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Both my husband and I spent part of our childhood living in Germany, where we grew up eating döner kebab. We aren’t German, but it’s a food we miss and can’t easily find where we live until now. This recipe is inspired by the döner kebab bread we grew up eating in Germany and adapted for home bakers using sourdough discard.
This Sourdough Discard Pide is the perfect bread for homemade German döner kebabs. It’s soft and chewy, easy to make with sourdough discard, and sturdy enough to hold all your favorite döner fillings without falling apart. If you’ve been looking for an authentic döner kebab bread you can make at home, this recipe is absolutely worth the effort.
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Table of Contents
- Quick Look: Sourdough Discard Pide Bread
- What is Pide Bread?
- Why You’ll Love Sourdough Discard Pide (Döner Kebab Bread)
- How to Use Sourdough Discard Pide for Döner Kebabs
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions
- How to Make Sourdough Discard Pide (Döner Kebab Bread)
- How to Store Leftovers
- Amy’s Recipe Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sourdough Flatbread Recipes
- Sourdough Discard Pide (Doener Kebab Bread) Recipe
Quick Look: Sourdough Discard Pide Bread
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Rise Time: 2 hours (1 hour first rise, 1 hour second rise)
- Bake Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
- Servings: 6 pide bread
- Calories: ~376 kcal per pide (based on nutrition panel)
- Cook Method: oven-baked on a baking sheet
- Flavor & Texture: soft and fluffy pide bread
- Difficulty: Moderate, easy to mix, shape and roll with rolling pin
What is Pide Bread?
Pide is a thicker, softer Turkish flatbread that’s similar to the Mediterranean pita bread you may already be familiar with. It has a fluffier texture and more structure, making it ideal for cutting open and filling without tearing.
German döner kebab uses this style of pide bread. It became popular in Germany after Turkish immigrants introduced it in the 1970s. Today, döner kebab is one of Germany’s most popular street foods—and this sourdough discard pide is perfect for recreating it at home.
Why You’ll Love Sourdough Discard Pide (Döner Kebab Bread)
- Authentic Taste – My family loves authentic German döner kebabs, and now we can enjoy the taste we love at home! For more German favorites, try this Sourdough Spaetzle too.
- Soft & Chewy – Just like my Sourdough Brioche Burger Buns, this recipe makes the perfect sturdy bread for all your favorite fixings.
- Discard Recipe – This is the perfect recipe to use up sourdough discard and get a soft and delicious flatbread. For more soft discard breads, try this Sourdough Discard Pita Bread or Sourdough Discard Naan Bread. Looking for a true sourdough version? Check out the notes at the end of the recipe for how to adjust this recipe to be made without commercial yeast.
Sourdough Discard Tip: I keep a jar in my fridge that I continually add sourdough discard to. Discard is a by-product of your sourdough starter and there is no reason to throw it away. Instead, use it in incredible sourdough discard recipes where it adds moisture and great flavor. Use older, more tangy discard in savory recipes like these sourdough drop biscuits and young/fresh discard in sweeter recipes like my favorite sourdough chocolate chip cookies.
How to Use Sourdough Discard Pide for Döner Kebabs
These sourdough discard pide breads are designed for assembling classic German-style döner kebabs.
- Slice the baked pide open to create a pocket
- Fill with shaved döner kebab meat
- Add lettuce, tomato, onion, and your favorite sauces
- Serve warm, just like the döner kebabs you’d get in Germany
This bread is soft enough to bite into easily, but sturdy enough to hold generous fillings!
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough Discard – I use 100% hydration sourdough discard in discard recipes. That means a starter that has been fed equal weights of flour and water. You can use it straight out of the fridge if you use warm water and milk to mix your dough.
- Instant Yeast – This is a discard recipe, meaning it doesn’t use a sourdough starter to leaven the bread. It uses the discard from a starter for moisture and flavor and instant yeast for leavening. Check the recipe notes for suggestions on turning this into a 100% sourdough recipe instead.
