Betül Tunç's new cookbook shares the recipes behind her viral dough videos

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: Betül Tunç's New Cookbook Shares the Recipes Behind Her Viral Dough Videos

Release Date: January 21, 2025
Host: Andrew Limbong, NPR

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Introduction

In the January 21, 2025 episode of NPR's Book of the Day, host Andrew Limbong delves into the world of Betül Tunç, the brain behind the viral "Punch Down Dough" videos and the author of her debut cookbook, Turkaz Kitchen. With an impressive following of 10.5 million on Instagram, Betül shares the secrets behind her dough-focused culinary creations, blending traditional Turkish techniques with a vintage aesthetic that captivates her audience.

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The Journey to Virality

Betül Tunç’s rise to online fame began in 2021 with a simple yet hypnotic video titled "Punch Down Dough." In this segment, Betül explains how her natural passion for baking and understanding of what pleases people led her to film the dough-punching process without any prior planning.

Betül Tunç (02:02): "It came naturally. I just love to prepare different kinds of bread dough, and when I saw how people reacted to watching the dough being punched down smoothly, it resonated with them."

This spontaneous creation quickly amassed millions of views, transforming Betül from a passionate baker into a social media phenomenon.

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The Therapeutic Appeal of Dough Manipulation

One of the standout aspects of Betül's videos is their mesmerizing quality. Host Andrew highlights the therapeutic nature of her content, a sentiment echoed by Betül herself.

Betül Tunç (02:44): "I think they found it so therapeutic. Baking is therapy for so many people, and kneading the dough is a way to relieve stress and relax."

The rhythmic motions and the tangible transformation of dough provide a calming experience for viewers, making her content not just visually appealing but also mentally soothing.

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Embracing Vintage Aesthetics

A significant element of Betül's appeal lies in her vintage kitchen setup. She meticulously curates antique kitchen tools and utensils, transporting her audience to a 19th-century Turkish kitchen. Betül shares her passion for vintage items and how they enhance the authenticity and charm of her cooking videos.

Betül Tunç (03:31): "I have a collection of unique vintage kitchen tools, like yellow bear bowls and antique mixers, which I proudly use in my videos. They connect me to the process and add a special touch that my followers love."

While she occasionally uses modern appliances for practicality, Betül finds joy in integrating her vintage collection into her cooking, especially when involving her son in the process.

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Unveiling Turkaz Kitchen

Betül's first cookbook, Turkaz Kitchen, encapsulates her expertise with dough, offering 85 recipes that span sweet and savory dishes. The cookbook is a culmination of her experiences, blending traditional Turkish recipes with innovative techniques.

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Making the Perfect Dough

Central to Betül’s philosophy is the art of dough-making. She emphasizes the importance of high-quality ingredients and patience.

Betül Tunç (05:15): "To make a good dough, you need to use high-quality ingredients like good flour and fresh yeast. Patience and understanding the recipe are crucial."

She advocates for meticulous adherence to recipe instructions and proper dough resting to achieve the best results, ensuring that each batch of dough reaches its full potential.

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Favorite Recipes from Turkaz Kitchen

Betül shares some of her standout recipes from the cookbook, each with its unique appeal:

1. Empanadas (05:45):
   A personal favorite, Betül describes these as her comfort food. The crispy crust paired with savory fillings served with salsa rojas, salsa verde, and picada gallo makes them irresistible.

   Betül Tunç (05:45): "The crispy crust and delicious filling of my empanadas, served with various salsas, are simply out of this world."

2. Chocolate Babka (06:26):
   A beloved recipe that offers rich, indulgent flavor, perfect even for those who aren't typically chocolate enthusiasts.

   Betül Tunç (06:37): "It's a comfort recipe for everyone who loves rich, indulgent chocolate."

3. Signature Brioche (06:46):
   Known for its versatility, the brioche dough requires thorough kneading and multiple resting periods to achieve a puffy and velvety texture.

   Betül Tunç (06:53): "With proper kneading and resting, the brioche dough becomes incredibly delicious and versatile."

4. Spinach, Mushroom Deep Dish Quiche (07:19):
   This recipe stands out for its flawless crust, achieved by adding an egg to bind the ingredients and prevent cracking.

   Betül Tunç (07:33): "Adding an egg to the crust binds everything together and prevents cracks, making this quiche flawless every time."

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A Personal Journey Rooted in Tradition

Betül's love for baking traces back to her childhood in northeastern Turkey, where she spent long, snowy winters baking traditional breads with her mother. These formative experiences instilled in her the fundamentals of baking and the importance of perseverance.

