Baba Ghanoush and Pide Ekmeği 10/28/2010

No, no, I’m not going to write in Turkish, I only kept the fancy names of what I’m about to write.

I should have written this post yesterday but, due to weather conditions, my internet connection was on and off and I just gave up after a while.

Last couple of days, I’ve been baking every day, not that my neighbors are complaining 😛 . Sometimes I get this baking mood and I bake everyday something else. I’d bake from dawn till sunset if it is up to me 😛 , on the other hand there are days when I have to make bread and just don’t feel like doing it 😦 . I wonder if I’m the only one that feels like this.

 

The other day I made some Yumuşacık Poğaça, still Turkish he he

 

 

The recipe for this lovely breads you can find it on Zerrin‘s website, http://www.giverecipe.com/fluffy-pogaca.html I’m sure that most of you know her, and those who don’t, pay her a visit, you’ll thank or hate me later LOL

I also made some cinnabons  (I’ll post the recipe tomorrow)

 

Yesterday, I made Baba Ghanoush and Pide Ekmeği that stands for eggplant dip and Turkish flat bread

 

Baba Ghanoush (there are a lots of versions of this eggplant dip, this one is my favorite)

 

Ingredients

2-3 eggplants (little over 2 pounds)

juice of 1 lemon

2-3 tbsp tahini paste

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

handful of parsley

few garlic cloves

pinch of cayenne

 

 

Directions

 

Pierce the eggplants several times with a fork.

 

Turn the broiler on and roast the eggplants until very soft and wrinkled.

 

When cooled, carefully peel the skin away.

 

In a food processor, combine the eggplants, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini paste, garlic, parsley, cayenne pepper, salt and puree them.

 

Serve with flat bread

 

 

Pide Ekmeği – I’ve tried different combinations for this recipe and this time I substituted the water with mineral water, and, oh boy, this is the one I kept looking for, the perfect bread to be dipped in good olive oil and nothing else

 

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp dry yeast (little over 1 sachet dry yeast)

1/4 cup lukewarm water

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tbsp yogurt

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

mineral water (about 1 cup)

1 egg for brushing

nigella or sesame seeds, to sprinkle

 

Directions

Cream the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water. Leave 5 minutes.

 

 

Pour the mixture over sifted flour. Add olive oil, yogurt and salt.

 

Start mixing adding mineral water until the dough is very soft and moist.

 

 

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let it raise until double.

 

Divide the dough in two balls

 

Roll them out (about 1/2 inch thick) and put them on baking trays

 

Turn the oven on to 450F. While the oven is heating,  indent the surface of the breads with your fingers and brush them with egg and sprinkle with nigella or sesame seeds.

 

Bake them for 10-12 minutes until puffed and golden.

 

 

Thanks for reading, hope I didn’t bother you too much.