Turkish Ekmek

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Ekmek is the Turkish word for bread, a staple in Turkish cuisine with deep historical and cultural roots.  It is central to daily life, meals and traditions across Turkey. 

Ekmek was traditionally baked on a stone or in a wood-fired oven. Under the Ottoman Empire, large weighty loaves, known as okkals ekmek were baked for both city dwellers and the military, underscoring the bread's role as a core ration and symbol of sustenance. Bread was so central to Turkish life that sayings such as ekmek parasi (bread money)_ was used for the wage earned by workers, and customs such as askida ekmek or "bread on the hook" (where a shopper would pay for an extra loaf for a stranger in need) tied the bread directly to dignity, survival and charity. 

This recipe is adapted from Eric Kayser's Ekmek (I've reduced the honey by 25 gms, as I found the trial rather too sweet for my taste)

INGREDIENTS

500 gms wheat flour or strong bread flour

100 gms fresh active sourdough starter (100% hydration )

225 gms tepid water

10 gms fine sea salt

50 gms honey

40 gms olive oil

7 gms instant active yeast. 

METHOD

Add the water to a large bowl. 

Add the salt, honey, oil and starter. Mix well.

Add the flour and yeast and bring it all together. 

Knead for at least 10 - 15 minutes until you have a soft and silky dough. 

Place in a lightly-oiled bowl, cover and leave for between 1 and 2 hours (room temperature) until it has visibly puffed up and doubled in volume. 

Turn the dough out and divide into two equal pieces. 

Shape into balls, cover and rest for 20 minutes. 

Gently flatten to recreate the typical ekmek shape so that they're flatter than the classic boule.

Place on a prepared baking tray, cover and leave to rise for about 1 - 1.5 hours again (room temperature) until they are soft and slightly puffy. 

Preheat the oven to 210⁰C (410⁰F) (Fan) - increase by 10⁰C for conventional 

Brush or spray the tops with oil before baking and score the surface of the loaf

Bake for 10 minutes at 210⁰C (410⁰F) and then continue for up to a final 10 minutes having dropped the heat by 10⁰C to 200⁰C (390⁰F) until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath. 

Cool on a rack. 

Happy baking