Betül Tunç (08:13): "My mother taught me the basics and encouraged me to learn from mistakes. She included me in every baking session, no matter how messy it got."

This hands-on learning approach led Betül to develop intuitive dough recipes, relying on touch and feel rather than precise measurements—a method that she adapted for her cookbook to make it accessible to a wider audience.

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Advice for Home Cooks

Betül offers heartfelt advice to aspiring bakers, emphasizing trust in the recipe and embracing the learning process.

Betül Tunç (09:49): "Trust the recipe, follow it closely, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Enjoy the process and have fun with it."

Her encouragement aims to build confidence in home cooks, ensuring they can achieve delicious results while enjoying the art of baking.

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Conclusion

Betül Tunç's Turkaz Kitchen is more than just a cookbook; it's a testament to her passion for dough, her cultural heritage, and her ability to create engaging content that resonates with millions. Through her vintage-inspired kitchen and meticulous recipes, Betül invites home cooks to explore the therapeutic and joyful world of baking. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting, Betül's insights and recipes offer a delightful journey into the heart of dough-making.

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Notable Quotes:

• Betül Tunç (02:44): "Baking is therapy for so many people, and kneading the dough is a way to relieve stress and relax."
• Betül Tunç (05:15): "To make a good dough, you need to use high-quality ingredients like good flour and fresh yeast."
• Betül Tunç (09:49): "Trust the recipe, follow it closely, and don't be afraid to make mistakes."

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Note: This summary excludes promotional segments and unrelated content to focus solely on the insightful discussion between Andrew Limbong and Betül Tunç.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. Alright, not to brag, but I'm pretty decent in the kitchen. But I'm more of a stovetop kind of guy. You know, I've never really gotten a knack for baking and I think it's because of something our next guest says. Betul Tunch is the author of the new cookbook Turkaz Kitchen, all about working with dough. And she says the key to the perfect dough is A, following recipe directions thoroughly and B, patience. Two things that I'm not not great at. But hearing about some of these recipes, I might want to try to get a little bit better soon. To share some more doughy secrets with Here and Now's Jane Clayson.

[Jane Clayson]

After the break, Donald Trump is starting his second term as president. What will his administration do and what policies will it promote? On the NPR Politics podcast, we'll break down what the new administration does and explain why it matters. Listen to the NPR Politics podcast every day.

[Host]

It all began in 2021 with a hypnotic video of hands manipulating bread dough as it's kneaded and punched, allowed to rest and then shaped into a beautiful loaf. That video, Punch Down Dough, went viral and its star, Betul Tunc, became a phenomenon. Her Turkaz Kitchen videos on Instagram have amassed 10.5 million followers. Now Betul Tunch has published her first cookbook, which is also called Turkaz Kitchen, and she joins us now via Skype to talk about it. Welcome to here and now.

[Betul Tunch]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Host]

Well, thank you for coming. Take us back four years ago where it all started with that punch Down Dough video that really changed your life. What made you think, I'm going to put my hand and punch down some dough, I'm going to put that online.

[Betul Tunch]

I don't know, like it's just coming with naturally. You know, you never just plan to do something when you cook in front of camera. I have so many experience and I knew what makes people happy. You know, you understand that. And I always just love to prepare different kind of bread dough. And it will always just coming perfect risen dough. And then I was like, okay, if I just open the perfect risen dough immediately and I just like push the dough, punch down the dough smoothly, it would be perfect. And just people really love them. I don't know. It came naturally.

[Host]

What do you think is so mesmerizing about you punching down dough?

[Betul Tunch]

I think they found it so therapeutic. And then they feel like, okay, our stress is going down and we are relaxing with the dough because baking is a therapy. Especially kneading the dough is a therapy for so many people and for me too. And then I think this was the reason why they find them so mesmerizing. I don't know.

[Host]

Well, after that your videos were getting 8 to 10 million views each. And I am one that was absolutely hypnotized by these videos. From your dress to your kitchen tools, you transport us to a 19th century Turkish kitchen. What's the process of curating your videos because they look so professional.

[Betul Tunch]

Actually I have always loved everything vintage and historical. I really love vintage aesthetic. Even before starting my Instagram page, I had a small collection of interesting vintage kitchen tools and utensils. You know, it's because whenever we visited any New York City, I would make a point to stop by antique stores. And over time I gathered so many unique items such as like a yellow bear bowls and different utensils and cookwares. Now I'm happily, I happily use them in my videos and my followers seem to love them as much.

