Cheese Pide with Mushrooms - Kasarli Pide

cheese and mushroom pide topped with an egg

5 from 4 votes

Cheese Pide with Mushrooms - Kasarli Pide

Turkish Cheese Pide with Mushrooms (translated as Kasarli Pide) is a type of flatbread topped with vegetables and Kasar cheese, very similar to pizza but without tomato sauce.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time1 15

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Turkish

Diet: Halal, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 826kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

1 kitchen scale
1 large baking sheet
1 sifter
1 Rolling Pin
1 frying pan
1 Rubber spatula
1 measuring spoons

Ingredients

For Pide Dough

3 ¼ cups bread flour/white strong flour (400 grams)
½ TSP fast action dry yeast (3 grams)
⅔ teaspoon salt (4 grams)
1 cup tepid water (250 ml)

For Mushroom and Cheese Filling

2 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion (diced)
1 ½ lbs sliced button or chestnut mushrooms (700 grams)
1 Turkish green pepper, or ½ green bell pepper, or 3 Padron peppers (finely chopped)
1 medium tomato (diced)
2 cups grated mozzarella or kasar cheese (7 oz/200 grams)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (3½ oz/100 grams)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
4 eggs for topping (optional)
butter for brushing

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the Dough

Sift the flour in a bowl then add the yeast and warm water.
Mix together until combined then add the salt to the bowl.
Gently mix with your fingers to form a dough, it will be sticky at that stage.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it for 4-5 minutes or until it doesn't stick to your hands anymore. You can use a bit of extra flour if needed. It should feel soft and elastic at that stage.
Turn the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover with a cling film or clean kitchen cloth and let it rise for an hour until it doubles the size up.
Start to prepare the mushroom and cheese filling while the dough is rising.

Preparing the Mushroom and Cheese Filling

Melt the butter in a pan and saute the onions on medium heat until soft.
Add the mushrooms and then saute for a few minutes before adding the peppers.
Sautée the peppers for a minute and then add the tomatoes, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and chili flakes (if using).
Cook for a few more minutes, remove from the heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes while portioning and resting the dough.

Making the Pide

Preheat the oven to 220° C - 430° F (fan oven).
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and place them on a lightly floured surface. Cover with cling film or a damp kitchen cloth and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
Roll one of the dough balls into an oval shape 15 cm x 35 cm (about 6”x13”) size and ½ cm (0.2”) thickness.
Spread ¼ of the mushroom filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1 ½ cm (½ ") border at the edges.
Sprinkle on ¼ of the cheese, fold the border over the filling and then pinch the top and bottom end together.
Repeat the same for the remaining 3 dough balls.
Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper and gently transfer 2 pides on each tray.
When the oven is hot enough, place the trays in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the filling is cooked and the pastry is lightly browned.
If you want to top your pide with an egg, add it at the last 5 minutes of the cooking time for medium-cooked eggs or 10 minutes for well-done eggs.
When the pides are cooked, generously brush the crust with butter and slice before serving.

Video

Notes

Using good quality strong white flour is necessary to have an elastic dough that is easier to roll out. Make sure you knead the dough long enough to make it soft and elastic
If your dough is sticky, add a little flour to it. As you knead it, make sure to coat your hands and your work surface with a light dusting of flour. Add a few teaspoons of flour at a time to get rid of the stickiness.
Use lukewarm warm water when making the pide dough. Hot water kills the yeast and cold water prevents the yeast from activating.
To reheat the leftover pide, simply cover it in tin foil and reheat it in a 180° C (360° F) preheated oven for 10 minutes or until piping hot. You can also microwave it for a couple of minutes if you prefer.

Nutrition