My two day course in Introduction to Bread Making ended Thursday night and I am buzzing with excitement to share all the knowledge I've gained! It's a little overwhelming since there is information upon information to share, but I will try to do it without overloading or adding what isn't necessary. First up is a Pita Bread recipe that can also be used as pizza crust or fry bread or made into naan (the Indian flat bread).
*An important message concerning ingredients: All-purpose flour is acceptable for both recipes, however, bread flour is preferred because it contains the necessary gluten strands bread will need to pull and keep itself together. You can use normal table salt as long as it is non-iodized. If it is otherwise it will kill your yeast. My teacher recommended a coarse Kosher salt. Honey may be used as a healthy alternative to sugar but it is more complex than cane or beet sugar so it increases your rise time; it will also alter the overall flavor of your bread. My teacher uses Instant/Rapid Rise yeast-it has a higher potency and reduces your rise time. I recommend Rapid Rise because if you compare a recipe using Active Dry yeast to Rapid Rise yeast....it just makes sense (for these simple recipes especially. For a more complex bread (such as rustic breads like: french baguettes, ciabatta...) I can understand that you would need a longer slower rise time, but let's not complicate life)! Olive oil is the healthiest choice but in the pita recipe you may also use vegetable oil, butter, or shortening. From here on out flour means BREAD FLOUR, salt means NON-IODIZED, yeast is RAPID RISE, sugar is SUGAR.
One more note. These recipes may be mixed in a mixer HOWEVER my teacher recommends doing it by hand so you can "read" your bread. You are more likely to over mix your bread if you use a mixer.
Back to our recipes...
Pita Bread/Pizza Dough
Makes about 8 pitas
Ingredients:
3 C flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp of sugar or honey
1 pkt of yeast (or if from bulk, 2 tsp of yeast)
1 1/4 -1 1/2 cups of water, roughly at room temperature (start with 1 1/4 cup and then go from there, adding only one extra Tbsp at a time *I never had to add more than one Tbsp to my dough)
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
Don't be alarmed by how long the directions seem. My teacher's recipe covered barely half a page, but I have added the tips and information I acquired from making this in class to help you get a good pita.
Directions:
1) Put all dry ingredients into a bowl and stir well. (I'm not sure why but this is important)
2) Mix in oil and water until you have a ball of dough. (it will seem like you need more water...but you really don't. If you do add water add only one Tbsp at a time, it doesn't seem like much but I was amazed at the difference one Tbsp could make).
3)Turn dough out onto counter and knead for 10 minutes (the bread will seem sticky...keep kneading. It's ok if it sticks to your fingers, the dough will get tacky and pull together the more you knead. IF it seems completely unmanageable then add small handfuls of flour but don't over do it. TACKY is ok). The preferred kneading method for this dough is the stretch and fold-pretty much like it sounds.
4) Place dough into oiled bowl and cover plastic wrap or towel. Spray the top of the dough as well as the bowl.
5) Allow to rise until it is double in size, about 1 hour.
6)Preheat oven to 400F (place your cookie sheet in upside down or use your round cooking stone--the cookie sheet may make a loud pop as it heats but that's ok).
7) Remove dough from bowl and divide into 8 pieces (when dividing dough DO NOT slice or tear dough. Use a knife, bench scraper, or side of your hand to press straight down on the dough. This preserves the gluten strands and helps to not deflate the bread)
8) Form pieces into balls and allow to rest, covered, for 20 minutes (this is an important resting period that will allow you to shape the bread later. If you skipped this step the dough would never hold your desired shape. When forming the balls try tucking the edges under rather than rolling).
9) Gently flatten each dough piece with a rolling pin or your hands (letting gravity do the work).
10) Bake each pita (only one or two will fit at a time) on top of the upside down cookie sheet for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly brown.
ENJOY!
**PIZZA DOUGH Follow the same directions, only don't divide the dough into 8 pieces. Bake the pizza no more than 15 minutes, but 10 should do the trick.
Call me if you have any questions. Spencer and I are going fishing in a bit so I'll post the "Your First Loaf" recipe later.
