Bread from Turkey is not just one thing. There are four main types: ekmek (the everyday loaf), laFvash (the thin, soft wrapper), pide (the flatbread in the shape of a boat), and simit (the sesame ring). Zaatar bread, a Lebanese hybrid, is also a type. Everyone at the table has a job to do. You should go to the Kampong Glam end of Arab Street in Singapore to get fresh lavash bread or real Turkish pide. The bread at Anatolia Restaurant is baked fresh every day, and it's only a short walk from Masjid Sultan.
Bread is the quiet hero of a Turkish table
Bread is always the first thing that comes out at a Turkish or Lebanese meal. To be nice, you don't answer. As a helper. That's how you eat hummus, wrap grilled lamb, and use to soak up the last bit of stew. You also tear it up to share. If the bread isn't right, the whole meal tastes wrong.
This is what most people have trouble with. There are a lot of different kinds of Turkish bread, and the names get mixed up quickly. What kind of bread is pide? Is a wrap the same thing as lavash? What does zaatar bread do, and why is it on a Turkish menu? This guide will help you find lavash bread in Singapore if you have ever been lost and didn't know where to start.
In simple terms, let's go through each bread and talk about the most important thing for each: what to eat it with.
Ekmek: the everyday Turkish loaf
There is no doubt that ekmek is the Turkish word for bread. In Turkey, people who talk about bread mean ekmek. This is the soft, white, crunchy loaf that you see at almost every meal. It's like a French baguette, but the inside is softer and the crust isn't as sharp.
It can be found sliced in a basket next to soup, torn up and dipped in olive oil, or used to put food on a stick. It does the work. Nothing fancy, just there. When people search for ekmek bread or Turkish bread ekmek, they usually want this: the everyday loaf, not a specialty.
It goes well with lentil soup, mezze, grilled meats, or just about anything else. Elmek never feels like he doesn't belong.
Lavash: the thin, soft wrapper
A lot of people think of lavash when they hear the word "wrap." It is made from flour, water, and salt and rolled out very thinly. It is quickly cooked on a hot grill or against the wall of a clay oven. It makes bread that is soft, flexible, and slightly chewy, and it doesn't crack when you fold it.
Being able to change is what it's all about. Lavash is made to be wrapped. It has cooked kebab, fresh herbs, and garlic yogurt. You roll it up and eat it with your hands. You can also use it as a dip scoop when you want something less dense than a thick loaf.
Lavash is also very important to culture. UNESCO added it to its list of intangible national heritage in 2014. It is now recognized in Iran, Turkey, and the Caucasus. In Singapore, when you order lavash bread, you are eating something that is a few thousand years old.
Foods that go well with it are döner and kebab wraps, hummus, ezme, smoked eggplant, and meats that have been cooked over charcoal grill.
Pide: one word, three different things
Pide causes the most confusion, so this section earns its space. The word covers three things that are related but not the same.
Pide the bread
Pide is a simple pancake that looks like a canoe or boat. It is soft and fluffy. Since yeast is added to the dough, it rises and stays light and airy. The sides are folded up to make a rim. Torn plain pide is a side dish that is used to soak up soups and sauces.
Pide the dish, also called Turkish pizza
When you put toppings on top of that same boat-shaped base, you get what most places just call pide. Kasar cheese is melted on top of kasarli pide. Kiymali pide has spiced ground meat. Sucuklu yumurtali pide has egg and Turkish sausage added to it. That's a close enough name to use, but the dough, shape, and way it's baked are all different. Some people call it Turkish pizza. Most of the time, this topped form is what you're looking for when you search for Turkish pide or pide Singapore.
Ramadan pide
There is also pide ekmegi, a round, soft, grainy bread that is baked only during Ramadan and sold right before iftar. The family is the same, but the shape is different.
It goes well with lamb chops, lentil soup, and stews that are cooked slowly. Topped pide is a full meal by itself. On the pie and pastry menu, you can see the whole list.
Simit: the sesame-crusted ring
Simit is the star of the street food. A round piece of bread covered in toasted sesame seeds. It's chewy on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside, and the sesame gives it a nutty taste. This is what bagel fans don't like about the name: it's not boiled like a bagel, so it's lighter and crunchier.
