The Best Gluten-Free Turkish Bread

This gluten-free Turkish bread is soft, flexible, and very easy to make! This Turkish pide is so moist and fluffy, I could hardly tell its difference from the 'regular' Turkish bread.

This bread is made with yeast, yet, it is very similar to flatbread which is normally made without yeast. Another popular yeasted Middle Eastern bread is called gyro or pita which is baked or fried and then separated into pockets to be stuffed with fillings.

This Turkish pide is often eaten in a company as a pull-apart bread along with salads, soups, and stews. It is soft, stretchy, flexible, and can be kept for a few days at room temperature!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Substitutes
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Expert Tips
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Community

Ingredients

Gluten-free flour - I used my homemade millet mix but any other gluten-free flour blend will work! If you can't have starches, check out my no-starch whole grain gluten-free loaf or this 100% almond flour bread.

Psyllium husk - you can use whole husks or coarsely ground powder, I don't recommend using super fine flour as it behaves differently. Read my 'psyllium husk in baking' guide for more details.

Yeast - I always use fresh yeast but dry active or instant yeast will work, too! I find fresh yeast works the best.

Sesame seeds - here is a list of the 9 best substitutes for sesame seeds if you ran out of them!

Note: you might also like my gluten-free crepes recipe!

Substitutes

For vegan Turkish bread use plant-based milk and maple syrup egg wash (2 tablespoon of milk + 1 teaspoon of maple syrup).

I don't recommend substituting psyllium husk as this is the key ingredient to making this Turkish bread soft and fluffy.

Flour - if you can't have starches, I have a few bread recipes without them. Here is a low-carb bread with almond flour, millet flour sandwich loaf, and rice flour bread.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 - Mix the dough

If your milk and water are cold, warm them up in a microwave until slightly warm, Then, add water, oil, milk, psyllium husk, sugar, and yeast to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Leave for 1-2 minutes to let psyllium gel form.

Once the psyllium mixture has thickened into a gel, add it to a large mixing bowl along with the flour and salt. Bring the dough together by hand (you can also use a mixer if you prefer), then scrape the sides to bring the dough into a ball.

Leave the dough to rise for about an hour. It should rise significantly, if your dough is not rising, that might mean that your yeast is expired or you need more yeast to raise the dough. The effectiveness of the yeast also varies from brand to brand.

Step 2 - Shape the pide

Start preheating the oven to 350F/175C. Transfer the dough onto a floured piece of parchment paper, dust it with flour, and shape it into a ball. If the dough sticks to your hands, flour it more. Then, press the ball into a 9-10 inch (25-26cm) flat circle with your hands. You can use a rolling pin if you prefer.

Using your finger, poke the dough in a circle and then diagonally to create the traditional Turkish bread pattern. Finally, brush the bread with oil or an egg wash and top with sesame seeds. Let the dough rest for a few minutes until the oven is done heating. While the first bread is baking, shape the second one.

Step 3 - Bake

Place a baking dish with water in the bottom of the oven to create extra steam that will allow for a better rise. Bake the bread for 25-30 minutes until lightly brown and the toothpick comes out without much raw dough sticking to it. Let the bread cool for 10-15 minutes and enjoy fresh! You can store the bread at room temperature for 2 days, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Keep the bread covered or in an air-tight container/bag.

Expert Tips

- Don't add extra flour if you think the dough is too sticky. You will be able to work with it and the dough needs to be this sticky for the soft and fluffy texture.

- Poke the pattern once again after brushing the dough with oil/egg wash to reinforce it.

- Let the bread cool down before eating to let the crumb set.

- Check out the best food to serve Turkish bread with!

FAQ

Did you like this gluten-free Turkish flatbread recipe? Please, leave a 5-star🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below! And if you REALLY liked this recipe, consider supporting it by buying me a coffee! 🙂 Thank you and have a great day!

📖 Recipe