Easyaspitabread Recipes

Steps:

• Place yeast into the work bowl of a stand mixer and add 1 cup warm water and 1 cup flour. Whisk together and let stand 15 to 20 minutes for mixture to rise and make a loose sponge. Mixture will bubble and foam.
• Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and salt into sponge; add 1 3/4 cup flour. Mix at low speed, using a dough hook attachment, until dough is soft, supple, and slightly sticky. If dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add up to 1/4 cup more flour, a little at a time.
• Knead dough with machine on low speed until slightly springy and still soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and form into a ball.
• Wipe inside of bowl with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Turn dough around in bowl to cover with a thin film of oil; cover bowl with foil and let sit until dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Remove dough from bowl and place onto a floured work surface. Lightly pat into a flat shape about 1 inch thick. Use a knife to cut dough into 8 pieces.
• Form each piece into a small round ball with a smooth top, pulling dough from the sides and tucking the ends underneath the bottom.
• Cover dough balls with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a work surface and top of a dough ball; gently pat dough ball flat with your fingers, forming a flat, round bread about 1/4 inch thick. Let dough round rest for 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
• Brush a cast-iron skillet with remaining 3/4 teaspoon olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Lay pita bread into hot skillet and cook until bread begins to puff up and bottom has brown spots and blisters, about 3 minutes. Flip, cook 2 more minutes, and flip back onto original side to cook for about 30 more seconds. Pita bread will begin to puff up and fill with hot air. Stack cooked breads on a plate; when cool enough to handle, break breads in half and open the pocket inside for stuffing.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°.
• Cream butter and sugar together.
• Add flour and mix till texture is like clay.
• Press dough into ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan, prick all over with a fork, and sprinkle with sugar (tilt pan to cover the top evenly, then shake excess sugar back into the sugar canister).
• Bake for about 40-45 minutes (till very lightly browned--just golden around the edges).
• Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into 24 squares while warm.
• Leave in pan to cool thoroughly. (Shortbread will not be crisp until cool.).
• Less easy method: Chill dough. Roll into 1-inch balls, then press balls to about 1/4-inch thickness on ungreased cookie sheets with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar (sometimes you can find a glass with a pretty design on the bottom, like a star). Bake at 300° for about 20-25 minutes (until edges are very lightly browned).
• Least easy method: Chill dough. Roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness, sprinkle with sugar, then cut with cookie cutters. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 300° for about 20-25 minutes (until edges are very lightly browned).
• Variation: Add 2 tablespoons dried lavender to the creamed butter and sugar before adding flour. It may sound strange, but the flavor is subtle and elegant. Food-grade lavender is usually available in herb bins at health food stores, and I recently found it at a great price from Atlantic Spice online (their Lavender #1).
• Variation: After cutting shortbread into squares (it will still be warm), scatter 1 cup of chocolate chips over the top, let the chocolate soften completely, then spread as a thin layer and let cool completely before removing from pan. (No need to sprinkle shortbread with sugar before baking if you plan to do this.).
• Variation: Stir 1 cup chocolate chips or butterscotch chips into the dough before pressing into pan. You can also try melting the butterscotch over the top, as above. In England, you'll find "caramel shortbread," which has a layer of caramel and a layer of chocolate on top of the shortbread. It's wonderful (of course!). I've tried various ways of doing this and various kinds of caramel, but it's been a while and I don't remember what works best. It can be tricky not to make a mess!

Steps:

• In mixing bowl, combine water and sugar; sprinkle yeast and let stand for 10 minutes or until dissolved and creamy.
• Using electric mixer, beat in 2 c.of the flour, oil and salt; beat for about 3 minutes or until smooth, scraping down side of bowl from time to time.
• With wooden spoon, beat in enough of the remaining flour to make stiff dough.
• Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
• Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning to grease all over.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
• Divide dough into 16 or 32 pieces.
• On lightly floured surface, roll each piece into 7" or 4" rounds.
• Cover and let rise for 15 minutes or until slightly risen.
• Meanwhile, heat ungreased baking sheet on lowest rack in 500 degree oven (240 C).
• Using floured metal spatula, quickly transfer 2 or 3 pita rounds to heated baking sheet; bake for 3 or 4 minutes or until puffed and light golden around edges.
• Repeat with remaining pita rounds.
• Let cool between damp tea towels.
• Pitas will collapse and soften slightly, but pocket will remain.
• (Alternatively, if crisp pitas are desired, let cool on racks) Pitas can be stored in plastic bags in freezer for up to 1 month.
• Makes 16 7" pitas or 32 4" pitas.

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in bread pan of your bread machine, select Dough setting and start. When dough has risen long enough, machine will beep.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop. cover with a towel. Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack. Place cake rack directly on oven rack. Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas a softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.

Steps:

• add the first five ingredients together and leave them for at least ten minutes covered.
• mix with the flour. i usually use standard grade white flour and if i need more when im mixing up the dough i use wheatmeal flour.
• mix up the dough until you get it to bounce back slightly when you press it. it shouldnt be sticky.
• cover it with flour, leave it to rise covered for at least thirty minutes.
• divide up the risen dough into eight pieces and roll each one out.
• make each protion 15/18 cm in diameter.
• leave to stand for 10 minutes before baking.
• dont open the oven too much.
• take out the bread as soon as it has finished rising.
• you can freeze it after it has cooled down and reheat it for use later.
• note, its ok for the bread to go flat again after you take it out of the oven.

Steps:

• Mix together the water, honey and yeast and allow the yeast to bloom until very foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• To a mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, olive oil and salt. Turn the mixer on low to combine. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until a smooth dough mass forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for 1 more minute. Portion and shape the dough into 8 even balls, roughly 4 ounces each. Place on a sheet tray and spray or brush the tops with olive oil. Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, allow the dough to temper back to room temperature for 1 hour.
• Set up your grill for high heat. If using a charcoal grill, distribute the coals evenly on the edges of the grill, leaving the middle with no coals. If using a gas grill, heat one side only. Allow the temperature to reach 475 degrees. Place a small saucepot with water on the grill for extra moisture.
• Place a flat cast-iron pan onto the grill grate to preheat.
• On a very lightly floured surface, roll each pita ball into an 8-inch round and allow to rest for 10 minutes before baking. Place a dough round onto the hot pan, close the grill and bake for 1 minute. Flip and bake for another minute, then remove to a ziptop bag. This will ensure the pita stay moist and fresh. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Serve!
• To make in the oven: Place a flat cast-iron pan and a small pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
• Place the rolled dough onto the hot pan and bake for 1 minute. Flip and bake for another minute.

Steps:

• Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl.
• Beat well about 1 minute.
• Then mix in the remaining flour, using just enough to make a soft, sticky dough.
• Turn out on floured board and continue to knead for 5 minutes.
• Divide into 8 balls.
• Roll out each one to about 1/4 inch thick and 6 inches in diameter.
• Place on very lightly greased cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal (although cornmeal is really not necessary if you don't have it).
• Let rise in warm place for 25-35 minutes .
• Bake at 450 for 4 min, and then turn over for 4 more minutes or until lightly browned.
• Wrap immediately in a dishtowel for 3 or 4 minutes.