There are red carts selling it on every corner in Turkey, and people often eat it with a piece of cheese, a few olives, and tea. It's not really a dinner bread; it's more of a breakfast or snack bread.
Turkey tea, cheese, peppers, and jam are good things to eat with it. It's more of a part of the Turkish breakfast than the dinner meal.
Bazlama and yufka: the supporting cast
Few more things to know. The bazlama is a round, thick, soft, fluffy, squishy griddle bread. Make it for breakfast or tear it up with stew. However, yufka is a thin, dry, uncooked sheet that appears like a huge cracker until softened. The base for wraps and savory treats like borek. Yufka-style gozleme is thin dough wrapped over cheese, spinach, or ground meat. Flattening it on a griddle crisps it. You've undoubtedly eaten bazlama or yufka, but not named. You probably ate them in something else, but gozleme is wonderful alone.
Zaatar bread: the Lebanese crossover most guides skip
This is where a kitchen that serves both Turkish and Lebanese food beats a kitchen that only serves Turkish food. Zaatar bread, also known as manakish zaatar, is a Lebanese flatbread that is brushed with olive oil and zaatar, which is a mix of dried thyme, sumac, sesame, and salt. It is then baked until the ends get crispy. This dish tastes like a cross between a pancake and a Middle Eastern breakfast pizza. It's herb-filled, sour, and salty.
It's not really Turkish. It's from the Levant. Turkish and Lebanese food, on the other hand, both have zaatar bread, which is one of the best things you can order. A lot of people look for "zaatar bread" or "Lebanese bread zaatar" but don't know how easy it is to find on an Arab Street menu.
Pair it with labneh, fresh tomato, cucumber, mint, or eat it warm on its own. The breads and zaatar menu has it.
Pita and Arabic bread: the dip companion
Add to that the soft pocket bread called pita, which is also called Arabic bread. It goes well with hummus and mezze. It keeps you warm, can be folded up, and can hold a big scoop of dip without tearing. When a bowl of hummus is put in front of you, you naturally reach for the bread.
The whole lineup at a glance
| Bread | Shape and texture | How it is eaten | Best paired with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ekmek | Soft loaf, crusty outside | Sliced, torn for dipping | Soup, mezze, anything |
| Lavash | Thin, soft, flexible | Wrapping, scooping | Kebabs, döner, dips |
| Pide (plain) | Boat-shaped, fluffy | Side, soaks up sauce | Lamb shank, stews |
| Pide (topped) | Boat-shaped, loaded | A meal on its own | Cheese, minced meat, egg |
| Simit | Sesame ring, chewy | Snack, breakfast | Cheese, olives, tea |
| Bazlama | Thick, soft, round | Breakfast, with stew | Butter, honey, soup |
| Yufka | Thin, dry sheet | Wraps, borek base | Fillings, pastries |
| Zaatar bread | Flat, herby, crisp edge | On its own, warm | Labneh, tomato, mint |
| Pita | Soft pocket round | Scooping dips | Hummus, mezze |
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How to order bread the right way at Anatolia
If you want to get the best table for a full meal, follow these simple steps.
Make sure you have warm pita or fresh ekmek on hand to scoop up the hummus and ezme. When the grills show up, move from using foil to lavash to wrap the kebabs. Order a topped pide to share if you want a portion that can be eaten by itself. Additionally, include zaatar bread if you have never tried it before. If you forget this order, you'll probably wish you had made it.
It's all freshly baked and made with only halal ingredients, so the whole table can be used for a meal that Muslims can enjoy. You can look at the full Anatolia menu online before you go.
Keeping Turkish bread fresh at home
Fresh-baked is what makes bread appealing, and Turkish breads lose that quickly since most of them don't use the additives that store-bought loaves do. Some habits will help you if you bring some home.
Final word
Turkish bread is a whole language once you know the words. Ekmek for every day, lavash for wrapping, pide for sharing, simit for the morning, and zaatar bread when you want something a little different. Each one earns its place on the table.
The fastest way to learn it is to taste it. If you want fresh Turkish and Lebanese bread in Singapore, book a table at Anatolia on Arab Street, or browse the breads and pide menu first. Bring an appetite and order one of everything. That is the only real way to settle the lavash versus pide debate.
