Bread, known as ekmek in Türkiye, plays an integral part in Turkish culture and cuisine. It’s a food with no social standing, enjoyed by all walks of life. Freshly baked Turkish bread is a delight and the ideal accompaniment for Turkish dishes, which is one reason why the variety of bread on offer led Anatolia to be known as “the breadbasket of the world”.

THE LOVE OF TURKISH BREAD

There’s a wide variety of bread available in Türkiye, and talented bakers in every region have recipes passed down through generations, as this beautiful video produced by Go Türkiye portrays. Wherever you are in the world, the smell of fresh bread is comforting and lures you to the bakers. In Türkiye, large queues are seen outside the local Tas Firin (bakery) each day, people eager to buy the piping-hot loaves – and hardly one makes it to the table in one piece, without falling prey to a cheeky nibble!

During Ottoman times, it was believed Adam, when leaving the Garden of Eden, was taught how to make bread by the Archangel Gabriel, which is why he became known as the Patron Saint of Bakers. Bread is so important in Türkiye that most bakers bless the bread by saying “Bismillah”, meaning “in the name of God”, on placing the batch in the oven. Many believe throwing bread away is bad luck, so you often see a bag of bread hanging from railings outside homes or carefully placed to the side of a public bin for the hungry to take should they need it.

TYPES OF TURKISH BREAD

Somun / Francala Ekmek (Turkish regular loaf)

Türkiye’s most popular bread is the pointy-tipped, boat-shaped regular loaf, with its distinctive slash down the centre. This traditional, airy white bread is available in every bakery, local mini-market and shop throughout Türkiye, and the government sets its price. Slices of somun bread are enjoyed in homes and lokantas with almost every meal. There is also a whole wheat equivalent known as kepekli ekmek.

Vakfikebir / Trabzon Ekmek

Another everyday white flour Turkish bread is called Vakfıkebir or Trabzon ekmek, hailing from the Black Sea. Made from a dense sourdough and cooked in a wood oven, it is far more filling than somun ekmek, has a longer shelf life and is generally round in shape.

Misir Ekmek (Cornbread)

Tasty savoury cornbread is popular in many countries, and Türkiye is no exception. Excellent served warm from the oven, and perhaps with a lashing of lightly salted local butter, it’s a real treat! The best Turkish cornbread is said to come from the Black Sea where they produce many varieties, some with cheese, herbs or even anchovies cooked into the dough.

Turkish Pide Bread

Traditionally eaten with the wide variety of soups available in Türkiye, round or oval pide bread is usually cooked in a traditional oven and served warm. It’s a dense flatbread ideal for soaking up sauces and soups and widely available in the lokantas and bakeries throughout Türkiye.

Ramazan Pidesi

Ramazan Pide is a form of pide bread traditionally served in Türkiye for the iftar and sahur meals during the month of Ramazan (Ramadan). It’s a round pide bread with a patterned crust sprinkled with sesame and nigella seeds, and its made with a yeast dough. This special bread is generally placed in the centre of the table, each person tearing a piece off to enjoy with their breakfast before sunrise and the meal after sundown during the holy month.

Bazlama

Bazlama is a flat, circular leavened Turkish bread that’s around 2cm thick. It’s traditionally cooked in a stone oven in Türkiye’s villages, but is widely available in most bakeries and supermarkets. Bazlama is great toasted then filled with cheese or sandwich meat and, like toasties, makes for a popular breakfast or lunch.

Turkish Lavas and Balloon Bread

Lavas (Lavash) is a popular flatbread used widely in Türkiye to wrap kebabs as durum, or make wrap-style sandwiches. There is also another type of lavas that looks very impressive served to the table – the famous Turkish “balloon bread”. Again, made from a simple dough, it is sprinkled with nigella seeds and cooked quickly in a traditional oven so it crisps and puffs-up. The centre is filled with steam, and it’s quickly rushed to the table along with appetisers so a lucky diner can pop the bread and tear off pieces to dip into their mezze.

Yufka

Ultra-thin yufka bread is an unleavened flatbread in Türkiye made with a simple flour, salt and water dough. Although it is similar to lavas bread, it’s not generally eaten on its own but used to make borek (pastries), gozleme (Turkish pancakes), and many other pastries and desserts.

Simit

If you like bagels, you will probably like simit. This circular bread is sesame encrusted and believed to have originated in Istanbul in the 1500s. They are made from a white leavened dough that is proofed then dipped in molasses, then baked. Simit is street food and a favourite, enjoyed by everyone and available in bakeries or from men that travel the streets with a pile of simit precariously balanced on their head.

ORDER A SELECTION OF TURKISH BREAD WITH YOUR PROVISIONS

Bread is a staple on most yachting provision lists. If you would like to try a selection of local Turkish bread, 360° Yachting’s provision team will gladly arrange a variety to be delivered to the yacht. CONTACT US for more details.