Hey guys,

Hope you’re well and enjoying the weekend? I’m oh, so EXCITED. Pretty much bouncing off the walls at the moment. You must think I’m high. I reassure you that I’m not. I’ve also NOT got a tough day of work ahead of me tomorrow. Rather, today is the day we leave for a cheeky trip to Dubai! I can’t wait to get out there, I’ve forgotten what the warmth of the sun feels like, and I CAN NOT WAIT to don my shades with a pair of sandals. Excited is the understatement of the year. I’ll make sure I take lots of pictures and tell you all about it upon my return.

Talking of getaways, in the meantime, I’m sharing a recipe for a Turkish dip called haydari – thick yoghurt, meddled with fresh herbs with a hint of garlic. My more loyal readers will know I ate hoards of it on my travels in Istanbul – here, here and here. I decided to recreate it at home with some flatbread, ideal for scooping up generous quantities of the haydari before shovelling it into one’s face.

Ingredients Flatbread:

• 500g strong white bread flour
• 350ml water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 1 egg
• Nigella seeds
• Sesame seeds

Haydari:

• Süzme – available in Turkish supermarkets, alternatively Greek yoghurt also works
• Fresh dill
• Fresh mint
• 1 clove of garlic
• Salt

Instructions:

1. Begin by mixing the dry ingredients for your dough – flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
2. In a jug, measure out the water required and add the olive oil.
3. Create a well in the centre of your flour, add half the liquids and stir to incorporate. Add the remaining water and oil mix and combine before kneading for around 5-10mins. You’re looking for a soft and very sticky dough.
4. Once you’ve achieved that, pop the dough into a clean, oiled bowl and cover with cling film or a damp cloth. Leave for around an hour, or until doubled in size.
5. In the mean time start on your haydari, you want around 250g süzme, to which you add a generous pinch of salt, one clove of minced garlic.
6. Chop up your fresh herbs – you want heaped tablespoon of dill and a teaspoon of mint. Add to the yoghurt and stir well to combine. I then covered and popped the lot in the fridge to chill and let the flavours combine.
7. Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to gas mark 9.
8. Flour your work top and use your hands to shape the bread into a long rectangle as best you can. Use your fingers to poke the dough and create little dimples.
9. Brush on some egg wash (mix the egg with a tablespoon of water or milk and combine well with a fork) before sprinkling on your nigella and sesame seeds.
10. Place on a well floured baking tray or pizza stone and bake for around 12mins.
11. Once cooked, leave to cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
12. To serve, cut up the bread into long 1 inch wide strips and drizzle olive oil onto the haydari before sprinkling on some sumac.

Enjoy!

– Kay

P.S. Because I love y’all I’ve got a post scheduled, ready for next weekend, while I’m away… Make sure you check in next Sunday! Or better still whack your email address in the box at the bottom of the page for an email reminder. =)