For so many years, my family would enjoy this savory “Turkish Pizza” known as Pide at a local restaurant. And when Wild Garden Foods came out with their Turkish Taouk seasoning, I decided to get a little creative.
Ingredients
1 packet, Wild Garden Turkish Taouk Marinade
1 1/2 lbs Chicken Breast, finely cubed
1 bell pepper, finally chopped
1 red chili, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1-2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Aleppo Pepper (optional)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Dough:
4 cups flour
1 1/2 – 2 cups warm water
2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
2-3 teaspoons, salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Optional egg wash:
1 egg
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
sesame seeds
nigella seeds
Note: In most traditional recipe videos I watched on youtube, the chicken mix was placed raw onto the dough and then baked. But I’m always weary with chicken and also feared that raw chicken may make the Pide soggy.
Preparing the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Mix well. Add in the vegetable oil and begin pouring in the warm water slowly. Knead until a smooth ball of dough is formed. If the dough is too dry, add water. If it’s too sticky, simply add more flour.
Transfer ball of dough into a floured bowl, cover and let it rest for 1 hour or until double in size.
Preparing the Chicken Mix
Slice the chicken breast into 1cm chunks or cubes and transfer to a clean bowl. Pour 1 packet of Wild Garden Turkish Taouk Marinade over the chicken and let it rest for 15 minutes. The beauty about this marinade is that it’s FAST.
Chop up the onion, peppers, and tomatoes. Set aside.
In a large skillet or pot, heat olive oil over medium/high heat and add in the chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink/raw and then add in the onions and peppers. Sauté until chicken is now fully cooked. This is a good time to taste test and add salt, pepper, pul piper (Aleppo Pepper) or any other spice you’d like. Then add in the tomato paste and tomatoes. Cook for just a few more minutes and then remove from heat. The consistency should be that of a thick salsa — if it’s too watery, you’re going to have soggy pide. If it’s not wet enough, you’re going to have a very dry pide.
Set aside and allow it to completely cool.
Assembling the Pide
Pre-heat oven to 475F. Remove ball of dough and transfer to a floured surface. Divide into 6-8 equal balls of dough. Sprinkle some more flour and over with a towel or saran wrap. Let them rest for about 15-20 minutes,
Sprinkle flour onto the work surface and grab one ball of dough. Flatten with your fingertips and then using a rolling pin, roll out until flat and very oval. Pick up the dough and transfer it to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. I found that placing the topping onto the dough while it’s already in the baking sheet is so much easier.
Begin adding the chicken mix to the pide and gently spread it out, leaving about 1/2 an each of border or crust. Then pinch the ends and fold over the edges of the entire pide to create the traditional look.
If you’d like, combine the egg, milk and oil into a bowl and mix well. Then using a pastry brush, brush the edges or “crust” of the pide and sprinkle with the sesame and nigella seeds.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the pide is golden on the top and bottom.