Somun ekmek (literally translated as loaf of bread) refers to a popular soft and fluffy Turkish bread. There are a lot of types of bread in Turkey, some regional ones, some only available during the month of Ramadan. However, somum ekmek is the loaf of bread you will find in every kitchen any day of the week.
Eating slices of somun ekmek is so common in Turkey that this loaf is what comes to my mind first when I hear/read ‘Turkish bread’.
Popular Turkish loaf
These loaves are extremely common and sold in every bakery (unlu mamüller) and convenience store (bakkal). Walking down the streets it’s impossible not to spot ekmek hanging in plastic bags on every corner. When I lived there you could still get a whole loaf for just 1₺ at any time of the day or night. It was so convenient and cheap, no wonder Turkey is one of the countries which consumes the most bread.
Ekmek is a soft white bread perfect for dunking into lentil soup, accompanying a Turkish breakfast, or making a Turkish grilled cheese sandwich.
Simple recipe
Ekmek is one of the easiest loaves of bread you can make at home, even if you’re a beginner baker. It’s a basic white bread that uses dry yeast as a leavening agent and that can be kneaded by hand.
As long as the yeast has been properly activated (the top of the yeast mixture should be foamy/bubbly after 15 min) and the dough has been sufficiently kneaded (poke it with a finger, the indentation should spring back) you’ll be good to go!
Steam is also important as it helps the loaf to rise in the first precious minutes of baking and gives the ekmek its typical glossy crust.
How to store
Homemade bread does get stale faster, especially if it’s white bread without any added fat. To prevent the ekmek from going stale, store it at room temperature in an airtight bread box or a linen bread bag. Whatever you do, do not put your beautiful fresh loaf in the fridge, it will dry up more quickly.
But honestly, if you want to keep it as fresh as possible, freezing is the way to go. Slice up the ekmek, tightly wrap the slices you’re not planning on eating straight away in plastic wrap, and place the wrapped slices in a freezer bag. You can keep the slices of ekmek in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To thaw the ekmek, grab how many slices you want and let them thaw at room temperature on your kitchen counter, or use a toaster to speed things up!
Ekmek
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- proving time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Turkish
Description
Somun ekmek (literally translated as loaf of bread) refers to a popular soft and fluffy Turkish bread. It’s really easy to replicate at home and the perfect loaf to dunk into soup or make grilled cheese sandwiches with!
Ingredients
- 8g active dry yeast (2 tsp)
- pinch of sugar
- 300ml water (1 ¼ cup)
- 420g strong bread flour (3 cups)
- 8g fine sea salt (1 tsp)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. Slightly warm up 2 tbsp of the water, keeping in mind that the liquid shouldn’t be hotter than 42°C (108°F). Whisk in the yeast and sugar and keep whisking until the yeast has entirely dissolved. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the yeast sit for 15 min.
- Make the dough. Gently heat rest of the water until lukewarm. Again it shouldn’t be hotter than 42°C (108°F). Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the salt. Pour in the liquid and the yeast and use the fingers of one hand to mix the ingredients together. If you can’t gather in all the flour, add a little bit of water and mix again until just combined.
- Knead the dough. Tip the dough over a floured work surface. Knead the dough energetically for 10 min. Eventually, it will become less sticky and smoother. Sprinkle more flour over the work surface if the dough really gets stuck. Put the dough in a large lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Place the bowl in a warm spot. I like to heat the oven to 50°C (120°F) for a couple of minutes before turning the oven off and placing the bowl in there. Leave the dough to rise for 1h.
- Shape the ekmek. Fold the dough in on itself several times until all the air is knocked out of the dough. Heavily flour your work surface and place the dough on it. Flatten the dough into a rough rectangle, with one of the long sides facing you. Fold one of the long sides into the middle of the rectangle. Then fold the other long side on top of the other fold. Flip the loaf over so that it is seam-side down. Rock the loaf gently until it’s roughly 35cm-long (14 in), applying a little more pressure on the ends to form the oval shape. Delicately place the loaf on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cover the loaf with a damp tea towel and leave it to prove for 15 min.
