Peynirli Pide - Turkish Pizza with Spinach, Feta and Peppers

-Serves 4 (makes 2 pides)
Peynirli Pide is Turkey’s very own vegetarian version of Italian pizza. With many different versions made with minced meat, spicy sausage, pastrami, eggs and more, this classic recipe made with spinach, spicy pepper paste and feta will blow your mind. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Peynirli Pide - Turkish Pizza with Spinach, Feta and Peppers

For the dough:
14g dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
375g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
For the topping:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut in half lengthways and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon red pepper paste (or tomato paste for mild flavor)
200g spinach leaves, washed and pat-dried
200g feta cheese, crumbled
Sea-salt (optional, as feta cheese maybe quite salty too)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Semolina, for baking
1 egg + 1 tablespoon olive oil to brush the pide

Recipe
  1. Place dried yeast, sugar and warm water in a bowl - stir to dissolve. Set aside for 5 minutes until frothy.
  2. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in 2 tablespoons 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 about 5 minutes, until a soft, smooth ball of dough comes together. The dough gets sticky as you knead; add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and knead until smooth.
  3. Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with cling film. Leave it in a warm corner for about an hour or until double in size.
  4. To make the filling, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a wide heavy pan; stir in the onions and peppers. Sauté the onions and peppers for a few minutes over medium heat, until they start to soften. Add red pepper paste - stir well. Turn the heat off and stir in the spinach. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper; set aside.
  5. Once the dough is risen, place the dough on a lightly floured suface, punch the air out and knead for another minute until smooth. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and roll into two smooth balls. 
  6. Roll the balls of dough lightly in dusting flour, then using a rolling pin roll into 2 oval shapes of about 1/4 cm thickness.
  7. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/ 350ºF. Line a large baking tray with baking paper , sprinkle semolina all over and place the 2 oval flat-breads on the tray.
  8. Spread the filling evenly all over the two flat breads, leaving 2 cm at the edges as a border with no filling. Sprinkle crumbled feta all over. Fold in the sides to create a border to keep the filling intact. Squeeze the two corner ends together gwgher rto make them pointy (to create a classic Pide shape). 
  9. Beat an egg in a small bowl and mix it with a tablespoon of olive oil. Brush the edges of dough with this mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the pides are golden brown and crispy along the edges. Once slightly cool, cut into slices and serve.
​Note: To add variation, I cracked an egg on one of my Pides and popped it back in the oven for another couple of minutes for the whites to set. Served the second one with a light topping of guacamole. And the third one with a squeeze of lemon.
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