Pita bread

Perfect pita.

As a child my family hosted a family from Iran for several months as they got used to Canada, learned English, etc. I have fond memories of eating pita and hommous with a salty soft white cheese, like feta but soaked in brine. I recently bought some soft Bulgarian sheep feta at a local deli and it made me want that pita and cheese again. So I found this recipe at about.com (odd, I know) and got to it.

Mix:
1/2 c warm water
2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 package)
1 tsp sugar (I would use honey next time)
Let yeast flower.

Mix:
3 c flour
1 1/4 tsp salt

Form hole in middle of flour. Pour yeast liquid into hole, add 1 c warm water and stir. Knead for 10-15 minutes, until dough is elastic. Let rise until doubled in size. Punch down. Form about 10 balls from the dough. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Roll out dough into circles, 5-6 inches across, 1/4 inch thick. Bake at 500F on preheated sheet for 4 minutes until it puffs up, then flip and bake for 2 more.

This is working wonderfully; the pictures should tell the tale well enough. I am so pleased with this. The recipe is prefaced with this: "It is very hard to duplicate in a home kitchen". Well, thanks for the warning, but no need. The recipe is simple, and these are great.

One minor thing: Next time I won't knead for so long, as they are a bit chewy.

Doubled in far less than the suggested 3 hours.


Waiting for the rolling pin.


This was a pretty magical experience; until they puffed up I didn't quite believe that they would.

More bread!!!

True to form, I moved from chocolate to bread. I whipped up a two-loaf recipe yesterday morning before a visit from a friend, the standard recipe I got from my mom, who rarely ever bought bread in my childhood. The recipe is as simple as it gets, and is mostly done by feel:

2-ish cups warm water
dollop of honey
1 T yeast (a little less, actually)
dollop of oil

Let stand for a few minutes until yeast flowers. Add:

2 cups flour, then
2-ish cups flour and
1 tsp-ish salt (you add the salt at this stage so it doesn't inhibit the yeast)

Knead.
Let rise 1 hour or so.
Punch down.
Shape.
Let rise 1/2 hour.
Bake at 375 for 29 minutes.

There is nothing particularly special about this bread, except that it inevitably reminds me of my mom (and dad). That's special. And it's so simple to get right, so when it goes a little wonky (rose too fast in the oven and split the cap, see picture #2), it's still fantastic.

1-hour bread, take two

I just started my second try at 1-hour bread (see below). This time I used a higher proportion of whole wheat/spelt flour, because I ran out of white. I also didn't put the salt in with the yeast, as it inhibits the growth. I decided to use less yeast (1 1/4 T rather than 1 1/2 T), because I just don't need that much yeast in my diet. The yeast flowered very quickly, and I was on my way.

Then, right near the end, I realized that I had forgotten to add the salt. S-M-R-T. So I sprinkled some in with the last of the flour I was adding, and kneaded it in. I'm not sure how it will turn out, but I think it should be fine. The bread is rising right now beside the warm oven, and my stomach is already rumbling for that bread/butter combo.

Last time (see comments on above link) I left mine in for a few minutes longer than suggested (22-23 rather than 20) and was quite pleased with the outcome. At 20 the bread was barely browning; at 23 it had browned nicely and was perfectly done inside.

It's in the oven. Already the bread is bigger than last time, so it would seem that the salt/yeast thing worked. I will try reducing the yeast further next time. I've been a bit spacey this morning, and forgot to set the timer, so it will have to be an estimate. I've never been one for exactly following the recommended times of recipes, but with this one I'm trying to get it just right.

And it's out. It's beautifully brown, nice and round, and definitely bigger than last time. If I had to guess, I would say it was in for 24-25 minutes. Tastes great. Nice and dense without being gummy or too heavy, the crust is wonderfully chewy.

Zoe's 1-hour bread

Fresh from Zoe's latest post over at Morning Toast, I decided to give this recipe a try. I've baked my fair share of bread in the past, but my production rate has dwindled over the years. Partly it's a matter of general laziness, but at times the three hour commitment is too much.

The recipe looks so easy: combine flour, water, yeast, salt and honey, and in one short hour, voila! fresh bread. Right now it's rising for 20 minutes, then it's in the oven for 20 minutes, then it's in my belly with butter and honey.

From Simple, Green, Frugal:

Preheat oven 450℉. Combine 1 1/2 cups warm water, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 1/2 T dry yeast, 1 T honey in a bowl and sit until yeast is obviously active. Add 3-4 cups flour, stirring in with wooden spoon*, until it's no longer really sticky. Shape into a log. Let sit, covered, for 20 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes. Take out and after resisting for 5 minutes, slice off a chunk and eat with butter and honey slathered on.

Results: Just finished my second piece. Loverly. Chewy, moist, a bit crusty. I probably should have left it in a few more minutes, but I can handle slightly underdone bread. Thanks, Zo.

* because making bread requires using a wooden spoon. That's how my mom and dad did it, and that's how my children will do it.