Once upon a time, I went to Germany and attended school. On one of my first days, I went after school to meet my host sister for lunch. This meeting had the dual purpose of making sure I could get around town without getting hopelessly lost, and introducing me to one of her favorite foods (at what quickly became my favorite snack stop). It was called Turkish Pizza, even though it's not really pizza. I'm not really sure what it was. It was a flat bread, with some sort of meaty-saucy stuff on it. And it only cost a Euro. I would LOVE to be able to make it myself. (This shop also had the most amazing sweet curry sauce that I would have gladly bought by gallon.)
Flash forward a few years, and I'm idly flipping through The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook (ISBN 9780681025981), and I see a recipe for Turkish Pizza. It didn't look like the delicious snack I ate in Germany, but I decided to give it a go anyway. It didn't taste quite like the snack either, but it's pretty good. I think it's a fairly similar recipe, just meatier. Personally, I'd have called it Turkish Tacos.
Ingredients:
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/3 C flour
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef (recipe calls for lamb, actually)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp red [cayenne] pepper
3 Tbsp tomato paste
13oz can (or close to it) crushed tomatoes (I ended up using diced tomatoes)
1/3 C pine nuts
1 Tbsp ground coriander
Start with the flatbread. Mix yeast, sugar, and 1/4 C warm water in a bowl. Now, when it says warm water, you generally want a little warmer than body temperature. You're creating a good growing environment for the yeast, so you don't want it to be too hot, because that will cook the little guys. I generally check the temperature like I would for a baby's bottle-- pour a little water over your wrist. It should feel just slightly warm. To get it to that temperature, I usually start with the recommended amount of water in a microwave-safe container. I heat the water, then add cold water, reducing the temperature and giving me extra water to pour out as I test. I've had it drilled into my head that you never take warm water directly from the tap-- it increases the likelihood of lead from old pipes being present. Leave the yeast in a warm place to grow for about 20 minutes. Viable yeast will cause the solution to look frothy and increase in volume.
Mix the flour and 1 tsp of salt in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture, 1 T oil, and 3 fl oz of warm water. (3 fl oz is slightly more than 1/3 C) Mix to form a soft dough, then dump it onto a floured surface and knead ~10 minutes, until smooth. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and leave in a warm place for ~1 hour, until doubled in size. I cover the bowl with a damp towel and put it in a sunny window. Towel allows some air flow, but making it damp prevents water loss.
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a frying pan over low heat and cook the onion until soft but not browned. Add the meat and cook ~10 minutes until it is browned. Add the garlic, spices (except coriander), tomato paste, and tomatoes. Cook for ~15 minutes until "quite dry". Add half the pine nuts and the coriander. Season with salt (and add more of the spices if you feel the need), and leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 415° Fahrenheit, and grease 2 baking sheets.
Punch down the bread dough, and dump it onto a floured surface. Divide it into 8 portions and roll each of them into ovals roughly 7 inches x 5 inches. Distribute the dough onto the baking sheets. Spread the meat mixture over the dough, leaving a border along the edges. Sprinkle the remaining pine nuts over the meat, and brush the edges with oil. Roll the dough over to cover the outer edges of the meat, creating an open parcel. Pinch the sides together at the ends, and brush with more oil. Bake ~15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with yogurt, or, if you like, Tzatziki (see below).
Tzatziki is Greek, actually, so perhaps there's a hint of irony to enjoying Turkish Pizza with it. (Turks and Greeks are not known for getting along peacefully.) It's a cucumber and yogurt sauce/dip, served with flatbread and meats alike. I love it. My version is quick and easy.
You need:
~2 C Greek-style plain yogurt (thick stuff)*
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 cucumber (a piece about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 4 inches long)
salt
pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp oregano
* If you can't find thick, Greek-style yogurt, any plain yogurt can be made thicker by placing a coffee filter in a sieve, placing a bowl underneath, and leaving the yogurt in the filter to drain off excess moisture overnight. You can use sour cream in a pinch, too, by treating it this way.
Prepare the cucumber by peeling it, grating it into a bowl, and squeezing out the excess moisture with your fingers. Mix the cucumber, yogurt, and other ingredients together. Adjust to taste. It will taste best if you can leave it to sit for an hour, allowing the flavors to really soak and blend together. In the mean time, enjoy the cucumber juice with some ice water-- it's quite refreshing.
Mix the flour and 1 tsp of salt in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture, 1 T oil, and 3 fl oz of warm water. (3 fl oz is slightly more than 1/3 C) Mix to form a soft dough, then dump it onto a floured surface and knead ~10 minutes, until smooth. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and leave in a warm place for ~1 hour, until doubled in size. I cover the bowl with a damp towel and put it in a sunny window. Towel allows some air flow, but making it damp prevents water loss. 
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a frying pan over low heat and cook the onion until soft but not browned. Add the meat and cook ~10 minutes until it is browned. Add the garlic, spices (except coriander), tomato paste, and tomatoes. Cook for ~15 minutes until "quite dry". Add half the pine nuts and the coriander. Season with salt (and add more of the spices if you feel the need), and leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 415° Fahrenheit, and grease 2 baking sheets.Punch down the bread dough, and dump it onto a floured surface. Divide it into 8 portions and roll each of them into ovals roughly 7 inches x 5 inches. Distribute the dough onto the baking sheets. Spread the meat mixture over the dough, leaving a border along the edges. Sprinkle the remaining pine nuts over the meat, and brush the edges with oil. Roll the dough over to cover the outer edges of the meat, creating an open parcel. Pinch the sides together at the ends, and brush with more oil. Bake ~15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with yogurt, or, if you like, Tzatziki (see below).
Tzatziki is Greek, actually, so perhaps there's a hint of irony to enjoying Turkish Pizza with it. (Turks and Greeks are not known for getting along peacefully.) It's a cucumber and yogurt sauce/dip, served with flatbread and meats alike. I love it. My version is quick and easy.
You need:
~2 C Greek-style plain yogurt (thick stuff)*
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 cucumber (a piece about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 4 inches long)
salt
pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp oregano
* If you can't find thick, Greek-style yogurt, any plain yogurt can be made thicker by placing a coffee filter in a sieve, placing a bowl underneath, and leaving the yogurt in the filter to drain off excess moisture overnight. You can use sour cream in a pinch, too, by treating it this way.
Prepare the cucumber by peeling it, grating it into a bowl, and squeezing out the excess moisture with your fingers. Mix the cucumber, yogurt, and other ingredients together. Adjust to taste. It will taste best if you can leave it to sit for an hour, allowing the flavors to really soak and blend together. In the mean time, enjoy the cucumber juice with some ice water-- it's quite refreshing.
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