Pide

Stir the yeast and sugar into the water and leave for 5 minutes, until foamy. Put the flour in a large bowl with a generous pinch of salt, add the yeast water and the olive oil and mix to a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Shape it into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl.

• wheat flour500 g
• yeast7 g
• sugar1 tsp
• water300 mL
• olive oil2 tbsp
• saltto taste

Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave it in a warm place for 60–75 minutes, until the dough has doubled in size and feels airy. A dough that has risen properly gives a soft, chewy pide with a thin crisp crust, while an under-risen one bakes dense and heavy.

Chop the onion, tomato and peppers very finely, and the parsley coarsely. Squeeze the tomato and onion in your hand or a sieve to remove the excess liquid. Mix them with the minced beef, tomato paste, pul biber and a pinch of salt, kneading for 1–2 minutes until even. A topping that is too wet makes the dough soggy in the middle.

• minced beef300 g
• onion1
• tomato1
• green peppers (sivri biber)2
• tomato paste1 tbsp
• parsley0.5 bunches
• pul biber1 tsp

Heat the oven to 250 °C with a baking tray inside. Divide the dough into 4 balls and roll each into an oval of about 30 cm × 15 cm on a floured surface. Spread the topping in the middle, leaving a border of 3 cm. Fold the long edges inwards over the filling and pinch the two ends together to form a boat with an open centre.

• wheat flour500 g

Slide the pide onto the hot tray, or two trays, and bake for 8–10 minutes, until the crust is starting to colour. Take the tray out briefly, crack an egg into the open centre of each pide and return it to the oven for 3–4 minutes, until the white is just set and the yolk still soft. Melt the butter and brush it over the crust straight away.

• egg4
• butter20 g