Turkey · Hatay

Biberli ekmek

Bake Hatay biberli ekmek: small soft breads topped with pepper paste, onion, sesame, spices and olive oil until fragrant and crisp-edged.

Traditional Turkish recipe Breakfast bread / savoury pastry
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Small Hatay biberli ekmek rounds with red pepper paste, sesame and onion topping
Small Hatay biberli ekmek rounds with red pepper paste, sesame and onion topping
Prep 35 minutes
Cook 18 minutes
Total 2 hour 8 minutes
Serves 12
Ingredients ↓
Overview

About Biberli ekmek

Biberli ekmek is Hatay's pepper-paste bread, served at breakfast, with tea or as part of a shared table. Small rounds of yeasted dough carry a savoury red topping of pepper paste, onion, sesame, olive oil and warm spices. Depending on the household, walnuts, thyme or cheese may appear; the essential balance is aromatic and gently hot rather than harshly salty.

The topping must be spread thinly enough for the dough to bake through. Squeeze excess moisture from grated onion and loosen dense pepper paste with olive oil, not water. A hot baking surface gives a cooked base before the topping dries out.

A dependable Biberli ekmek begins before the heat is switched on. Measure 500 g bread flour, 325 ml lukewarm water, 7 g instant yeast, 8 g fine sea salt, 20 ml olive oil, and 160 g Turkish red pepper paste and keep the remaining ingredients grouped in the order in which they enter the recipe. Have Stand mixer or mixing bowl, Two baking trays or a baking stone, and Small offset spatula ready as well. The planned sequence is Make the dough, Prepare and shape, and Bake. This mise en place protects the stated 12-serving yield and prevents a temperature-sensitive or fast-moving stage from being interrupted while an ingredient is still being weighed.

Use the clock as a planning guide, not as the only test of progress: allow 35 minutes of preparation, 18 minutes of cooking, and 2 hours 8 minutes overall. During Prepare and shape, Stir pepper paste, squeezed onion, olive oil, sesame, optional walnuts and spices into a spreadable paste. The useful observation is specific: It should spread without releasing watery liquid. At the finish, Serve whole or cut into wedges with tea, yogurt or olives. Do not serve merely because the nominal time has elapsed; wait until the pepper topping should taste concentrated but not scorched.

Practical

Practical

  • Pepper pasteTaste before adding salt; commercial biber salçası varies greatly in salinity.
  • Topping optionsWalnut and thyme are common regional variations, but do not overload every bread.
  • ReheatingWarm at 200°C for 4–5 minutes rather than microwaving.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Dough

  • 500 g bread flour
  • 325 ml lukewarm water
  • 7 g instant yeast
  • 8 g fine sea salt
  • 20 ml olive oil

Pepper topping

  • 160 g Turkish red pepper paste
  • 1 medium onion finely grated and squeezed
  • 60 ml olive oil
  • 35 g sesame seeds
  • 25 g walnuts finely chopped, optional
  • 5 g dried thyme or za'atar-style kekik
  • 4 g pul biber
  • 2 g ground cumin
  • 1 g black pepper
Directions

Directions

Make the dough

  1. Mix and kneadCombine flour, water, yeast, salt and oil; knead 8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.

    The dough should stretch thin before tearing.

  2. Let it riseCover and leave 60–75 minutes until roughly doubled.

    A fingertip indentation should return slowly.

  3. Heat the ovenPreheat to 230°C with a stone or inverted heavy tray inside.

    Allow at least 30 minutes for the baking surface to heat.

Prepare and shape

  1. Mix the toppingStir pepper paste, squeezed onion, olive oil, sesame, optional walnuts and spices into a spreadable paste.

    It should spread without releasing watery liquid.

  2. Divide the doughDeflate and divide into 12 balls; rest 10 minutes, then flatten each to a 12 cm round.

    Keep an even 5–7 mm thickness with a slightly raised edge.

  3. Top thinlySpread about 1½ tablespoons topping over each round, almost to the edge.

    Dough should remain visible through a very thick patch nowhere.

Bake

  1. Bake in batchesTransfer to the hot surface and bake 10–14 minutes, rotating once.

    The base should brown and the onion lose its raw aroma.

  2. Cool brieflyMove to a rack for 5 minutes; brush bare edges lightly with olive oil if desired.

    The bread should stay soft inside with crisp edges.

  3. Serve warmServe whole or cut into wedges with tea, yogurt or olives.

    The pepper topping should taste concentrated but not scorched.
Practical

Practical

Organise the measured components

Keep 500 g bread flour, 325 ml lukewarm water, 7 g instant yeast, 8 g fine sea salt, 20 ml olive oil, and 160 g Turkish red pepper paste visible and separate until their stated stage. Combine flour, water, yeast, salt and oil; knead 8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky. This opening action establishes the moisture, seasoning and texture that later cooking can preserve but cannot fully repair. Before moving on, confirm that the dough should stretch thin before tearing. If the sign is absent, correct the immediate mixture, heat or handling rather than compensating with an unrelated ingredient.

Read the food at every stage

The key checkpoints across Make the dough, Prepare and shape, and Bake are The dough should stretch thin before tearing., It should spread without releasing watery liquid., and The base should brown and the onion lose its raw aroma.. These observations are more reliable than colour alone because pan material, starting temperature, ingredient size and heat output vary between kitchens. Work in the stated order, keep the batch dimensions similar and pause when a cue has not appeared. The final confirmations are Allow at least 30 minutes for the baking surface to heat., Dough should remain visible through a very thick patch nowhere., and The pepper topping should taste concentrated but not scorched.; together they describe texture, moisture and safe doneness more accurately than a single minute count.

Plan service and leftovers before cooking

Serve whole or cut into wedges with tea, yogurt or olives. Serve when the final texture is at its best, then move leftovers promptly to the storage condition specified for this dish. Yes. Use less yeast and chill overnight, then bring it to cool room temperature before shaping. Cool breads before sealing for storage to prevent condensation and mould. This closes the recipe as deliberately as it began: service, cooling and reheating are part of quality control, not an afterthought once the pan has left the heat.

Control points

Control points

  • The centre is doughy The topping was too thick, onion too wet or baking surface not hot.
  • The topping burns Lower the rack or reduce the oven by 10–15°C.
  • The dough springs back Rest the divided balls longer before flattening.
Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Calories275 kcal
  • Protein7 g
  • Carbohydrates39 g
  • Fat11 g
  • Saturated fat2 g
  • Fiber3 g
  • Sugars5 g
  • Sodium410 mg

1 bread — Approximate values; actual nutrition varies with ingredients and serving size.

Allergens · Food safety

Allergens · Food safety

Allergens: Contains wheat/gluten, sesame and walnuts if used.

Food safety: Refrigerate pepper paste after opening according to its label. Cool breads before sealing for storage to prevent condensation and mould.

Storage: Yes. Use less yeast and chill overnight, then bring it to cool room temperature before shaping.

FAQ

FAQ

Is biberli ekmek very spicy?

It can be, but the heat depends on the pepper paste; mild and hot pastes are both used.

Can I make one large bread?

Yes, but keep the topping thin and extend baking until the centre is fully cooked.

Can the dough be refrigerated?

Yes. Use less yeast and chill overnight, then bring it to cool room temperature before shaping.

What matters most

What matters most

Soft, airy bread with crisp edges and a concentrated, sesame-rich pepper topping.

Dry onion, spreadable paste and a fiercely preheated baking surface.

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