Bazlama is a traditional Turkish flatbread made with flour, water, salt, and yeast, and sometimes yogurt, olive oil, and sugar. It is cooked over a wood fire or on a stovetop and can be served with any meal or as a sandwich. It is also sold in markets and can be stuffed with cheese or other fillings.
Bazlama is a type of flatbread, popular in Turkey, that resembles naan bread or thick pita bread. It is a traditional bread in rural villages and is also often sold in markets. Bazlama can be served with any meal and can also be eaten on its own, made into a sandwich, or served alongside curry.
A couple of different ingredient combinations can be used for the bazlama. The simplest version contains only flour, water, salt and yeast. The flour can be white flour or a combination of white, wheat, and possibly rye. Another version of the bread contains yogurt, which provides another source of fermentation besides yeast. Olive oil and some sugar might sometimes be added to the ingredients as well.
The dough is mixed like typical bread dough, first by proofing the yeast in warm water and then adding flour, salt, and other ingredients. The dough is kneaded and then left to rise for several hours. It usually increases for at least three hours and sometimes even overnight.
After the dough rises, it is divided into pieces and the pieces are formed into balls. Each ball is pressed or rolled out into a large disc. The discs of dough are cooked one at a time.
In Turkish villages, bazlama is traditionally cooked over a wood fire. Each disk of dough is placed on a flat clay or cast iron skillet, which is then placed directly over the fire. The bread is baked on both sides until browned and cooked through. These flat breads can also be cooked in a cast iron skillet or other heavy skillet on the stovetop, where the same basic cooking procedure is followed.
This bread is best served immediately after cooking, but chilled breads can also be reheated. Simple bazlama with a little butter or olive oil is sometimes eaten for breakfast alongside freshly brewed tea – in traditional village cuisine, even tea may be brewed over an open fire. Butter breads are also a common accompaniment to main courses such as curries or gravies at a later meal.
Bakery vendors in Turkish markets often offer prepared bazlamas to feed hungry shoppers. When someone orders a bazlama, the seller divides the bread into two thin halves, then stuffs it with cheese or any other filling the buyer might want. The stuffed bread is then heated and served to the buyer.
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