Recipe for Arabic Pita Bread

Recipe Break: Arab Pita Bread
September 30, 2002

Hi everyone,

Aunt Dar and I put together a Palestinian dinner party for Iowa City friends this past weekend and it was a smashing success. The 20 or so cook's helpers/taste testers scarfed down all but our bowl of backup rice. If you are as ambitious a cook as she is, let me know and we can plan a similar fete in your neck of the woods when I'm home next.

In the meantime, many people have asked me why their attempts at pita bread have not turned out as desired. I personally have had no idea until now. This recipe worked well for us, was reasonably entertaining, and the mistakes correctable. More recipes to follow.

Enjoy!

Hubbas (Arab Pita Bread) Makes 20, allow 3 hours or so prep (with nap breaks)

1 pkg active dry yeast large bowl
1T sugar small bowl
3 c. warm water rolling pin, board
1 T salt lots of towels/cloths
1 T oil plastic garbage bag, or newspapers
9 cups unsifted all purpose flour griddle or skillet

In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and water. Let stand until bubbly (about five minutes). Stir in salt and oil.

Place all flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in about half the yeast mixture at a time. Mix and knead by hand until flour and liquid hold together.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured board and shape into a log. Divide into 20 equal pieces. Place pieces of dough on the board and keep covered. To shape each loaf, place a piece of dough in a floured palm. With your other hand, pull dough out away from sides, then fold it back toward center and press in middle, work around edge until smooth and elastic. Place smooth side up on cloth-lined trays. Cover with dry cloth, then top with damp cloth, then let rise at room temp until puffy. (1 to 1 ½ hours)

One at a time place a ball on a floured board. With a rolling pin, flatten, then roll out from center with 4 strokes each way to make a 6-inch round. Shake off excess flour and place rounds at least ½ inch apart on a dry cloth. Cover with the dry and damp cloth again, top with plastic or newspaper, and let them rise again another hour.

Adjust oven rack to 2 inches above bottom. Preheat to 475 degrees.

On a griddle with minimal grease, set each piece of bread just long enough to sear one side. (Some toasty brown spots acceptable) Then flip onto ungreased baking sheets for 5-10 minutes in oven. (Three breads fit on my sheets at a time.) Keep the oven light on and pull up a chair because this is cool. They inflate like balloons! If some don't inflate, don't worry, just get a good bread knife and fake a pocket later. Take out and let cool on a towel. You can flatten them down later, and refrigerate or freeze extras. Just reheat them before serving, they taste better that way (also true with store-brought pita).

If you like whole wheat bread, use the recipe above, reducing all-purpose flour to 5 cups and adding 3 ½ cups whole wheat flour, and ½ cup wheat germ.