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Pita Bread
The world’s oldest
bread. Through the centuries and around the world, most countries have a
flatbread in the culinary cupboard: Armenian lavash, naans from Central Asia,
pizza and focaccia from Italy, Mexican tortillas, French crepes, Chinese
pancakes, Vietnamese rice pancakes. And don’t forget matzoh.
Archaeologists believe that the earliest wheat and the first breads originated
in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel,
Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Yemen. Flatbreads developed as a way to make food out of
the hard grains that grew there. They could be cooked very quickly, using only a
limited amount of fuel to provide heat.
| 2 tb Sesame seeds | 1 c Warm water (105 F to 115 F) |
| 1 Envelope dried yeast | 1 ts Sugar |
| 1 c Cake flour | 2 c Unbleached flour |
| 1 ts Salt | 1 tb Oil |
| Flour |
Lightly oil 2 baking sheets and large bowl; sprinkle sheets with half of sesame
seeds. Combine water, yeast and sugar and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
Place cake flour, 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour, salt and yeast mixture in work
bowl. Blend well using on/off turns. Add remaining flour by tablespoonfuls (it
may not be necessary to use all of it), incorporating after each addition with 3
to 4 on/off turns.
Dough should be sticky but not wet; check consistency by touching. knead dough.
(Dough will appear smooth.) Place in prepared bowl, rotating so all surfaces are
coated with oil.
Cover with damp towel, set in a warm place, and allow to double in bulk, about 1
hour. When dough has doubled, punch down. Allow to rest 30 minutes in bowl on
counter top.
Place racks on upper shelves and preheat overn to 500 F. Lightly flour board and
place dough on flour. Cut in half, then cut each half into quarters to make 8
equal pieces.
Flatten each piece with palm of hand, then roll into a circle no more than 5
inches in diameter. Place on prepared sheets and sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbs
sesame seeds, lightly pressing seeds into both sides of dough. Bake about 8 to
10 minutes, only until delicately browned.
Do not overbake; these are better slightly doughy. (It may be necessary to
reverse the sheets after 6 minutes to brown the pita evenly.)
Allow to cool slightly. Cut pita in half with scissors and separate opening.
Wrap in foil to maintain freshness if not served immediately.
Makes 8 5-inch rounds
| 1/2 pound clarified butter | 1 pound fillo dough |
| 1/4 pound
chopped walnuts
|
2 tablespoon
sugar
|
| Open out the filo
dough., place baking pan over it cut all around the edges and remove,
but reserve the excess dough to place between layers of dough. Grease
baking pan, line pan with two layers of dough, brush with butter, repeat
until the dough is half used , spread a mixture of chopped walnuts and
sugar over the dough, arrange the rest of dough on top, brushing every
two layers with butter, and brush again the top layer. Cut the Baklava
diagonally from top to bottom into diamond shapes. bake at 350 degrees
for twenty-five to thirty-five minutes until golden brown, let it cool,
then poor one spoonful of syrup over each diamond.
Note: Clarified butter is used because Baklava will keep longer. Syrup |
|
| 1 3/4 cup sugur | 1 1/4 cup water |
| 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice | |
Dissolve the sugar in the water by boiling over high heat, reduce heat & simmer 10 minutes, add lemon juice, bring to boil again then set aside to cool.
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