Biberli Ekmek (Pepper Bread) Recipe
Pepper bread, like many other Hatay cuisine flavors, should be very famous, but for some reason it is a flavor that has not been able to go out of its region. When you think of Hatay, the first food that comes to mind is probably künefe. Okay, künefe is a very nice dessert, but it is just one precious stone among the richness of Hatay cuisine.
While kneading the pepper bread dough today, I thought to myself that Hatay cuisine alone has a richer cuisine than the cuisines of at least ten European countries combined. That's why I say let's stop commemorating Hatay with only künefe.
By the way, besides this richness of Hatay cuisine, another important feature is that it offers many vegan and vegetarian options. Pepper bread is also a delicious vegan option. It can easily replace pizza, pide and lahmacun. Moreover, it is very nutritious.
You can make the pepper bread in pieces the way I do, or you can think of it like a big pizza and bake it whole and serve it by slicing. You can also roll it thinner and make it like lahmacun, as in the biberli katıklı ekmek recipe. You can also roll the dough balls thicker and smaller and make them more fluffy, like a pogaca. For me, the dough and topping ratio is ideal as it is. It feels like I'm eating too much dough when it's thicker and puffy. There is a joke. A man orders a pizza, they ask if they should cut it to six or to eight, he says cut it to six, eight is too much. It's the same situation for me but it's human psychology, not every thought is logical.
Black cumin seeds goes well with the topping of pepper bread, but the day I shot these photos, there was no black cumin seeds in the house, so I didn't use it. I did not write it in the recipe so that there is no difference between the photo and the recipe, but you can add a tablespoon of black cumin seeds as well.
Enjoy the recipe...
Biberli Ekmek (Pepper Bread) Recipe with Video
Ingredients
For the dough;
- 4-4.5 cups of flour,
- 1.5 cups of warm water,
- 1/4 cup olive oil,
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast,
- 1 teaspoon of sugar,
- 1 teaspoon of salt.
For topping;
- 1 onion,
- 4 tablespoons of pepper paste,
- 1/2 cup of olive oil,
- 1/2 cup of ground walnuts,
- 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds,
- 1 teaspoon of thyme,
- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin,
- Salt.
Preparation
- For the dough, mix water, sugar and yeast in a deep bowl,
- Add the flour little by little and start kneading,
- After adding half of the flour, add salt and olive oil and mix,
- Add the remaining flour gradually and knead until you get a soft dough that does not stick to the hand,
- Cover it and rest for 30-45 minutes,
- Chop the onion finely for the filling,
- Take all the ingredients in a deep bowl and mix,
- Knead the dough again and make 8 pieces out of it,
- Roll one of the pieces, spread one-eight of the filling on it and place it on a tray covered with greaseproof paper,
- Prepare three more in the same way and place them on the same tray,
- Bake in a preheated 200 C degree oven until the edges are lightly browned,
- Prepare and cook the remaining ingredients in the same way.
Enjoy your meal...
- Roddy Stevens: Looks great. I am going to try making it. Just a question what sort of flour is best? Thank you. Regards Roddy(80+) March 11, 2023 4:26 pm
- Kevser: Thank you Roddy. You can use all purpose flour😊 March 11, 2023 4:28 pm
- Jodee: What kind of pepper paste is better sweet, mild or hot January 29, 2024 2:26 pm
- Kevser: Whichever you like👍 February 11, 2024 1:28 pm
- Jodee: How long do you bake them for ? February 18, 2024 7:33 pm
- Kevser: It will change according to your conditions. You should observe-bake until the edges are golden. March 11, 2024 5:45 pm
- Susan: Hi, I'm just about to start prepping and baking this, but I wondered if you Can freeze what you don't use once it's cooked and cooled? May 16, 2024 8:31 am