- Milk – Use 2% or whole milk, warmed
- Egg – An egg white adds structure to the pide bread. Save the yolk for an egg wash before baking.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar enhances the flavor of the pide bread. Leave it out if desired.
- Olive Oil – This makes the pide bread soft. Substitute any neutral-flavored oil.
- Unsalted Butter – Butter adds flavor and keeps the texture soft and fluffy.
- Bread Flour – For a chewy pide bread, I like using bread flour. All-purpose flour also works well, though you may need a little extra flour when kneading.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Substitutions
- Sourdough Discard: You can substitute active sourdough starter for the discard in this recipe if you prefer. If you leave out the commercial yeast, you will need to make some other adjustments as noted in the recipe card.
- Whole Wheat Flour: I like to use bread flour in these pide breads, but you can substitute half of the bread flour with whole wheat flour with good results.
- Dry Active Yeast: Substitute dry active yeast for instant yeast by activating the dry active yeast first in the warm water with a sprinkle of sugar. Once the yeast is bubbly and active, add it to the dough.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Pide (Döner Kebab Bread)
Mix the Dough
Step 1: Combine sourdough discard, warm milk, warm water and instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. After the yeast activates, add the olive oil, melted butter, egg white, sugar, salt, and most of the bread flour. Knead the dough in the mixer for about 5-7 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides and becomes cohesive. Finish adding the flour as needed until the dough is soft and strong.
Step 2: Place the dough in a separate container to rise.
Note: No mixer? this dough can also be mixed and kneaded by hand in a large bowl. Knead for at least 8-10 minutes by hand. Then cover and let rise.
First Rise
Step 3: Let dough rise for about an hour until doubled in size. If kept in a cooler environment, this might take a bit longer.
Make-Ahead Tip: At this point the dough can be refrigerated for 24-48 hours. When you’re ready, cut into 6 pieces and shape into balls, proceeding with the recipe.
Roll and Shape the dough
Step 4: Once the dough has doubled in size, use a bench knife to divide it into six even pieces.
I like to use a kitchen scale to make sure my six pieces are equal before moving on to the next step.
Step 5: Use your hand to gently roll each ball of dough on the counter until it is a round ball.
Step 6: Use a rolling pin to roll each ball of dough into a flat disc about 7 inches in diameter (the dough will shrink back a bit to about a 5-6 inch round). Place each flattened piece of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, allowing some space for the dough to rise.
Second Rise
Step 7: Cover and let the dough rise until the dough has puffed and risen. The timing will depend on the temperature of your kitchen, but it should take at least 40-60 minutes.
After rising, your dough should be puffed and light. If you press a finger into the dough, it should spring back into place quickly. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Dimple and Bake
Step 8: While the oven is preheating, whisk the reserved egg yolk with a splash of water. Brush the egg wash onto the tops of each pide round.
Step 9: Use your fingers to gently dimple the tops of each round of dough, pressing gently all over the surface of each round.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let the pide bread cool completely before putting together your döner kebabs. Enjoy!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover pide bread can be stored in a bread bag or airtight container for a few days at room temperature. For freshest results, store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a few months. Thaw and warm up just a bit before slicing open and serving!
Amy’s Recipe Tip
This is written as a sourdough discard recipe, but you can easily make it 100% sourdough if you prefer—I’ve tested it with great results. To do that, simply replace the discard with active sourdough starter and omit the commercial yeast.
Let the dough double in size during the first rise, then shape into rounds. Allow them to rise again until puffy and doubled before baking. In an 80°F environment, the total rise time will be about 10–12 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
No! This is the traditional bread for döner kebabs (and they are so delicious!), but you can use these sourdough pide rounds in place of sandwich bread for any type of sandwich or burger.
If you use sourdough discard then, yes. Discard is inactive and would need to be activated before adding it to the dough if you wanted to leave out the instant yeast and make this a 100% sourdough recipe. See my recipe note for details.
That’s normal. The dough has good elasticity and will shrink slightly after rolling. Roll it a bit larger than your target size and let it relax for a few minutes if needed before baking.
Yes. Substitute the milk with a non-dairy milk and replace the butter with a neutral oil or dairy-free butter. The texture will still be soft and chewy.
This was always a challenge until recently. Meze Mike shared an incredibly approachable method for making homemade döner kebab on Instagram, and it quickly went viral. The process is simple: ground meat is layered between sheets of parchment paper, folded, baked, and then broiled to get those crisp edges. It’s easy to make at home and tastes incredibly good.
Sourdough Flatbread Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Discard Pide (Döner Kebab Bread) or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!
Sourdough Discard Pide (Doener Kebab Bread)
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Equipment
- stand mixer optional
Ingredients
- 200 grams sourdough discard, heaping 3/4 cup
- 100 grams milk, warmed, about 6 Tablespoons
- 50 grams water, about 3 Tablespoons
- 10 grams instant yeast, about 1 Tablespoon
- 20 grams olive oil, about 1 Tablespoon
- 45 grams unsalted butter, melted, about 3 Tablespoons
- 1 large egg white, about 30 grams
- 6 grams granulated sugar, about 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 10 grams salt, about 1 1/2 teaspoon
- 400 grams bread flour, about 3 cups
Instructions
- Mix the Dough: Add the sourdough discard, warm milk, warm water, and instant yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit for about 1 minute, until the yeast begins to activate and looks slightly bubbly, clumps together and has a yeasty smell.Add the olive oil, melted butter, egg white (reserve the yolk for the egg wash), granulated sugar, salt, and most of the bread flour. Turn the mixer on and gradually add the remaining flour a little at a time, mixing until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should feel tacky but not overly sticky. Continue mixing for 5–7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and cohesive. Add the rest of the of the additional flour if needed.Note: This dough can also be mixed by hand in a large bowl. Knead for 8–10 minutes, until smooth.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a container and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour (a little more or less depending on the temperature).
- Roll and Shape: Once the dough has doubled in size, divide it into six equal pieces (about 145 grams each). Take each piece of dough and pull or pinch the edges up toward the center to form a ball. Place the dough seam-side down and roll it against the counter using a cupped hand to seal the ball and create surface tension.Using a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into a round about 5–6 inches in diameter. Start in the center, roll outward, then rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat. The dough will naturally shrink back slightly after rolling, so you can roll it out to about 7 inches, knowing it will settle back to 5–6 inches.Place the rolled dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each piece to allow room for puffing as they rise.
- Second Rise: Cover the dough with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise again. The exact timing depends on the temperature of the dough and environment but plan for at least 40-60 minutes.
- Dimple and Bake: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk together the reserved egg yolk with a splash of water to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the tops of each pide round.Using your fingers, lightly dimple the dough, pressing gently all over the surface. Bake for 23–25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even baking. Remove the pide bread from the oven and let cool completely before serving with döner meat and your favorite fixings.
Notes
- 100 grams milk
- 100 grams water
- 10 grams instant yeast
- 20 grams olive oil
- 45 grams melted butter
- 1 egg white
- 6 grams sugar
- 10 grams salt
- 400 grams bread flour
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
For the eggless out there (allergies, run out, or they’re too expensive at the moment), these came out beautifully using the overnight/make-ahead method and substituting 30g aquafaba for the egg white and a milk wash for the egg yolk wash. What a wonderful recipe. Can’t wait to make these again!
Thanks for the substitution idea and review!
Delicious, soft and easy to make. I got this recipe right and it was highly praised. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the review!
Delicious and easy to make. Used AP flour because I grabbed the wrong bag and no complaints there.
I’m glad it turned out great. Enjoy!
We love this recipe! Perfect for homemade doener kebab sandwiches.