Turkish Flatbread is a soft and fluffy yeast-based bread cooked on the stovetop—no mixer or oven required! This Bazlama-style flatbread is perfect for wraps, dips, and cozy Mediterranean meals.
Bazlama is one of Turkey’s most beloved flatbreads—pillowy soft with a slight chew, golden brown on the outside, and delightfully warm on the inside. Made with simple ingredients like flour, yeast, yogurt, and olive oil, it’s a staple in Turkish homes and often enjoyed fresh off the skillet.
While my husband and I haven’t had the chance to visit Turkey (yet!), we often spend weekends diving into cookbooks, researching traditional dishes, and creating our own Mediterranean and Middle Eastern spreads at home. This recipe was part of a recent Turkish feast, which also featured recipes like Cacik, Haydari, and Sumac Onions.
Scroll down for step-by-step photos, helpful tips, and fun flavor variations!
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What is Bazlama?
Bazlama (pronounced bahz-lah-ma) is a traditional Turkish flatbread known for its soft, fluffy texture and golden, slightly blistered surface. Made with yeast and yogurt, it’s thicker than pita but lighter than naan.
This village-style bread has been part of Anatolian cooking for centuries, baked fresh each day in rural households and sold at bustling street markets. While it’s traditionally cooked over an open griddle, you can make it easily at home with just a pan.
Other Turkish flatbreads worth exploring:
- Pide – Boat-shaped flatbread filled with cheese, meat, or vegetables.
- Lahmacun – Thin and crisp, topped with spiced minced meat (sometimes called Turkish pizza).
- Gözleme – Stuffed flatbread cooked on a griddle, often filled with spinach, cheese, or potatoes.
- Yufka – Paper-thin unleavened dough used to make börek.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe uses basic pantry staples, but each ingredient plays an important role:
- Lukewarm water – Activates the yeast. The ideal temperature is between 36–40°C (97–104°F).
- Sugar – Feeds the yeast, helping it bloom.
- Active dry yeast – Creates the signature pillowy rise.
All-purpose flour – Provides structure and softness. You can use a blend of white and whole wheat if preferred. - Salt – Enhances flavor and helps balance the fermentation.
- Full-fat Greek yogurt – Adds moisture, tenderness, and a hint of tang. Yogurt also helps the dough stay soft even after cooking.
- Olive oil – Keeps the dough elastic and gives the flatbread a lovely sheen when cooked.
See the recipe card below for quantities
Step-by-Step Instructions
Tested in our kitchen and loved by our readers—this recipe is soft, chewy, and so easy to make!
- Activate the yeast : In a small bowl, whisk together lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
Chef’s Tip: If your yeast doesn’t foam, it may have expired or your water was too hot—start again to ensure a good rise.
- Make the dough : Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and yogurt. Mix to form a rough dough. Drizzle in olive oil and knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Adjust flour or water if needed.
- Let it rise : Form into a ball, coat with oil, and cover. Let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Divide and shape : Cut into 8 pieces. Roll each into a ball and flatten into 15–18 cm (6–7 inch) circles. Keep dough covered while working.
Chef’s Tip: Don’t roll too thin—thicker discs puff beautifully and stay fluffy. Aim for more or less ¼ inch (6mm).
- Cook the flatbreads : Heat a skillet over medium. Brush with olive oil. Cook each flatbread for 2–3 minutes per side until golden and slightly puffed. Lightly brush each flatbread with olive oil.
- Serve warm : Stack in a clean towel to keep warm and soft. Serve immediately.
What to Serve with Turkish Flatbread
Bazlama is wonderfully versatile—serve it warm for breakfast, as part of a mezze spread, or use it to wrap up grilled meats and vegetables. Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy it:
- Appetizers or Mezze Platter: Serve with Haydari, Cacik, Tahini Yogurt Dressing, Hummus, or Pickled Red Onions. Add olives, roasted red peppers, and labneh for a full mezze experience.
- Grilled or Roasted Meat: Perfect alongside kebabs, beef koftas, chicken skewers, shawarma, or souvlaki. Try it with our Oven-Baked Mediterranean Chicken Tenders or use as a wrap for roast lamb and tzatziki.
- Wraps & Sandwiches: Use Bazlama as a wrap with Falafel, fresh herbs, cucumber, and Middle Eastern Quick Pickles. Or try with grilled halloumi, roasted eggplant, or spicy chickpea salad.
