Ekmek kadayıfı
A Turkish bread pudding dessert served with kaymak.
Ekmek kadayıfı is a dessert from Turkish cuisine, also found in regions that were once part of the Ottoman Empire. Its Turkish name means "kadayıf made of ekmek (Turkish bread)," which hints at how it is made. It is typically served with kaymak, a kind of clotted cream. Originally a local specialty of Afyonkarahisar, it is often served at special occasions there. The dessert can optionally be flavored or topped with cherries, a fruit that Afyonkarahisar produces in large quantities. In Greek cuisine, it is called "ekmek kataifi."
Like other bread puddings, this recipe came about as a way to use up stale or day-old bread. For modern home cooks, it is a popular choice instead of more time-consuming traditional desserts like baklava. It is served at iftar meals during Ramadan. According to George Mardikian, the dish was created by the famous chef Tocatlian, who entertained Empress Eugenie. For her, he made "bubbles of cream kaymak," and it became a well-known dessert of Constantinople.
Today, ekmek kadayıfı is often sold ready-made. At home, the cook only needs to prepare a sugar syrup called "şerbet" and top the dessert with kaymak. To make it from scratch with bread, a piece of bread is carefully hollowed out to form a bread bowl. If the bread is too fresh, it can be dried further in an oven. Then, şerbet is poured over the prepared bread, which must be done correctly to ensure the bread absorbs as much syrup as possible. Once the bread has fully absorbed the şerbet, it softens. The bread bowl can then be filled with kaymak before serving. To make ice cream stuffed ekmek kadayıfı, the finished dessert is flipped upside down.
Some recipes prepare it as a simple cake using eggs, flour, and sugar. First, the eggs and sugar are whisked until frothy, then the flour is mixed in, with a little baking powder added as a leavening agent. The cream filling is made from milk, cornstarch, flour, sugar, and powdered Crème Chantilly. Once baked, the thin cake is cut in half like a layer cake. Şerbet syrup is poured over the bottom layer, and a layer of cream is spread between the two cake layers. The top layer is cut into slices and arranged on the cream. The remaining şerbet syrup is poured over the assembled cake, which is then garnished with ground pistachio and shredded coconut. The cake is left to set in the fridge for several hours before serving.
- type
- Dessert
- cuisine
- Turkish (also Greek and Ottoman-influenced regions)
- region_of_origin
- Afyonkarahisar
- main_ingredients
- Bread, şerbet (sugar syrup), kaymak (clotted cream)
- also_known_as
- Ekmek kataifi (Greek)
- served_at
- Special events, iftar meals during Ramadan
Lore & Background
Historically, as with other bread puddings, ekmek kadayıfı emerged as a way to utilize stale or day-old bread. For modern home cooks, it is a popular alternative to more demanding traditional desserts like baklava. It is served at iftar meals during Ramadan. According to George Mardikian, the dish 'is the creation of the famous chef, Tocatlian, who had the honor of entertaining Empress Eugenie. It was for her pleasure that this master chef created "bubbles of cream kaymak." It has become one of the outstanding desserts of Constantinople.'
Reader's Guide
Ekmek kadayıfı holds significance as a traditional dessert that bridges Ottoman culinary heritage across modern Turkey and Greece. Its preparation methods vary: one approach involves hollowing out bread to form a bowl, soaking it in şerbet, and filling it with kaymak; another prepares it as a layered cake with eggs, flour, sugar, and a cream filling, garnished with pistachio and coconut. The dessert is often sold ready-made, requiring only the addition of syrup and kaymak at home. Its association with Afyonkarahisar and Ramadan iftar meals underscores its cultural role in both everyday and celebratory contexts. The dish's history, as recounted by George Mardikian, links it to the Ottoman court and the chef Tocatlian, though this origin story is presented without further verification. Ekmek kadayıfı remains a practical alternative to more labor-intensive desserts, reflecting the resourcefulness of using stale bread while maintaining a place in festive traditions.
Did You Know?
- The dessert's Turkish name translates to 'Kadayıf made of ekmek (Turkish bread).'
- It is historically a regional specialty of Afyonkarahisar, which also produces a significant amount of cherries used as a topping.
- According to George Mardikian, the dish was created by chef Tocatlian for Empress Eugenie.
- It is served at iftar meals during Ramadan.
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