Bazlama
Recipe for a simple and versatile pan-fried Turkish bread.
Hey there,
This week’s new recipe is free for all, and is for a popular Turkish bread. I love having this in the freezer – it’s the perfect size for the toaster for an instant thawing that makes it tastes almost like fresh.
Hope you enjoy!
Vidar
Turks’ relationship with bread is as old as the history of Turks themselves. Early on, they mostly stuck with dry flatbreads that lasted essentially forever. As they left their nomadic existence behind, they mostly switched to various forms of fresh breads.
Bread remains the foremost staple of Turkish cuisine. It’s a vital party of every meal, and the price of a standard loaf, regulated by a baker’s guild, is a hugely important political question.
With ramadan already well underway, I should remind you of my recipe for Turkish ramadan pide, but today I want to give you another recipe for a lesser known bread. Bazlama is a thick, pan fried bread. It’s usually eaten fresh, and is excellent for sandwich.
I like keeping a few of these in the freezer. The size and shape is just perfect for the toaster, which thaws and freshens them up in no time. It’s also excellent for hot melted cheese sandwiches.
Bread | Turkish | 6 portions
Ingredients
400 g strong bread flour
100 g whole wheat flour
6 g instant dried yeast
350 g water
10 g salt
How I make it (quick version)
Mix all ingredients to form a dough. Leave to rise until doubled.
Divide and shape into balls. Proof briefly.
Roll out each ball to thick circles, then proof for another 15 minutes.
Pan-fry for a few minutes on each side.
How I make it
Mix all the ingredients until you’ve formed a dough. Knead until the dough has softened a little, 8–10 minutes by hand or slightly less if using a stand mixer. The dough may feel a bit wet at the beginning, especially if kneading by hand. It doesn't need to be perfectly smooth and stretchy, but should be easy to work with. Cover and leave to rise until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Tip the dough onto a floured surface. Divide into 6 portions (c. 110 g each). Fold the edges of each portion towards the centre to form tight balls. Use more flour as needed, but not more than strictly necessary. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest for 15–20 minutes.
Roll the dough balls into circles approximately 12–15 cm (5–6 in) diameter and 1 cm (scant ½ in) thick. Use as much flour as is necessary. Place each portion on a dry kitchen towel. I can fit all the circles on one towel. Cover with another dry kitchen towel and leave to proof for 15 minutes.
Heat a large, thick bottomed frying pan over medium/low heat. Fry each bazlama for 3–4 minutes on each side, one at a time. Adjust the heat to ensure they turn nice and golden but far from burnt during this time.
Serve warm or lukewarm. I prefer it as a sandwich with my favourite fillings. Freeze what you’re not eating the same day.
Notes
I strongly advise always using weight measurements in baking. Volume measures are simply too inaccurate, often leading to disappointing results. Most kitchen scales, even cheap ones, usually have the option to display grams as well as ounces. I therefore don’t provide US volume measures for baking recipes.
How I make it (quick version) has been added with the assistance of ChatGPT, but edited for quality and accuracy by me.