Trabzon pidesi is a traditional Turkish dough dish characterized by a specific boat shape and a rich filling of local cheese and butter. Unlike the thinner and crispier lahmacun, this type of pide is more filling, the dough is fluffier, and the edges are wider to hold a large amount of melted filling.
Preparation in the kitchen begins with shaping the dough by hand. The baker stretches the dough ball into a long oval, leaving the center slightly thinner than the edges. A cheese mixture is layered onto the dough, very generously, so that a wide edge remains free. This is then folded over the filling, and the dough is pressed together at the ends, creating the characteristic boat shape with high edges. Baking takes place in a wood-fired oven at very high temperatures. Thanks to this, the dough rises quickly, blisters form on the surface, and the crust turns golden, while the crumb inside remains soft. An egg is cracked into the center of the boat only in the last minute of baking, or it is even just mixed into the hot cheese right after taking it out of the oven to cook in the residual heat. Butter is added at the very end.
Trabzon pidesi is eaten with your hands, usually served sliced into wide strips, often still on a wooden board. You use the baked dough as a spoon to scoop up the melted cheese, egg, and butter. An essential accompaniment is hot black tea or the salty yogurt drink ayran.
The closest relative of this dish is Adjarian khachapuri from neighboring Georgia. Both dishes share the boat shape, the dominant role of cheese and butter, and the optional egg in the center.
I tasted Trabzon pidesi in a small bakery near the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. It was a simple place where local merchants came and went, and the smoke from the oven could be smelled all the way out on the street. They brought the pide to my table still sizzling; the edges were dark brown and crispy. The yolk in the center was incredibly runny, exactly how I like it. ❤️
Bon appétit!
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