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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.
Pita Bread
Categories: Breads
Yield: 8 servings
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
Makes 8 5-inch rounds
Oil
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.
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