[Host]

The bowls and the saucers. I mean you have a hand crank mixer that you use, I think how in the world does she make a meal with that hand crank mixer? They're all antiques, right? Is it harder to cook the old fashioned way or is it more fun?

[Betul Tunch]

It is definitely so fun. To be honest, I can't use all of the just vintage tools for everyday cooking. I wish I had the time to churn my butter every single time in my butter churner of course. But for practical reason, I do use my modern appliances like stand mixer. But whenever I do use vintage tools it feels so special. It connects me to the process and especially it's so fun when we cook with my son.

[Host]

Well, this is your first cookbook. It's Beautiful. You share 85 recipes for sweet and savory doughs and the dishes to make with them. What makes a good dough?

[Betul Tunch]

To make a good dough, you need to use high quality ingredients like good flour and fresh yeast. And you have to have patience and you have to understand of the recipe. And also I have to say, following the instructions carefully and letting the dough rest properly are the key point to achieving amazing result, I think.

[Host]

What are your favorite recipes in the book?

[Betul Tunch]

Oh my God, it is so hard because it's like picking a favorite child. The Turkish section, the whole section holds a special place in my heart because those recipes are coming from my childhood. But if I had to pick a specific one, I would choose empanadas. The empanadas yes, it is my comfort food. The crispy crust and delicious filling, and I always serve it with salsa rojas, salsa verde, and a little bit picada gallo. It is out of this world. Please make it, and I'm pretty sure you're gonna love it.

[Host]

These are the recipes that caught my eye. The chocolate babka. This is one of your most tried and loved recipes. What is so special about this one?

[Betul Tunch]

I think it is a comfort recipe for everyone who doesn't like chocolate. I don't know, like, it's rich, indulgent, and always hit.

[Host]

So is the signature brioche. This is a very versatile dough. What makes it so versatile?

[Betul Tunch]

The secret of the brioche dough, the type of brioche dough, and for the enriched dough, you have to knead the dough so well. So I'm using always my stand mixer to make the brioche dough. So you have to rest the dough and then knead the dough one more time. One more time. It sometimes take 20 to 30 minutes, and at the end, you're gonna have the most delicious and puffy and velvety texture. Brioche. It's so good.

[Host]

There's a spinach, mushroom, deep dish quiche which caught my eye because it seems the battle of the cracked quiche crust is over. No breaks, no cracks, no seepage in this particular recipe. How did you do it?

[Betul Tunch]

The secret is adding an egg to the crust. Because I have so many bad experience with the kish crust. I love quiche, so I find this, like, a way to add like, I added an egg, and I find it binds everything together and prevents cracks. This recipe has been my go to recipe for years, and it's never failed me.

[Host]

Your love affair with dough began as a little girl in northeastern Turkey. As you explain in the cookbook, you had lots of long and snowy winters. You made Turkish breads with your mother. What did she teach you about baking?

[Betul Tunch]

She taught me all of the basics. I will say she was always encouraging. She included me in her baking and cooking every single time, even if it meant messy results. She believed that making mistakes was the best way to learn. She was always just like, okay, you made a mistake, you learn. You will learn. Not do it again, try it again. And then I was trying the things again and again until I got the best result. She taught me how to read the job exactly by touching and feel. For this reason, I made my dough recipes without using any measurements for years because I understand, like, how it should be. Until I share my recipes in social media, I had to use measurements for people. But yeah, I owe so many things to her. And then I learned all of the basics from her.

[Host]

What do you think your mother would say to you putting a book together with the recipes that she taught you?

[Betul Tunch]

I didn't have a chance to show her yet the whole book this summer. I hope when I go to Turkey, I'm going to show her and then I'm going to explain the recipes because she doesn't know English, I have to explain them. Let's see what she's going to say. If she's going to like or she's going to find something to say. You would do like this.

[Host]

You can feel your passion and your love for baking on every page of this book. What do you want home cooks to know about baking and using dough and getting the best results?

[Betul Tunch]

I would love to say trust recipe, follow it closely and don't be afraid to make mistakes. That's how we learn and improve our skills. And also I would love to say please enjoy and like, focus on to enjoy the process and just Instagram star Betul Tunch.

[Host]

Her new cookbook is Turkaz Kitchen. Batul, delightful to speak with you. Thank you so much.

[Betul Tunch]

Thank you so much. It was so nice to talk with you.

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