank you so much for your kind note! So glad you’re enjoying my recipes here, I try to showcase how easy and healthy they are so your kind words mean a lot : ) Just to let you know, Pide and many other Turkish recipes are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, which can be ordered at this link (with prompt delivery worldwide), if interested, with best wishes and Afiyet Olsun! x https://www.gbpublishing.co.uk/product-page/ozlem-s-turkish-table-hardback

      • Márcia Vieira August 16, 2018 at 10:09 pm #

        Dear Ozlem,

        I am thrilled to have received my sighned copy of your cookery book! It is so beautifully illustrated and features so many delicious recipes, including my favourites. You have a wonderful heritage. Thank you for sharing it through your blog and book.
        Warm regards.

        • Ozlem Warren August 19, 2018 at 2:49 pm #

          Merhaba dear Marcia, thank you so much for your kind note – you made my day! So glad you are enjoying my book; it is a pleasure to share this wonderful, rich cuisine – Afiyet Olsun! Ozlem x

  10. Rachel Clausen October 18, 2020 at 12:19 pm #

    Hi Ozlem, Thanks so much for your amazing and delicious recipes! I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to find a recipe for a sweet cevizli pide I had many years ago in Sydney, Australia many years ago. Would you be able to recommend any recipes like this, or know where I could find one?

    • Ozlem Warren October 19, 2020 at 10:24 am #

      Merhaba dear Rachel,
      So glad to hear you have been enjoying my recipes – I haven’t made cevizli pide but found this youtube video for you, I hope it helps, Afiyet Olsun,
      Ozlem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPb4ALblArI

  11. Gail January 27, 2021 at 11:58 am #

    Hello Ozlem, I have tried a few of your dishes, and have enjoyed everything I have tried. Thank you for your wonderful food, it is comfort-food, warming and just “feel-good” food. Gail

    • Ozlem Warren January 27, 2021 at 4:44 pm #

      Merhaba dear Gail,

      Thank you so much for your kind note – it means a lot to hear that you’ve been enjoying my recipes.

      Afiyet olsun, my best wishes,
      Ozlem

  12. Zulle March 29, 2022 at 6:59 pm #

    The recipe for the dough is missing SALT!
    Ingredients
    For the dough:
    300 gr/ 10½ oz + 2 tbsp. all-purpose plain flour
    14 gr/4 tsp. dried yeast (2 packs of 7gr dried yeast)
    1 pinch of sugar
    8 fl. oz. /1 cup warm water
    45ml/3 tbsp. olive oil
    For the topping:

    I made this as is and it tastes bland. What a waste!

    • Ozlem Warren March 30, 2022 at 9:19 am #

      Merhaba, thank you for your note and I am sorry you couldn’t enjoy it – salt is actually included in the recipe directions and i made sure it is in the ingrecients list too. Salt is a personal choice – there is also plenty salt with feta cheese in the filling. I hope this helps, thank you and my best wishes, Ozlem

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Turkish Flat breads with Cheese, Tomato and Egg; Yumurtali Pide | Ozlem's Turkish Table - July 15, 2016

    […] food, our version of “Pizza”. Many of you kindly expressed that you enjoyed my Pide with Spinach, Peppers and Feta as well as Pide with Ground Meat and Vegetables with recipes here and asked for variations. Hence […]

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