- Prepare the oven and score the loaf. Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F) while the bread is proving. Place a small roasting tray on the bottom shelf of the oven. Boil 500ml (2 cups) of water using a kettle or a pan. Pour it into the roasting tray. When the bread has proved for 15 min, use a very sharp knife or razor blade to slash the top of the loaf lengthwise on the left or right side, cutting about 1,5cm deep (½ in) at a 30° angle. Spray a little bit of water all over the loaf.
- Bake. Place the baking tray in the oven on the middle shelf. Lower the temperature to 220°C (430°F)* and bake the ekmek for 30 min or until the crust is golden brown. To make sure the bread is done, hold it in a tea towel or using oven mitts and tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow then your ekmek is ready! Place it on a cooling rack and leave it to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
* 200°C (390°F) if you use a convection oven
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 130
- Fat: 1.7g
Keywords: turkish bread, soft loaf, easy bread baking recipe
Here are some of the most common ways this Turkish bread is enjoyed:
Joseph
looks great been working on breads for a month or two. will make dough in my bread machine then switch for shape and final rise bake in oven thank you get baking. and as my old friend James Beard would say. ” Good Appetite ” liked to be called Jimmy by his friends.
Amélie
There’s nothing like fresh homemade bread! I hope the recipe will work out for you.
Jami
Is this semolina flour or not? 00 or regular bread flour? I’ve been chasing a traditional ekmek recipe for 20 years!!
Amélie
Hi! I use regular bread flour which has a protein content of around 12%.
Stephanie
I can’t tell you how happy I am to see this recipe. My husband and I lived in Turkey for 2 years, and every morning the kapaci (caretaker) of our apartment building would gather the string shopping bags and 20 lire (this was the early 80’s) all of the tenants would leave on our door knobs and buy our loaves of ekmek. Breakfast of toasted ekmek with rose petal jam (another Turkish delight) was so, so good. The photos of the loaf in this recipe look exactly like the loaves we bought. I can hardly wait to try this recipe. I hope the mixing and initial kneading part of the recipe works on the bread machine; I will definitely be kneading shaping the loaf into the traditional version. Thanks so much for sharing!
Amélie
Thank you so much for sharing your memory. It was absolutely lovely to read and it took me right back. I hope your ekmek will turn out great!
Caroline
If the dough was split to make two smaller loaves rather than one big one would that change the proofing and baking time?
Amélie
Hi, I haven’t personally tried it but I think it’s a great idea! I wouldn’t change the proving time but I would check if the loaves are ready after 20 min in the oven instead of 30. Do tap their bottoms to make sure the loaves sound hollow, and if not add an extra 5 min of baking time. 😊
Joanna
Czy brutfannę z wodą trzeba trzymać w piekarniku przez cały czas pieczenia?
Amélie
Yes, I keep the roasting tray filled with water in the oven throughout the baking time. I don’t speak Polish so I hope I answered the right question. I am sorry if I didn’t get it 😳
Pamela
I’ve revamped the recipe to add plain yogurt or buttermilk as the liquid andand an egg. This is my go-to recipe for delicious homemade bread. ❤️
★★★★★
Amélie
Yum, your bread must be extra tender and fluffy 🤤 ! Thanks for taking the time to comment and review.
Heather
So, I made your recipe tonight with my 5 year old daughter and after mixing the initial ingredients together I let her do most of the rest with a little help. This was my absolute very 1st loaf of bread I have ever made and it was absolutely amazing! I will be making it again and again. My husband said he is waiting for more. I halved it and made 2 loaves so my daughter and I both jad 1 and I could show her how to do it by your instructions. BTW we’re amazing and easy to follow. They turned out perfect and are already gone. Thanks! 2 thumbs up and 5 stars!
★★★★★
Amélie
It made my day to know you made the recipe with your daughter! And your first loaf of bread, no less! I’m so glad the instructions were helpful because baking bread can be intimidating.
Thank you so much for your comment!