Soft and fluffy Turkish Flatbread is made with flour, yeast, olive oil, yogurt and water. Cooked in a pan over the stove. One of the easiest bread recipes ever! Spread butter on it or dip it into olive oil and enjoy the perfect breakfast or snack!
If you are interested in Turkish recipes, especially breads, you should see our Ramadan pide bread and sesame seeds bread aka simit.
This is the best Turkish flatbread recipe because it comes out super soft thanks to the combination of yeast, yogurt and olive oil. If you are looking for a bread without yeast though, go check out our easy no yeast bread rolls!
What Is Turkish Flatbread Bazlama?
Turkish Flat Bread -known as bazlama is a traditional bread similar to naan bread, generally baked over 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. If you are looking for a flat bread to make wrap sandwiches, make thin lavash bread with almost the same ingredients.
When my grandpas were alive, we used to visit them very often. They used to live in a village and whenever we went there, grandma would always make the best flatbread for us.
She would also brew a teapot of Turkish famous black tea again over a wood fire. I don’t know why, but the fire of wood changes the taste of everything. If you have the chance of cooking a dish over wood fire, you’ll understand what I mean. Even tea gets a different flavor when brewed over it.
Grandma was great at making bread rolls with yeast and simple flatbread. She would always serve newly baked bread with a piece of butter that she herself made or with some olive oil which they themselves produced from their yard. Also, a little honey, olives and sliced tomatoes would accompany.
So this simple Turkish breakfast became a feast for us. Imagine a piece of newly made flat bread, still fuming, and dipping it into some very natural olive oil or spreading some fresh butter, which has a milky scent on it.
Ingredients
As we don’t have a chance of making my flat bread on a wood fire, we make it in a non-stick pan over medium low heat. Unlike the traditional basic flatbread recipe, which is made only with flour, salt, water and yeast, we make this homemade flatbread with two additional ingredients: yogurt and olive oil. These two extra ingredients help the pan bread come out wonderfully soft and fluffy.
How To Make
This bazlama recipe is no different from any other yeast bread recipes:
- First, prepare the yeast. Whisk the yeast together with sugar and warm water and let it sit for about 5 minutes for proofing.
- Second, put the flour and salt in a bowl. Add yogurt and olive oil, mix it well with a spatula or your hand.
- Third, pour the yeast mixture into the flour. Combine everything well with your hand. Wet your hand as needed when kneading the dough. The dough should still be sticky, don’t worry. When everything holds together, make a big ball. On the other hand, if you don’t want to involve your hands, you can definitely make this with a stand mixer dough hook.
- Fourth, cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and wait it in a warm place for about 45-60 minutes to rise well.
- When the dough is doubled in size, you can start to make your bread. Sprinkle some flour on the counter, transfer the dough on it and knead for about 5 minutes to remove the air inside it. Add little flour if needed to prevent sticking. Then make a big log from it and cut it in equal pieces. We made 12 pieces.
- Next, roll each dough slice into a ball. Fold the edges to the center and then roll in your palm and give it a ball shape. Cover all the balls with a slightly damp cloth so that the dough balls don’t dry out.
- Now you can shape the dough. Grab one ball and place it on a floured surface. Flatten it by pressing your hands on it. The thickness will be about 1 inch/2,5cm. You don’t need to use a rolling pin as the dough is very soft. Repeat for all the remaining balls and cover the flattened dough pieces with a damp cloth. This will give them a second rise.
- Finally, cook the flatbreads. heat a non stick pan over medium high heat and put the flattened dough on it. Turn it over after 30 seconds and cook the other side. Turn it again and repeat this for a few times. It will be done in approximately 5 minutes. Transfer it on a tea towel and cover with another tea towel. Repeat for the remaining flattened dough circles. You can use two pans at the same time to finish them up quicker.
How To Eat
Our favorite way to eat bazlama is simple. Spread some butter or dip it into olive oil when it is still hot at breakfast.
Also, you can make a flatbread sandwich for lunch. Cut it in two halves, fill it with whatever you like. As an example, cheese and herbs make a good filling.
Moreover, this fluffy bazlama flatbread makes a perfect snack as a substitute for tortilla chips when you serve it with dips like haydari meze, hummus and green olive tapenade dip.
This bread is also great with some grilled halloumi or with olive oil and preserved fresh thyme.
Other Authentic Turkish Breads
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Turkish Flat Bread Bazlama Recipe
A wonderful pan bread that you can make at home.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients
- 3 and ½ cups flour, plus ½ cup for kneading and shaping
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 cup warm water, plus ¼ cup for kneading
- 1 and ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 and ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Whisk the yeast together with sugar and warm water and let it sit for about 5 minutes for proofing.
- Put the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add yogurt and olive oil, mix it well with a spatula or your hand.
- Pour the yeast mixture into the flour. Combine everything well with your hand. Wet your hand as needed when kneading the dough.
- When everything holds together, make a big ball.
- Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and wait it in a warm place for about 45-60 minutes to rise well.
- When the dough is doubled in size, you can start to make your bread. Sprinkle some flour on the counter, transfer the dough on it and knead for about 5 minutes to remove the air inside it. Add little flour if needed to prevent sticking. Then make a big log from it and cut it in equal pieces. We made 12 pieces for small breads. If you want them larger, cut it into 6 pieces.
