Crispy Turkish Pide with Cheese and Sucuk

This Turkish pide is a showstopper: a boat-shaped flatbread with a crackling, blistered crust, filled with molten kaşar cheese and spicy sucuk. Baked on a scorching stone, it comes out golden and puffed, then gets a final brush of butter for extra richness. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or a weekend feast.

Turkish pide, often called Turkish pizza, is a beloved street food that’s surprisingly easy to make at home. The dough is simple – flour, water, yeast, and a little olive oil – and the filling is just cheese and sucuk, a spicy dried beef sausage.

The key is baking on a very hot stone, which creates that blistered, charred crust. This recipe stays true to the classic, with a few tips to ensure success in a home oven.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

The high heat of a baking stone mimics a wood-fired oven, giving the pide its characteristic blistered crust and smoky char.

The dough is rolled thin, so it bakes quickly, staying crisp on the outside while the cheese melts into a gooey center. The egg wash adds a beautiful golden sheen and a slight chew to the crust.

Using a wet, well-kneaded dough that rises fully ensures a light, airy texture. The boat shape is not just for looks – it creates a rim that holds the filling and gives you a handle to hold while eating.

Brushing the hot crust with butter right out of the oven adds a glossy finish and a rich, savory flavor that complements the spicy sucuk.

Notes and substitutions

Kaşar cheese is a Turkish semi-hard cheese that melts beautifully, but low-moisture mozzarella is a perfect substitute. You can also use a blend of mozzarella and provolone for a more complex flavor. Sucuk is a spicy, garlicky dried beef sausage; if you can’t find it, use a spicy beef salami or pepperoni.

For the dough, bread flour gives a chewier texture, but all-purpose flour works too. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky – resist adding too much flour.

Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it’s doubled, which usually takes about an hour. If you have a pizza stone, use it; if not, an inverted sheet pan preheated in the oven works almost as well.

• Turkish kaşar cheese: low-moisture mozzarella or a blend of mozzarella and provolone
• Turkish sucuk: spicy beef salami or chorizo (cooked before using if raw)
• bread flour: all-purpose flour (reduce water slightly if needed)

Equipment

• Large bowl
• Baking stone or inverted sheet pan
• Pizza wheel or sharp knife
• Pastry brush
• Rolling pin