The Bread Bible Alpha Bakers tackled homemade pita bread this month. I've made it before, so I knew that anyone who hadn't was in for a real treat!
Take a look at this gorgeous dough!! It's very easy to prepare with a stand mixer. (Directions to mix it by hand are included in the Bread Bible, BTW.) The simplest of ingredients--unbleached all-purpose flour, water, olive oil, salt and yeast--are mixed and then vigorously kneaded in the mixer for several minutes until very silky and elastic. The dough is refrigerated until ready to use--up to FOUR DAYS in advance!
Here it's been removed from the refrigerator and is bubbling up, anxious to be introduced to the hot oven.
Here it's been removed from the refrigerator and is bubbling up, anxious to be introduced to the hot oven.
The dough is cut, rolled into balls and patted into discs and then allowed to rest. Meanwhile, the oven is preheating at a whopping 475 degrees with my baking steel (not stone!) along with it. By the way, we love our pizza steel! We used ceramic pizza stones for years, but they broke so often it was getting ridiculous. We purchased the baking steel two years ago and use it constantly. Naturally, it's never going to break, but it is REALLY heavy! (More info here: http://www.bakingsteel.com/shop/baking-steel)
The oven is hot and the dough is rolled flat.
Once they go in the oven--then we see the magic!
Once they go in the oven--then we see the magic!
I already ate half of that one on the left! They baked in just two and a half minutes. These are large--big enough to fit inside a gallon-size Ziploc bag. When I made the second batch (yes, I've already made them again this week!) I made them smaller.
These are simply delicious, far better than anything you can purchase. They are soft and chewy. I cut one in half and stuck the pieces in the toaster and they came out crispy--great for dipping!
I made the second batch using the whole wheat variation, and they were even better.
On Easter Sunday, I pulled out the dough and my son Dustin and I made pitas for an afternoon snack. It was such fun! My daughter Jessica made our family's favorite roasted garlic and red pepper hummus and we ate the pita straight from the oven at the kitchen counter. There wasn't even time for a photo!
I love the Bread Bible, and bake with it weekly. Do try this recipe! Follow along the rest of the Bread Bible Alpha Bakers here-- http://breadbiblealphabakers.blogspot.com/
Thanks, everyone, for visiting my blog and leaving comments!
NEXT UP: Touch of Grace Biscuits (May 1)
I made the second batch using the whole wheat variation, and they were even better.
On Easter Sunday, I pulled out the dough and my son Dustin and I made pitas for an afternoon snack. It was such fun! My daughter Jessica made our family's favorite roasted garlic and red pepper hummus and we ate the pita straight from the oven at the kitchen counter. There wasn't even time for a photo!
I love the Bread Bible, and bake with it weekly. Do try this recipe! Follow along the rest of the Bread Bible Alpha Bakers here-- http://breadbiblealphabakers.blogspot.com/
Thanks, everyone, for visiting my blog and leaving comments!
NEXT UP: Touch of Grace Biscuits (May 1)
