Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1,000 Jewish Recipes (274 page)
5.
With a floured knife, cut dough into 8 or 10 equal pieces. With cupped palms, roll each piece into a smooth ball, flouring only if dough begins to stick. Put balls on a floured board or other surface. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled. Preheat oven to 500°F.
6.
Lightly flour 2 baking sheets. Using a floured rolling pin, roll 4 balls of dough on a lightly floured surface to 6-inch circles about
1
â
4
-inch thick. Transfer 2 rounds to each baking sheet.
7.
Bake about 3 minutes or until beginning to brown. Turn them over and bake 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Repeat with remaining dough.
8.
If not serving pita breads immediately, cool them on racks. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or plastic bags.
Traditional pita breads are generally made of flour, water, yeast, and salt but there are a few variations. Following the Yemenite tradition, my mother-in-law adds about a tablespoon of black caraway or nigella seeds (also known simply as "black seeds") to the dough. They add a delightful taste to the bread. These seeds are available at some Israeli and Middle Eastern grocery stores and can be ordered from baking supply houses.
Today pita bakeries in Israel and some in the United States are making pita in all sorts of flavor variations, just like with bagels. They also bake stuffed pita breads, which resemble Italian calzones.
Sesame seeds are another time-honored seasoning for pita bread and are a simple way to give pita plenty of flavor. As the pita bakes, the seeds become toasted.
3 cups bread flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour or additional bread flour
2 envelopes dry yeast (
1
â
2
ounce or 5 teaspoons)
1
1
â
3
cups lukewarm water
1
â
2
teaspoon sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
About 3
1
â
2
tablespoons sesame seeds
1.
Sift bread flour and whole-wheat flour into a bowl and make a well in center. Sprinkle yeast into well. Pour
1
â
2
cup water over yeast and sprinkle with sugar. Let stand 10 minutes.
2.
Stir to dissolve yeast. Add remaining water and salt to well and mix with ingredients in middle of well. Stir in flour and mix well, to obtain a fairly soft dough. When dough becomes difficult to mix with a wooden spoon, mix in remaining flour using your hands. If dough is dry, add 1 tablespoon water. Knead dough by slapping it vigorously on a lightly floured working surface until dough is very smooth and elastic. If it is very sticky, flour it occasionally while kneading.
3.
Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and turn dough over to oil its entire surface. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place 1 to 1
1
â
2
hours or until doubled.
4.
Knead dough briefly on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll dough back and forth with your hands into a thick log.
5.
With a floured knife, cut dough into 8 or 10 equal pieces. With cupped palms, roll each piece into a smooth ball, flouring only if dough begins to stick. Put balls on a floured board or other surface. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled. Preheat oven to 500°F.
6.
Lightly flour 2 baking sheets. Roll each ball of dough in 1 teaspoon sesame seeds. Using a floured rolling pin, roll 4 sesame-coated balls of dough on a lightly floured surface to 6-inch circles about
1
â
4
-inch thick. Transfer 2 rounds to each baking sheet.
7.
Bake about 3 minutes or until beginning to brown. Turn them over and bake 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Repeat with remaining dough. Serve pita breads warm, or cool them on racks and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or plastic bags.
A student in one of the classes I taught on Jewish and Israeli breads gave me this delicious recipe. It was from a friend of hers, a Jewish woman who was born in Kurdistan. The pita bread is topped with oil, grated onions, coriander, and paprika and could be considered a Middle Eastern version of focaccia.
2 envelopes dry yeast (
1
â
2
ounce or 5 teaspoons)
About 1
1
â
4
cups lukewarm water
1
â
2
teaspoon sugar (optional)
4 cups bread flour
2
1
â
2
teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1
1
â
2
teaspoons paprika
1 cup grated onion
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.
Sprinkle yeast over
1
â
2
cup lukewarm water in a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, if using, and leave 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast.
2.
Briefly process flour and 2 teaspoons salt in a large food processor to mix them. Add remaining
3
â
4
cup water to yeast mixture. With blades of processor turning, gradually pour in yeast-liquid mixture. If dough is too dry to come together, add 1 tablespoon water and process again. Process 1 minute to knead dough. Add another tablespoon of water if needed and process again 1 minute.
3.
Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and turn dough over to oil its entire surface. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place 1 to 1
1
â
2
hours or until doubled.
4.
Knead dough briefly on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll dough back and forth with your hands into a thick log. With a floured knife, cut dough into 8 equal pieces. With cupped palms, roll each piece into a smooth ball, flouring only if dough begins to stick. Put balls on a floured board or other surface. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled. Preheat oven to 450°F.
5.
Lightly flour 2 baking sheets. In a small bowl mix coriander, paprika, and remaining
1
â
2
teaspoon salt.
6.
Using a floured rolling pin, roll 4 balls of dough on a lightly floured surface into 6-inch circles about
1
â
4
-inch thick. Transfer 2 rounds to each baking sheet. Sprinkle each round with about 2 tablespoons grated onion. Pat lightly so onions adhere. Sprinkle with
1
â
2
teaspoon spice mixture. Drizzle lightly with oil.
7.
Bake pita breads about 10 minutes or until firm. Transfer to racks. Repeat with remaining dough. If not serving pitas immediately, cool them on racks. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or plastic bags.
Za'atar is a tasty herb and sesame mixture that is sprinkled over pita breads or served with olive oil for dipping soft bagels. You can buy za'atar at Israeli grocery stores. The main herb in the mix is hyssop, which is related to thyme. If you don't have za'atar, you can substitute a mixture of thyme and sesame seeds.
2 envelopes dry yeast (
1
â
2
ounce or 5 teaspoons)
About 1
1
â
4
cups lukewarm water
1
â
2
teaspoon sugar (optional)
4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
About 4 teaspoons za'atar, or 2 teaspoons dried thyme and 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1.
Sprinkle yeast over
1
â
2
cup lukewarm water in a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, if using, and leave 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast.
2.
Briefly process flour and salt in a large food processor to mix them. Add remaining
3
â
4
cup water to yeast mixture. With blades of processor turning, gradually pour in yeast-liquid mixture. If dough is too dry to come together, add 1 tablespoon water and process again. Process 1 minute to knead dough. Add another tablespoon of water if needed and process again 1 minute.
3.
Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and turn dough over to oil its entire surface. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place 1 to 1
1
â
2
hours or until doubled.
4.
Knead dough briefly on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll dough back and forth with your hands into a thick log. With a floured knife, cut dough into 8 equal pieces. With cupped palms, roll each piece into a smooth ball, flouring only if dough begins to stick. Put balls on a floured board or other surface. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled. Preheat oven to 450°F.
5.
Lightly flour 2 baking sheets. Using a floured rolling pin, roll 4 balls of dough on a lightly floured surface into 6-inch circles about
1
â
4
-inch thick. Transfer 2 rounds to each baking sheet. Brush each round lightly with oil. Sprinkle each round with about
1
â
2
teaspoon za'atar. Bake pita breads about 10 minutes or until firm. Repeat with remaining dough. If not serving pitas immediately, cool them on racks. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or plastic bags.
You can make this dough in a large food processor, in a mixer, or by hand. Use it for
Lecso Pizza
or with your favorite pizza topping.
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (105 to 115°F)
1 envelope dry yeast (
1
â
4
ounce or 2
1
â
2
teaspoons) or 1 cake fresh
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1
1
â
2
teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil