Turkmenistan · Dough and pastry

Turkmen Pishme

Name: Turkmen Pishme
Prep time: 1 h 50 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Turkmenistan
Ingredients: 500 g Plain flour; 200 ml Milk; 100 ml Water; 7 g Dry yeast; 1 tbsp Sugar; 1 tsp Salt; 2 tbsp Butter; 600 ml Sunflower oil

Local name: Pişme

Soft, golden fried yeast dough pieces served with tea on Turkmen tables.

Servings4
Prep1 h 50 min
Cooking20 min
Total time2 h 10 min
DifficultyEasy

🌱 VegetarianContains glutenContains dairy

↓ Method

About this dish

Pishme is a traditional Turkmen fried bread made from yeast dough cooked in hot oil. It is served warm with tea, to guests, and at family gatherings.

The Turkmen version is soft and lightly sweet, cut into small diamonds or squares and fried in plenty of oil. The inside is airy and the outside slightly crisp, and it is usually eaten with tea, honey or clotted cream.

Ingredients

4 servings

Tick the ingredients off like a shopping list.

Dough

500 g Plain floursifted
200 ml Milklukewarm
100 ml Waterlukewarm
7 g Dry yeast
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Buttermelted, cooled slightly

Frying

600 ml Sunflower oilfor frying

Method

Combine the lukewarm milk and water in a bowl, stir in the yeast and sugar, and leave for 10 minutes until foamy.
Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
Add the yeast mixture and melted butter and stir until the dough comes together.
Knead for about 10 minutes until soft and smooth.
Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 60 minutes until doubled.
Gently deflate the dough and roll it out on a floured surface to about 5 mm thick.
Cut into diamonds or squares about 5 cm across.
Cover the pieces and let them rest for 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a deep pan to about 170 °C, which takes around 5 minutes.
Fry the pieces in batches, 2-3 minutes per side until golden, about 15 minutes in total.
Drain on paper towels and serve hot with tea, honey or clotted cream.

💡 Tips

If the oil is too hot the inside stays raw; keep it near 170 °C.
Do not roll the dough too thin or the pieces will not puff.
Fry in small batches so the oil temperature does not drop.
Pishme is best in the first half hour while still warm.

🛒 Can't find it abroad?

Dry yeast — Use 20 g fresh yeast dissolved in the lukewarm milk.
Butter — Use the same amount of sunflower oil.

This recipe was prepared with the help of AI, following the traditional home-style method; quantities, times and steps were checked automatically for consistency. Ovens and stoves differ, so check doneness by eye.