Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread)
May 09, 2024, Updated Jan 27, 2026
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Bazlama is a classic Turkish flatbread that’s loved for its soft, pillowy texture. Made with simple pantry staples and cooked in a pan, this easy bread is perfect for serving with meals, enjoying warm with butter and cheese, or scooping up your favorite dips.
Fun fact: Turkey has the highest bread consumption per person in the world, and honestly, I get it. Turkish bakeries are incredible, with a wide variety of breads you simply can’t miss. From classic simit and stuffed poğaça to pide bread that’s made especially during the month of Ramadan, Turkish cuisine offers bread like no other.
Today I’m going to show you how to make bazlama, a lesser-known Turkish flatbread that’s cooked in a pan instead of the oven. It’s simple to make and absolutely delicious served warm with a bit of butter.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Soft and pillowy: Bazlama is light, fluffy, and tender thanks to the combination of yogurt and yeast.
Quick and easy: A simple mix-and-knead dough with no complicated steps or long proofing.
Versatile: Enjoy it with dips, cheese, butter, fresh vegetables, olives, cheese, honey, and a variety of jams and spreads.
Great for sharing: This recipe makes several flatbreads, perfect for family meals and gatherings.
Ingredients for Bazlama
- Flour: All purpose flour works well for this recipe. However, you can also use bread flour if preferred.
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the flatbread. A small amount goes a long way, so measure carefully.
- Sugar: Helps activate the yeast and balances the flavor. I recommend using granulated sugar.
- Instant Yeast: This is the leavening agent that helps the dough rise and become light and fluffy. Instant yeast doesn’t require proofing, making it convenient and easy to work with. Just mix it into the dry ingredients and it’s ready to go.
- Yogurt: Adds moisture and a rich texture to the dough. Using full-fat yogurt yields a softer, more tender flatbread. Make sure it’s at room temperature for best results.
- Water: Use warm (but not hot) water to encourage proper yeast activation and dough formation.
- Olive Oil: Contributes a subtle flavor and helps keep the bread soft. Extra virgin olive oil works best here.
How To Make Bazlama
Place the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Add the yogurt and olive oil, followed by the water, and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until soft and pliable. It should bounce back when gently poked. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let it rest for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each individual piece of dough into about 1/4 inch thick round piece.
Cover the rolled-out dough rounds with a towel and let them sit as you preheat your pan on the stove top.
Place dough rounds in center of heated pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Once golden brown, flip to cook other side.
Keep the cooked bazlama wrapped in a kitchen towel so they remain soft. Serve warm or cooled. If desired, brush with melted butter or olive oil right after cooking.
Serving Ideas
Bazlama can be served with dips such as Ezme and Muhamarra (Roasted red pepper and walnut dip). You can also serve it as a part of Turkish breakfast with menemen, sucuklu yumurta, cheese, jam, tomatoes, cucumber and olives.
Recipe Tips
Knead well: Knead the dough for at least 5 to 7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. This helps develop the gluten, giving the Bazlama a tender and chewy texture.
Roll thinly: Roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. This ensures that the flatbread cooks evenly without being too thick or doughy in the center.
Man the heat: Before cooking, ensure the pan or griddle is preheated to medium-high heat. This helps achieve the desired golden-brown crust and prevents sticking. However, make sure the pan is not too hot otherwise the bread will be doughy in the middle.
Storage
If you have leftovers, store the flatbread in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag to keep it fresh. You can keep bazlama at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to a week. To reheat, warm the flatbread in a skillet or toaster for a few seconds to revive its softness and flavor.
Bazlama also freezes very well. Store the flatbread in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in a toaster oven or a regular oven at 300 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
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Bazlama Recipe (Turkish Flatbread)
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp Instant yeast
- ½ cup Whole milk yogurt
- ¾ cup Water, warm
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, sugar, instant yeast, yogurt, water and olive oil using a wooden spoon. Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead until the dough comes together, is pliable and bounces back when poked.
- Place the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a draft-free space such as an off oven for 1 hour to double in size.
- After one hour transfer the dough to a clean surface. Divide it into 8 pieces using a bench scraper or a knife. Roll out each piece into 1/4 inch thick disk.
- Cover the dough disks with a clean kitchen towel and let them sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick pan over medium high heat.
- Place one of the dough disks in the pan once it's hot. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until it's golden brown. Flip and cook for another minute on the other side.
- Wrap the cooked bazlama in a kitchen towel to keep them soft. Brush with melted butter or olive oil if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Excellent! Thanks!
I love your recipes. This bread is nice and spongy, I freeze it and use it with your kebab and sumac onions recipe. Fast food, your way.
This Turkish flatbread was so delish! I served it up with homemade hummus and it was epic!
This Turkish flatbread looks amazingly delicious. Thanks for sharing.
I made this flatbread yesterday and it was delicious! We loved dipping it into hummus!
This bread is so good. I love the flavors, and the texture is just fantastic. It’s also SUPER EASY! I’ll be making it again.
I was so impressed with my self that I made these! They were so good and were perfect with saucey chicken!