It only takes hours for lavash and other thin flatbreads to dry out. As soon as they cool, put them in a clean cloth or a bag with a tight lid. They will stay fresh for a day or two. Add a few drops of water to the top and warm them up in a dry pan for thirty seconds on each side to bring them back. They become soft and easy to fold again, almost like new.
Pide and other thick breads freeze well. First, cut them up or divide them into portions. Then, freeze them in a bag. To reheat, put them in an oven set to 180C and heat them for a few minutes. Stay away from the microwave if you want something crisp. It steams the bread and makes the top tough. It's best to eat warm Zaatar bread the same day it's made, while the herbs and oil are still fresh. In any case, it doesn't last long enough to need to be stored.
The truth is that nothing tastes better than eating it right out of the oven. This is not the real thing; reheating is just fixing the damage. This is the main reason why you should eat Turkish bread where it was baked.
Where to eat Turkish bread in Singapore
Most guides to Turkish bread are written from Istanbul or London. Useful for the theory, useless when you are hungry in Singapore tonight. So here is the local answer.
The Kampong Glam quarter around Arab Street is the center of Turkish and Middle Eastern food in the city. Halal kitchens line the streets, Masjid Sultan anchors the area, and the bread is baked fresh rather than shipped in. For Turkish and Lebanese bread done properly, Anatolia Restaurant at 58 Arab Street is a reliable pick. It runs a real charcoal grill, bakes its pide and flatbreads in-house, and holds a 4.8 star rating across more than 5,000 Google reviews, which tells you the locals have already voted.
It is a short walk from Bugis MRT, easy to reach, and good for everything from a quick lavash wrap to a full family spread. If you want to plan around the wider neighbourhood, our halal food in Bugis guide covers what else is worth eating nearby.
The Anatolia Restaurant Kitchen Team
We run a Turkish and Lebanese kitchen on Arab Street in Kampong Glam, where we bake our breads fresh every day and have served Turkish food to Singapore diners for years. This guide comes from the people who actually make lavash, pide and zaatar bread on the line, not from a recipe site. We care about getting the names, the methods and the pairings right.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common Turkish bread?
Ekmek, the everyday soft white loaf. It is on almost every Turkish table and the word ekmek simply means bread in Turkish.
Is pide a bread or a pizza?
Both, depending on how it is served. Plain pide is a soft, boat-shaped flatbread used as a side. Topped pide, loaded with cheese, meat or egg, eats like a pizza and is often called Turkish pizza. They share the same dough and shape.
What is the difference between lavash and pita?
Lavash is thin, soft and flexible, made for wrapping kebabs and döner. Pita is a thicker round bread with a pocket, better for scooping dips like hummus. Different textures, different jobs.
Is zaatar bread Turkish or Lebanese?
Zaatar bread, or manakish zaatar, is Lebanese and Levantine rather than strictly Turkish. It is common on Turkish and Lebanese menus, which is why you will find it at restaurants that serve both, like Anatolia.
Where can I get fresh lavash bread in Singapore?
The Arab Street and Kampong Glam area is the best bet, where Turkish and Lebanese restaurants bake flatbreads fresh. Anatolia Restaurant at 58 Arab Street serves lavash alongside its grills.
What is Turkish bread called?
It depends on the type. The general word is ekmek. Specific breads include lavash (thin wrap), pide (boat-shaped flatbread), simit (sesame ring), bazlama (thick griddle bread) and yufka (thin sheet).
Is simit the same as a bagel?
No. Simit is crustier, lighter and coated in toasted sesame, and it is not boiled the way a bagel is before baking. The texture and flavour are quite different.
Is Turkish bread halal?
It can be, and at Anatolia all bread is made with 100% halal ingredients. As always, it is worth checking with the specific restaurant for full certification details.
Is pide the same as lahmacun?
No. Pide is a thicker, boat-shaped flatbread with raised edges, often loaded with cheese or meat. Lahmacun is a thin, flat, round dough spread with a light layer of spiced minced meat, closer to a crispy flatbread you roll up. Different shape, different texture, different dish.
What do Turkish people eat with bread?
Almost everything. Bread scoops mezze like hummus and ezme, soaks up stews and soups, wraps grilled kebabs, and carries cheese and olives at breakfast. It is less a side and more a utensil you can eat.
