If you have ever been to an Eastern Orthodox mass, you would know what I mean when I say they last forever. Especially to a child with no concept of patience, the 2-hour mass feels like an eternity; add on the fact communion should be taken on an empty stomach, and you’re left with an antsy, hungry child. Enter me: that antsy, hungry child, longing for the second mass ends to eat (my favorite part of church was the food in the church’s hall after…go figure).

At the end of mass, there was a big basket of bread pieces, broken up as part of the service and available for parishioners to consume. You were only supposed to take one piece, but I always took like four or five – yes, I was hungry, but I also loved the way the bread tasted. It was yeasty, fluffy, and was dimpled on the top, which left little puffed pockets of dough.

This pide bread recipe pays homage to that very church bread, with a few adjustments. This one has a crunchy crust, especially after freshly baked or toasted, and the dimpled top helps create fluffy and soft pockets of bread inside. It’s also hearty and satisfying, as if I spent the last two hours standing up in mass. Or standing up kneading and rising dough.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups/250g all-purpose flour

3/4 cup/175ml water

1 tbsp. dry active yeast

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. olive oil

sesame seeds and nigella seeds* (optional)

flour paste: 2 tbsp. flour + 1/3 cup water

*nigella seeds, also known as black cumin seeds, can be found in specialty Middle Eastern/Mediterranean grocery stores or online

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together yeast, sugar and water, and let sit until frothy, 5-10 minutes. Add in half the flour and mix until just combined, and then add the remaining flour and salt, and knead until the dough is soft, smooth and slightly sticky, about 10 minutes if using hands and about 5 minutes if using a stand mixer with the hook attachment.

In the bowl, pour 2 tbsp. olive oil over dough and form into large ball, by pulling the sides down and tucking underneath. Leave dough ball seam side down in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel in a warm spot until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour and up to 2 hours. In the meantime, prepare two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Once doubled in size, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 8 equal pieces using a knife or bench scraper. Form each piece into a ball, pulling the sides into the center, as if you’re tying a bow. Place each ball seam-side down onto the baking sheet, with no more than four per sheet. Brush remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil on top of each ball of dough – this will help create a crunchy crust and also prevent the plastic wrap from sticking on the dough. Cover each sheet with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, the dough balls should have grown in size; flatten each using the pads of your finger tips into a circular disc, 1/2 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rest for another 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 475ºF/250ºC and mix together the flour paste.

Next, using a pastry brush, brush each circle with the flour paste. Dimple the surface using the pads of your fingertips, about an inch apart, creating little holes that almost touch the bottom of the bread. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds. Bake for 18 minutes, or until outside crust is slightly golden.

store: in a ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up 1 week, or in the freezer up to 6 months. Strongly encourage re-toasting prior to eating.

diet: vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free

eat it with: everything! avocado, labneh or muhummara, or any of your favorite sandwich fillings. Check out @toastedtable for some inspo :)