Cheese Pide + Simit Sesame Variation

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Cheese pide is a soft, chewy Turkish flatbread shaped like a boat and filled with melted cheese. This version uses a simple homemade dough that turns fluffy inside with golden, slightly crisp edges. I keep three classic and turn three into simit pide by dipping them in a molasses mixture and coating them in sesame seeds.

What is cheese pide?

Cheese pide is a type of Turkish pizza or flatbread made with a yeast dough that’s shaped into an oval boat, filled with cheese, and baked until golden. The edges stay soft, and the center is melty and rich.

Ingredients

See the recipe card for exact amounts.

• Dough: The dough is my simple pizza dough with flour, yeast, salt, and water.
• Cheese: I use mozzarella for a melty, stretchy result.
• Simit-style coating: Like in my simit recipe, I use molasses to help the sesame seeds stick and give it its signature darker, slightly sweet crust. I usually do this for half of the pide when I make this recipe.

Tips for Making Pide

• Use warm water, not hot, so you don’t kill the yeast. I use instant yeast, and it doesn’t need to be proofed in warm water. If you’re using active dry yeast, you’ll need to proof it in warm water first to make sure it’s activated. If you have a kitchen thermometer, warm it to between 120˚F and 130˚F.
• Don’t skip resting the dough after dividing it. It makes the dough easier to roll.
• Don’t overfill the center, so you can easily close the simit pide.
• Bake on parchment for easy cleanup.

Instructions

How to Make Cheese Pide Dough

1. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add warm water and mix into a dough.
3. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes by hand, until smooth, or 4-5 minutes if using a stand mixer.
4. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
5. Divide into 6 equal pieces and rest 10 minutes.

Resting the dough makes shaping much easier.

I use my hand to measure when baking. When spread wide, from the tip of my thumb to my baby finger is about 8 inches. This built-in measuring tool comes in handy.

How to shape Turkish pide (step-by-step)

1. Roll each piece into an oval about 8 to 10 inches long.
2. Add cheese down the center.
3. Fold the long edges inward.
4. Pinch the ends tightly to create a pointed boat shape.
5. Transfer to a baking sheet.

Simit pide variation (sesame crust)

For half of the dough, we’ll add the simit-style coating.

1. Mix molasses, water, and flour until smooth.
2. To shape the dough, pinch the cylinder closed all the way instead of just the edges. (See photos below.)
3. Dip into the molasses mixture.
4. Dip into the toasted sesame seeds.
5. Place on the baking sheet, seam side down.
6. Slice down the center, opposite the side you pinched together.
7. Spread open a little wider.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until cheese is melted and the edges are golden.

Storage

Store leftover pide in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

FAQs

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