Turkish Flatbread (Bazlama)

This delicious, pillowy soft Turkish Flatbread is simply incredible! It’s extra soft, tender and hollow, a perfect cross between Naan bread and Pita bread. Serve alongside your favourite saucy dishes, with grilled meats, hummus, or simply on its own with some butter. You simply can’t go wrong with Bazlama.

For a long time I’ve been trying to get a flatbread that was soft like naan but hollow like pita at the same time, doesn’t it sound like the perfect cross? Thanks to a Turkish friend I learned about Bazlama, the traditional Turkish flatbread that I am bringing to you today. After some indications from her grandma and quite a bit of testing, I finally succeeded!

It’s perfect with hummus, for wraps and so much more! Also, it’s cooked over the stove, which is great in summer to avoid having to turn the oven on.

What is Bazlama?

The Turkish Flat Bread known as bazlama is a traditional bread similar to naan bread or pita-type breads, generally baked over a wood fire in villages. This bread is mostly identified with village life because of the simple ingredients needed for the recipe: flour, salt, water and yeast. For more details on the history, I love what Turkish Foodie explains in her blog post.

They are so light and fluffy! Deliciously tender and are cooked in a pan on the stovetop in minutes. While it cooks, it feels like magic is happening in the kitchen. The dough rises like a balloon and watching it is so hypnotising, I’ve warned you!

Ways to Use this Turkish Flatbread

There are so many options to eat this flatbread with! It’s very versatile and works perfectly to accompany food but it’s also equally delicious on its own with some butter or oil and seasoning.

On its Own

• While warm, brush it with butter. You can use herby and garlicky butter, or just plain butter.
• You can also tear it apart an dip it into a good olive oil (plain, with balsamic vinegar, with herbs, spicy oil… you name it).

Wraps and Sandwiches

• As you get big pockets in this bread, open it and fill them and warm them in a skillet like a toastie.
• You can also serve it as a pita, with some greens, a good yoghurt sauce and grilled chicken or prawns.
• Use it as quesadillas, either using 2 flatbreads as tortillas or just one and filling it with cheese.
• Stuff with scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast flatbreads.
• Fill it with cheese and anything you want and warm it. Nothing can beat a good cheese pull!
• Serve with grilled skewers, like these Moroccan Chicken Skewers with Feta Sauce.

Dips and Spreads

• Nutella, nut butter, cream cheese and jam, and a drizzle of honey make a delicious snack.
• Serve it with hummus, feta dips or yoghurt sauces.
• Serve it with a vinaigrette: olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Mediterranean herbs.
• Make flatbread chips. Heat a pan over medium heat until hot. Add a small drizzle of olive oil. Cut the Turkish flatbread in wedges. Cook them until crunchy, flip and continue cooking until the other side is also crunchy. These are great with salads or guacamole!

How To Store this Turkish Flatbread

• Room temperature: if you want to eat it within a day or two let the bread cool completely and store it in a plastic bag or an air-tight container.
• Freezer: let the bread cool completely and store it in a plastic bag or an air-tight container. Freeze them for up to 3 months. When you need them, leave them at room temperature inside the bag or air-tight container they were kept in.

Reheat them when you want to eat them so they feel fresher.

Tips for Making a Perfect Flatbread

• You can make these flatbreads thicker or thinner by rolling the dough rounds bigger or smaller. The thinner they are, the more flexible they will be. The thicker they are, the more pillowy.
• When rolling the bread, try not to pinch the dough. The pinched parts won’t rise like a balloon and the bread will not be hollow on the spot. It will be equally tender though.
• Since every stove is different, you might have to experiment a little bit with the first flatbread. You want the heat high enough that bubbles appear on the top surface and the underside is getting a few golden spots after about 45 seconds to 1 minute. If you’re not seeing the bubbles, increase the heat. If the underside is getting brown too fast, decrease the heat a bit.

If you make this Turkish Flatbread (Bazlama) recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rate it. Hearing from you is everything! Oh, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

4.5 from 13 votes

Turkish Flatbread (Bazlama)

This delicious, pillowy soft Turkish Flatbread is simply incredible! It’s extra soft, tender and hollow, a perfect cross between Naan bread and Pita bread. Serve alongside your favourite saucy dishes, with grilled meats, hummus, or simply on its own.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Resting Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Servings: 8 flatbreads

Author: Paula

Ingredients

• 240 g plain flour
• 7 g dry yeast - (or 20 g fresh yeast)
• 5 g sugar
• 5 g salt
• 85 ml water
• 90 g greek yoghurt
• olive oil

Instructions

• Remove 3 tablespoons of the flour and set them aside.
• Put the remaining flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl and combine.
• Add the water and yoghurt and knead until combined either using a stand mixer with a hook attachment or by hand. Knead into an elastic dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is too sticky, add the reserved flour little by little until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Once ready, shape into a ball on the counter and put it in an oil greased bowl. Brush some oil over the dough too and cover it. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour. It should double in size (see notes).
• Take the dough out of the bowl and place it onto a floured surface. Degas and divide it into 8 pieces.
• Form balls with each piece and leave them covered for 10min.
• Take one ball, press it down and using a rolling pin shape it into a 15cm diameter disc. Leave the discs covered while you shape the rest of the balls. Be carefull not to pinch the dough while rolling it or you won’t get a hollow bread.
• Heat a skillet (preferably a cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Once it’s very hot, add the dough disk you shaped first (no oil or butter required).
• Cook the bread until the bubbles start to form on the surface and it puffs up, 30-40 seconds. Flip and cook the other side for 30 more seconds. Do not press the bread down while it cooks, you want it to inflate. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate, covered with a tea towel to keep it warm and flexible. Repeat the process with the remaining balls.

Notes

• The colder it is, the longer it will take to double in size. In winter it can easily take between 1.5h and 2h.
• While still warm, you can grease the bread with some (garlicky) butter on each side.
• Use this bread for wraps, taco-style sandwiches, pita-style sandwiches or to dip into hummus.
• If you don’t eat it all immediately, keep it in an airtight container or plastic bag. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.