Turkish Karadeniz Pidesi with Spiced Beef, Butter & Egg Yolk Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Before starting, make sure the pizza stone is in the oven and preheating to 480°F (250°C) — it needs at least 30 minutes to get screaming hot. Measure all ingredients, chop the onion and pepper finely, and cut the butter into small chunks.

Have a pizza peel or a rimless baking sheet dusted with semolina ready for sliding the pides onto the stone. Clear your counter and dust it with semolina for rolling.

Instructions

Prepare and Rest the Dough

1. 1Make and Rest the Dough
   In a stand mixer bowl, combine the bread flour, instant yeast, and kosher salt. Add the warm water and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Increase speed to medium and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rest at room temperature for 45 minutes, until doubled in size.
   Look for The dough should be soft, supple, and spring back when pressed.
   Tip If the dough feels too sticky, add a teaspoon of flour at a time; too dry, add a teaspoon of water.
2. 2Prepare the Spiced Beef Filling
   In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, finely chopped onion, finely chopped green bell pepper, sweet paprika, black pepper, and kosher salt. Mix gently with a fork until just combined. Cover and refrigerate while the dough rests.
   Look for The filling should be well mixed but not overworked.
   Tip Keep the filling cold until ready to use; it spreads more easily when chilled.

The dough should have doubled in size, feel pillowy and elastic, and spring back when pressed with a finger.

The filling should be chilled and well combined, with the onion and pepper evenly distributed. The kitchen should smell of yeast and spices, promising the savory bake to come.

Shape and Preheat

3. 3Shape the Pide Boats
   Turn the rested dough out onto a semolina-dusted counter. Divide into two equal pieces. Roll one piece into a long oval about 12 inches by 6 inches, keeping the ends slightly pointed. Spread half of the beef filling down the center, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Fold the long edges up and over the filling, pinching the tapered ends to seal, forming a canoe shape. Repeat with the second piece.
   Look for The pide should look like a boat with a well in the center.
   Tip Don't overfill; leave room for the egg yolk and butter later.
4. 4Preheat the Pizza Stone
   Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 480°F (250°C) for at least 30 minutes before baking.
   Look for The stone should be screaming hot before sliding the pide on.
   Tip If using a baking sheet instead, preheat it too.

The pides should be neatly shaped like boats, with the filling snugly enclosed and the edges pinched to seal. The stone should be radiating heat, and the semolina-dusted peel ready. The shaped pides should hold their form without spreading, and the edges should look tight.

Bake and Finish

5. 5Bake the Pide on the Hot Stone
   Carefully transfer the shaped pides onto a pizza peel dusted with semolina. Slide them onto the hot stone and bake for 10 minutes, until the edges are blistered and golden. Pull the pides out briefly and drop an egg yolk into the center of each, then add chunks of cold butter around the yolk. Return to the oven for 1 final minute, until the egg yolk is just set but still glossy.
   Look for The crust should be deeply golden and the egg yolk should look glossy and slightly jiggly.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (egg dishes)
   Tip Work quickly when adding the yolk and butter so the pide doesn't cool.
6. 6Finish with Butter and Serve
   Remove the pides from the oven and immediately rub the hot crusts with the remaining cold butter. Let rest for 3 minutes, then slice with a heavy rocking blade and serve hot, with the buttery molten yolk spooned over the beef.
   Look for The butter should melt into the crust, making it shiny and fragrant.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (ground meat)
   Tip Use a serrated knife to cut through the crisp crust without squashing the filling.

The pides should be deeply blistered and golden, with the edges crisp and the filling bubbling. The egg yolk should be glossy and set, and the butter melted into the beef. The kitchen should smell of toasted bread and rich meat, and the crust should crackle when you press it.

Common mistakes

One common mistake is not preheating the stone long enough, resulting in a pale, doughy crust. Another is overfilling the pide, which makes it hard to seal and can cause the filling to spill.

Don't skip the rest time for the dough — it needs it to relax and develop flavor. When adding the egg yolk, work quickly so the pide doesn't cool. Finally, resist the urge to cut the pide immediately; let it rest for 3 minutes so the juices settle.

How to tell it’s done

The pide is done when the crust is deeply golden and blistered, with dark spots on the edges. The beef filling should be cooked through and register 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer.

The egg yolk should be set on the outside but still glossy and slightly soft in the center — not runny but not hard. When you tap the crust, it should sound hollow, and the edges should be crisp to the touch.

• Ground meat: 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part
• Egg dishes: 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part