Sourdough Ramazan Pidesi

(made with a stiff sourdough starter)

This pide is made with a stiff sourdough starter, which gives the bread a beautiful flavour and soft crumb.

While joining an instagram weekend challenge, I went back to my very first posts on Instagram and found the photos from when I started my sourdough starter in 2014. It was one of the earliest things I ever shared there, and it made me smile to see that the same starter is still alive and baking with me today.

For this pide, I used a stiff young starter. Unlike the more common liquid sourdough starter, this one has a much lower hydration and feels more like a small piece of dough. It ferments more slowly and gives the bread strength while keeping the flavour mild which makes it particularly well suited for breads like Ramazan pidesi and poğaça.

Below is the stiff starter build used in the recipe.

Ingredients

45 g bread flour

5 g rye flour

25 g water

25 g active sourdough starter

Method

Combine all ingredients and knead for 5–7 minutes until a firm dough forms.

Cover and let ferment at 25–26°C for 6–8 hours, or until the starter has at least doubled in size.

The starter should feel firm but elastic and ready to use in the dough.

This stiff starter is what I use to make the sourdough Ramazan pidesi below.

Dough

450 g bread flour

50 g rye flour

350 g water

Mix until combined and rest 1–1.5 hours.

Add

100 g stiff sourdough starter

25 g water

Knead until the dough becomes smoothand elastic, 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a stand mixer.

Salt

10 g salt

10 g water

Mix together and knead into the dough for a few minutes.

Bulk fermentation

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl.

Total fermentation time: 4–5 hours

During the first 2 hours, give the dough a stretch and fold every 60 minutes.

Leave the dough undisturbed for the remaining time.

When the dough has risen 30–50%, place it in the fridge for 12–16 hours.

Shaping

1. Divide the dough into 2 pieces.

2. Shape into rounds.

3. Rest 1 hour.

4. Flatten to about 2 cm thickness.

Proof 4–6 hours covered.

Topping

Mix and brush over the dough:

1 egg

1 egg yolk

pinch of salt

Sprinkle with:

sesame seeds

nigella seeds

Press the classic criss-cross pide pattern using your fingertips.

Bake

Bake in a very hot oven 240°C fan for 15 minutes

Let cool slightly before serving.