This week Gert is doing Turkish therefore it has to be Pide. The brilliant thing about baking for Gert is he not only gets you devising new breads, he has you revisiting old favourites. That’s when you find out, like last week with the Cistercian, that your notes aren’t as comprehensive as you thought they were. The thing with Pide is it’s seriously sticky and I’ve never made it frequently enough to crack the shaping method.
In theory it’s not high hydration (57%) but there’s also olive oil and the starter is 75%+. Last night it came out of the mixer like lemon curd but after a night in the fridge it was easier to handle. So I took a bit of care over the process – scaled at 200g – gentle air fold – roll it a couple of times between my hands just to elongate it. About 30 minutes rest (me). Then fold each piece like a mini baguette – edge into the centre, turn 90 degrees and fold the other edge into the centre. Seal gently, place seal side down (but don’t roll).
Rest another 30 minutes or so. Gently press out in plenty of flour, stretch slightly onto baking sheets. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with zataar, dimple.
Much neater than usual – that puts the price up by 50p.
The PArtisan Baker 