{"id":9169,"date":"2018-02-26T20:22:18","date_gmt":"2018-02-26T20:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hadiaslebanesecuisine.com\/blog\/?p=9169"},"modified":"2024-11-14T21:18:22","modified_gmt":"2024-11-14T21:18:22","slug":"pita-bread-arabic-bread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hadiaslebanesecuisine.com\/blog\/pita-bread-arabic-bread\/","title":{"rendered":"Pita Bread \/ Arabic Bread"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pita bread \/ Arabic Bread or Lebanese bread, as some call it, plays a significant role in Lebanon and Middle East. A daily ritual and no meal is complete without it; it is eaten to scoop everything up with, a perfect accompaniment to almost all Lebanese and Middle Eastern food.<\/p>\n

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Most people think that Lebanese\u00a0 bread\/Arabic bread, khebez as we call in in Arabic, is hard to emulate at home, but this recipe will completely change that thought. Fortunately, it is surprisingly easier than you might imagine and no special bread baking skills are involved. The recipe is straightforward and takes less than 1 hour from start to finish. The dough takes 30 minutes to rise and 5-8 minutes to bake.\u00a0 Making bread by hand is really therapeutic and gives you a sense of achievement.<\/p>\n

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To make the dough<\/strong>: Sift the flour and add salt. In a large bowl, mix the active dry yeast, sugar and \u00bc cup of lukewarm water (save the rest of water for kneading), let it sit for 5-8 minutes, or until yeast becomes frothy. Add the flour to the dissolved yeast, and slowly add the remaining water. Knead the dough with your hands or a stand mixer, (I prefer the hand method) until you have malleable dough of one texture. Add a small amount of flour, as needed, to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Knead and beat the dough for further 5 more minutes (the dough has to be kneaded and kneaded well; it has to be considerably wet but definitely dryer than a batter). For better results, slam the dough a couple of times as seen in the video. This will help the gluten to develop and the texture will become fluffier. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 20-25 minutes to double in size.<\/p>\n

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When the dough has doubled in size, sprinkle some flour on a countertop and knock it back; divide it into 8 even-sized portions and gather each into a ball. Cover with a kitchen towel, and set aside to rest for 15 minutes.<\/p>\n

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On a floured countertop, stretch each ball, using a rolling pin, into a circle about 8 inches\/ 20 cm in diameter and a bit less than \u00bc inch thick. Make sure to roll it into a pretty circle with no incisions or torn dough to keep from creating a weak point that may prevent the pita from puffing up.<\/p>\n

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Preheat the sheet pan before lining it with parchment paper and delicately transfer one dough round at a time onto the parchment lined sheet pan. Bake about 6- 8 minutes, until the dough is puffed up and baked to pale golden; they bake very fast. Happy eating!!<\/p>\n

In Lebanon and the Middle East, no one makes pita bread at home, as they can be picked up daily fresh from any neighborhood bakery, but I believe that every person should bake pita bread at least once in a life time. The process is absolutely fascinating and it is fun to see the bread puffing up in your oven and blowing like a balloon \u2013 watch the video!<\/p>\n

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The seductive smell of the freshly baked pita bread will attract the pickiest eater on earth!.\u00a0 This is simple to make and you will feel like a pro as the bread puffs up in your oven!<\/p>\n

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Like all yeasted bread, pita needs to be baked at a high temperature. The warmer the temperature the more active the yeast will be and the more the bread will puff up while baking and the pocket will be created by steam ; they will soon deflate when removed from the oven and cooled down. They also can be split easily and stuffed and rolled as sandwiches, or simply break up small pieces to scoop it up with Lebanese and Middle Eastern dishes with, like hummus, labneh, Lebanese stews and dips, or whatever your heart desire. Watch the video to see how fun and easy it is to make pita bread.<\/p>\n

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Serve it hot and puffy \u2013 nothing beats fresh pita right from the oven!<\/p>\n

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Allow the bread loaves to cool completely then store covered for two days or freeze for 1 month.<\/p>\n

Some tips to consider while making pita bread, for optimal results:<\/h2>\n