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Biberli Ekmek (Turkish Pepper Bread)

Freshly baked individual portions of Turkish biberli ekmek arranged in a baking pan.

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Biberli Ekmek is a beloved Turkish bread topped with onions, red pepper paste and spices. Soft, flavorful, and perfect for pairing with tea or meze dishes.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Dough:

  • 200 ml (6.7 fl oz / 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) milk, lukewarm
  • 200 ml (6.7 fl oz / 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) water, lukewarm
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 7 grams instant yeast
  • 100 ml (3.3 fl oz / 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon to wet your hands
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 1/2 cups (560 grams) all-purpose flour

Topping:

  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon pul biber or red pepper flakes (Read Note 1)
  • 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Turkish red pepper paste ( Read Note 2)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • parsley to garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, water, sugar, and instant yeast. Add the olive oil and salt, and mix well. Gradually add the flour and stir with a spatula until a sticky dough forms. Pour about 1 teaspoon of olive oil onto your palm and spread it over the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 50 minutes.
  2. Prepare the Topping: In a medium bowl, combine the diced onion, red bell pepper, paprika, pul biber (or red pepper flakes), sesame seeds, salt, tomato paste, Turkish red pepper paste, and olive oil. Mix well and set aside.
  3. Prepare the Dough Balls: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl for shaping the dough. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Once the dough has risen, wet your hands with olive oil and deflate the dough by pulling the edges toward the center. Fold it a few times. (The dough will remain sticky; dip your fingers in the oil as needed.) Grab a piece of dough (about the size of a mandarin orange), roll it into a ball, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. (For the first batch, we place 6 dough balls onto our baking sheet. For the second batch, we use a larger baking sheet and fit 10 dough balls.)
  4. Shape and Add Topping: Flatten each dough ball slightly with your fingers. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the topping onto each flattened dough ball and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon. 
  5. Bake: Place the baking sheet on the rack just below the middle of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are set and the bottoms are no longer pale. While the first batch bakes, prepare the second batch of dough balls on another baking sheet (about 9 balls on a larger sheet).
  6. Cool and Serve: Remove the baked breads from the oven and let them cool slightly before transferring them to a plate lined with paper towels. Bake the second batch following the same instructions. Serve the breads warm or at room temperature. Optionally, garnish them with parsley leaves.

Notes

  1. Pul Biber (Turkish Red Pepper Flakes): You can find pul biber at Middle Eastern stores or online. If it’s unavailable, regular red pepper flakes work as a good substitute.
  2. Turkish Red Pepper Paste (Biber Salçası): We highly recommend looking for biber salçası at Middle Eastern stores or online markets for the most authentic flavor. However, if you can’t find it, don’t worry! You can still make this recipe by substituting with tomato paste and adding a little extra paprika to capture a similar depth of flavor.

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