- Roll each dough slice into a ball. Fold the edges to the center and then roll in your palm and give it a ball shape. Cover all the balls with a slightly damp cloth so that the dough balls don’t dry out.
- Grab one ball and place it on a floured surface. Flatten it by pressing your hands on it. The thickness will be about 1 inch/2,5cm. Repeat for all the remaining balls and cover the flattened dough pieces with a damp cloth. Let them sit for 15 minutes. This will give them a second rise.
- Heat a non stick pan over medium high heat and put the flattened dough on it. Turn it over after 30 seconds and cook the other side. Turn it again and repeat this for a few times. It will be done in approximately 5 minutes. Transfer it on a tea towel and cover with another tea towel. Repeat for the remaining flattened dough circles.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 182
- Sugar: 0.9 g
- Sodium: 297.2 mg
- Fat: 5.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.9 g
- Protein: 4.3 g
- Cholesterol: 1.3 mg
Keywords: flatbread, turkish flat bread, how to make flatbread, bazlama
Jen says
I made these with freshly ground Kamut flour, and they were light and delicious. The yogurt gives a great tang. Thanks for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Jen,
Most welcome! Happy to hear that you enjoy our bazlama recipe.
We have never tried Kamut flour. Thank you for sharing your experience with us here. Yogurt helps the softness as well.
Jen says
Kamut is an "ancient" grain that's grown in my state. It is absolutely delicious and sweet and nutty. It has very little gluten, so its a bit more delicate than whole wheat or white flour.
That's interesting about yogurt. I bake a lot of bread, but this is the first time with yogurt. I'll definitely try it again in other breads, just to experiment. Thanks a lot for your beautiful blog. I have a list of recipes to try.
LeighAnne says
I had a bread similar to this that the Navajo made and they gave it to me with a scoop of buffalo chili with onions & cheese on it at a pow-wow, this is the closest I have seen to that bread and if it can be cooked over an open fire it I will have to try it because it was the best thing I have ever eaten in my life
How do you cook it over a wood fire? Do you always make this the same way or do you ever add different flavors /herbs etc. To give it a different taste?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi LeighAnne,
We have never tried it over a wood fire but saw several times that people in the countryside make it over an open wire. They put a thin iron plate over the fire and cook the breads on it.
We normally enjoy this flatbread plain, but you can absolutely flavor it with herbs(green onions) or seeds (sesame seeds).
Niall says
Hi guys,I'd live to make these,but at a Lisa owing to the metric system!!!!how much flour in grams please???
★★★★★
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Niall,
We didn't measure it in grams but the cup we use is 200ml. The dough will be soft and a bit sticky after everything is combined well. But you will sprinkle flour when flattening the dough balls. Just practice and will see you are getting better.
LeighAnne says
490 grams that the recipe calls for(3-1/2cups) and extra 70 grams for extra (1/2 c).
Helen Ertürk says
The recipe looks easy and tasty.....How long do I leave the dough for the 2nd rise please? If using a stand mixer for the initial kneading, should I add the extra water that is used for hand kneading?
★★★★★
Yusuf says
Hi Helen,
Thanks for asking this. You can let them sit for 15 minutes. When you are cooking one or two patties in a pan, the others will continue resting under the damp cloth. So please don't uncover them to prevent them from drying.
As for the extra water question, you will probably don't need it in a stand mixer. We wet hands when making the dough because it sticks and makes it harder otherwise.
Hope these help.
Nathalie says
Hi,
Can you freeze the Bazlama for a later date? We don't eat much bread in general but i love bazlama so would love to make and freeze if possible.
Thanks,
Nathalie
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Nathalie,
Yes, you can freeze bazlama in zip-seal freezer bags. Then you can re-heat it in a pan over low heat when you are ready to eat.
Helen says
This recipe looks great. Can I use my mixer with dough hook for this recipe or is it better by hand?
Yusuf says
Thank you Helen! Yes, you can use your stand mixer with a dough hook.
Ximena says
Can I use kefir instead of yogurt
Yusuf says
Never tried it when making bazlama but I think you can substitute kefir for yogurt here. Just make sure it is at room temperature.
Faye Levy says
Looks so delicious, and I love the way you explained it!
Yusuf says
Glad you loved it Faye!
Aysegul says
WOW! I am literally drooling here. I can eat this every single day.
With your incredibly detailed and well written instructions, making bazlama was a breeze. Thank you!
★★★★★
Yusuf says
Glad you liked it! Bazlama is always a hit, isn't it?
Chris says
Which kind of yogurt is best for this? We have thick greek yogurt (plain) and regular plain yogurt that is thinner in our markets. This looks really good, and I'm ready to try it! Thank you!
Yusuf says
We use regular plain yogurt. Hope you love it as much as we do.
Joanne says
I am currently trying this recipe out...ive mixed up the ingredients and waiting for it to rise. I really hope it does as i tried a different recipe last night that was a disaster...I will be back with the result :))
Tony says
Thanks, easy to follow instructions I'll give it a go