If you have been reading me over the years, you know that I like to bake, generally, but I also bake when I want to avoid work, such as planning classes or grading assignments. That was me this week, avoiding work, even though I had already set times to meet various students online to give them feedback on their podcast assignments. I was yet to listen to and grade the assignments. But tell you what, I found the time to bake in avoidance of doing the work. I made an easy version of the Turkish Ramadan flat bread – Pide.
The bread was one of those things that had long been on my ‘Things To Make’ list. What better time to try it than during the month of Ramadan? This Pide is a type of bread that is made to be eaten at the meal that breaks the fast, Iftar. The breaking of bread and sharing of a meal is so special and significant. It is a ritual found throughout the world in many cultures and religions. It is life itself. Here in the Caribbean we do not have special dishes that we make during Ramadan – the marking of the month in which the Quran (the holy text of Islam) was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad – but we do make certain traditional sweets on the day of Eid to share with family and friends, such as Sirnee, Vermicelli cake, Mitai and cookie-like biscuits.
As I set about making the Pide, I was reminded, as I often am, of how much I love where I come from. I love where I was born. I love the complicated, simple, yet sophisticated mix-up-ness that is Guyana. In a time when we seem to be living in such a divisive world, religious holidays, and festivals such as Eid, Easter, Holi, and others, marked and celebrated nationally, offer hope, and are timely reminders of what is important and how together we are and can be. And that is all I really want to say this week. Embrace the multiculturalism that is our beautiful country, our land, and the diversity that makes us who we are.
I know that preparations have begun for the feasting that will take place. I’ve been blessed to already receive treats from one of my Bengali neighbours who has been preparing since Wednesday.
If you’d like to try making this wonderful Turkish Ramadan flat bread, the recipe is below and you can click on https://youtu.be/1jd1mD52as0 if you need a visual reference to designing the bread.
Eid Mubarak!
No Knead Turkish Ramadan Flat Bread (Pide)
(Adapted from Bincy Chris)
INGREDIENTS
· 1¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon warm water (110 – 115 degrees F)
· 1 tablespoon sugar (white or brown)
· 1½ teaspoons instant yeast
· 1 teaspoon fine table salt
· 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
· 2 – 3 tablespoons cornmeal
· 1 egg, room temperature
· 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
· 1 tablespoon Nigella/Kalonji/Black cumin seeds
· 2 tablespoons melted butter, optional
DIRECTIONS
1. Add the water, sugar, yeast, and salt to a bowl and stir well to dissolve. Tip in the flour and mix to form a soft sticky dough. Cover and put in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.
2. Dips your hands in water and repeatedly fold and stretch the dough onto itself right in the bowl, until smooth (takes about 2 – 3 minutes).
3. Dust a work surface with flour and divide the dough in half. Gently knead the dough and form into tight balls. Cover and rest for 5 minutes.
4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, then dust with cornmeal.
5. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, transfer to the centre of the lined-dusted sheet and with your hands press and stretch dough evenly to an 8-inch circle. Cover loosely and let rise for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
6. Beat the egg and brush the top and sides of the dough, using your four fingers, make indents 1-inch from the edge of dough, around the circle of the dough. Then use your fingers to make indents in the inner circle of the dough crossway and then horizontal, about 1-inch apart.
7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds followed by Nigella seeds. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, switching pans on shelves halfway through the cooking process, unless using a convection oven.
8. If using, brush with melted butter as soon as the breads are out of the oven. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