- Pizza or Garlic Bread: Turn it into a flatbread pizza with za’atar, tomatoes, and cheese—or brush with garlic butter and serve as a side.
- Breakfast: Enjoy with honey and butter, or scrambled eggs, labneh and herbs, and sliced avocado. Add a poached egg and sprinkle Aleppo pepper for a Mediterranean twist.
- Soups and Stews: Ideal for dipping into hearty dishes like Turkish lentil soup, tomato and rice soup, or a Moroccan chickpea stew.
- Side for Salad: Pair with our Mediterranean Chicken Salad, Jerusalem Salad, or a simple tomato-cucumber salad with lemon and olive oil.
- Charcuterie or Snack Boards: Add wedges of Bazlama to a grazing board with marinated feta, dried fruit, nuts, and dips for a Mediterranean-inspired snack or light meal.
Storage Tips and Reheating
Bazlama is best warm from the pan, but you can easily store and reheat:
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight bag or tightly wrapped in aluminum foil for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving.
- Freezer: Wrap individually in a layer of aluminium foil and plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat straight from frozen.
- To reheat: Warm in a skillet over medium heat, or in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 5–8 minutes.
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FAQ's
A :The dough may not have risen enough, or the skillet wasn’t hot enough. Also, rolling the dough too thin or not kneading long enough can affect puffiness.
A : Not exactly. While all are flatbreads, Bazlama is thicker and fluffier than pita, and doesn't use ghee like traditional naan. It's most similar to Greek pita or Lebanese khubz.
A : Yes, but it will be denser. We recommend replacing up to 50% of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat for a heartier version.
A : You can substitute with buttermilk or a plant-based yogurt alternative, but the texture will be slightly different.
A : This recipe relies on yeast for its signature texture, but you could experiment with baking powder for a quick flatbread—it won't be as fluffy, but it will still taste great.
More Middle Eastern Recipes
- Middle Eastern Salmon Salad with Bulgur Wheat
- Haydari – Creamy Turkish Yogurt Dip Recipe
- How to Cook Bulgur Wheat on the Stove (Perfect Every Time)
- Creamy Lemon Tahini Yogurt Dressing Recipe
Soft, pillowy, and so satisfying—this Turkish flatbread is a must-try for bread lovers! Whether you're making a full Turkish feast or just want something warm and fresh to scoop up dips, this Bazlama recipe delivers.
Pin it, bake it, and tell us how it turned out in the comments below!
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Soft & Fluffy Turkish Flatbread (Bazlama)
- Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
- Yield: 8 flatbreads
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Turkish Flatbread is a soft and fluffy yeast-based bread cooked on the stovetop—no mixer or oven required! This Bazlama-style flatbread is perfect for wraps, dips, and cozy Mediterranean meals.
Ingredients
250ml (1 cup) lukewarm water
5g (1 tsp) sugar
10g (2 tsp) active dry yeast
450g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
5g (1 tsp) salt
100g (3.5 oz) full-fat Greek yogurt
1-2 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together the lukewarm water (between 36 - 40°C / 97 - 104°F), sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the activated yeast mixture and Greek yogurt. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until a rough dough forms.
Drizzle in 1 tablespoon olive oil and knead the dough for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add a little more flour if it's too sticky or a splash of water if it feels dry.
Shape the dough into a ball, coat lightly with olive oil, and place in a clean bowl. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 8 equal portions. Keep the dough balls covered with a clean cloth to prevent the dough from drying out. Roll each portion into a ball, then gently flatten into circles about 15–18cm (6–7 inches) in diameter.
Heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Brush lightly with olive oil. Cook each flatbread for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown and slightly puffed, with charred spots. Adjust heat as needed to prevent burning. Lightly brush each flatbread with olive oil when they are done.
Stack the flatbreads in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm and soft. Serve immediately with kebabs, dips, or wraps.
Notes
Room Temperature: Store in an airtight bag for 1–2 days.
Refrigerator: Keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze flatbreads (separated by parchment) in freezer-safe bags for up to 2 months.
To Reheat: Warm in a dry skillet or in a 325°F (160°C) oven. Can be reheated directly from frozen.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (+1 hr rising)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Turkish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 253
- Sugar: 1.3 g
- Sodium: 249.6 mg
- Fat: 4.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 44.6 g
- Protein: 7.4 g
- Cholesterol: 1.6 mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
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