بِسْــــــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِارَّحْمَنِ ارَّحِيم
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
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PLEASE NOTE: I've had a relatively large response to the pita bread in my Egyptian Red Lentil Soup post. I thought I'd revisit this bread and update with newer and better photos.
Pita bread ... as it is commonly known around the world is the most unadorned and simplest to make bread around that dates back to ancient times. Pita bread is an even better invention than sliced bread. It is no wonder that this round pocket bread has been a staple of the Middle East for 4,000 years. In fact, pitas have been both a bread and a utensil throughout the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean serving the function of loaves of bread in wheat centric areas of Europe, Africa and Asia.
From what archeologists can determine, the pita originated with peoples west of the Mediterranean. It is not perfectly clear if it was the Amorites or the Bedouins were the inventors. Both the farming and desert society respectively adopted pitas as their own. Soon, its popularity spread as the Bedouin peoples traded and travel across the Arabian and Sahara desert.
Originally, the pita was a combination of dough that was let to sit and collect yeast and fresh dough until the discovery that brewers yeast works. In the Middle East, It is still often made in a backyard stove compared to the store-bought pitas that have spread all over the globe.
But the history of pitas can only really be appreciated through the taste. The pita though has to be tasted with all the different foods that thrive in or enwrapped by pita. And then you will understand that sliced bread is the best invention since pita bread.
It is a rather simple bread that could be made with limited technologies. You simply roll out your favorite non-enriched dough as thin as possible and bake it on a tadjine, cast iron pan or even grill pan.
There is minmial resting time, so you put it together in a matter of moments. Despite its simplicity pita is one of the tastiest breads ever made, too. Perhaps it is all of the surface area and the soft chewy crumb?
Pita is really a great make-ahead bread. You can prepare the dough through the first rise, and then keep it refrigerated for up to a week. The flavor will actually improve with time! You can bake the whole batch at once or cut off just what you need to make one or two flatbreads at a time. When you're ready to bake, cut the dough into portions, flatten them slightly, and let them come up to room temperature before baking. Real simple huh? This blog is not called Simplicity for nothing!
The yoghurt is what makes this bread so soft and chewy ... plus it adds a slight tangyness to it ...This is a Greek style pita bread so it's pocketless. If you're looking for a pita bread with a pocket, consider looking into this recipe that I hightly recommend.
- Looking for another tasty lentil soup? Try this Turkish red lentil soupor even this Algerian soup.
- Or check out this pita bread, it'll go so nicely with this dish.
- Or browse through the recipe index to get inspired.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD EGYPTIAN FOOD? WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE EGYPTIAN DISH?
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- 2 cups AP flour
- 1 cup wheat wheat flour
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- pinch of sugar or spoonful of honey
- 1 pot of natural yoghurt (90g)
1/2 cup 125 g 4.4 oz - 1 cup +/- of warmed water
- handful of nigella seeds (optional)
- semolina (large or medium grained) or cornmeal for the work board
- Sift the flour and place into a large bowl.
- Make a well in the center of the bowl and simply add in all the ingredients except the water.
- Mix together, then slowly and gradually add in the water to form a soft dough. Stop adding the water when it reaches the right consistency.
- Knead for about 5m - a few good turns is enough. The dough ball becomes really smooth and ‘bouncy’.
- Cover and allow to rise for 5m.
- Then divide the dough into 8 portions.
- Form balls that are about the size of a mandarin orange.
- Then flattened into your deserved thickness. For me about I like mine about 10cm round. No need to rest again since by the time you flattened all the balls, the first ones will have rested enough to be baked!
- Coat the bread on both sides with the semolina or cornmeal.
- Bake on a hot ungreased cast iron pan or tadjine in the oven or on the stovetop. Alternatively you could grill the pita breads.
- Place a large glass lid over the bread, so that it will steam for a few minutes. This process will yield you a chewy crumb. About 4 minutes is enough on both sides
۞ Cook's Note:
Fun Pita Factoid: From Wiki
Pita is "bread" in Aramaic. When Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe came to Palestine in the 19th century, they needed a different word in Hebrew for the Arabic bread, simply called "bread" (khubz) by the local Arabs. Today, this type of bread is known as pita or kmaj or khoubz..
Size- Wise
You can easily make individual besboussas by filling cupcake tins with the batter.
Subsitute
Subsitute cornmeal (semoule de mais) to make this dessert gluten-free.
Variation
Besboussa is very versatile dessert that you can easily change but adding various flavouring ingredients such as orange, lemon, coconut, chocolate or even nuts.
Besboussa is very versatile dessert that you can easily change but adding various flavouring ingredients such as orange, lemon, coconut, chocolate or even nuts.
Let's keep in touch! Sign up for posts delivered right to your e-mail inbox or subscribe to my feed. You can also 'like' me on Facebook, pin posts on Pinterest or follow me on Twitter for all the latest recipes and updates.
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I have always wanted to make pita bread but for some reason have never attempted doing so:) Your bread looks great! I should make my own too one day. Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteSalaam... Masha'Allah this looks great! I am trying out making Naan bread to go with the curry today - I hope it is as successful as your pitta!
ReplyDeleteWhat is different in the method if you want it *with* pockets? Do you know?
Ismallah Ya Heni
ReplyDeleteYou use Saj to bake them.. When I saw your photos I remembered my mom , she used to make markouk and then leave some dough to do manakish on the saj Yummy Yummy
thanks dear for sharing .
thank again for your email instruction i didnt get to read and follow i was sick the past couple of days is sinus infection.
How interesting! I would like to try your recipe! I like the puffy pita but it does require more care and this is a great recipe when you don't have the time to make the other kind/ Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI like this style of pita too. We usually find this kind in Greek restaurants in the states. I had some pocket style pita in Algiers that I was not to fond of.
ReplyDeleteOh how I wish I could make bread. I've just about given up because no matter how simple the recipe it neve comes out right.
Greetings friends,
ReplyDeleteThis is bread is so very easy to make! I encourage you to try it UmmAR!
Nicola, easy pocket pita style bread is the batbout which I will be posting very shortly enchallah!
Saj is rounded dome like baking dish right Arlette? If yes not then i have a flat cast iron pan with handles that looks like a flat paella pan. it is algerian called a tadjine.
Thanks Henia! Btw, my naan was good but actually it was more like pocket pitta than naan! I think I should have left the dough for longer but the kids were getting hungry! LOL
ReplyDeleteDear Hennia,
ReplyDeleteit looks maaschallah very good. Inschallah my first time, i would like to make it together with you. Maybe we can arrange this ...... Hope to see you Manja
Salam Henni,
ReplyDeleteYour pita looks easy and yummy to make. However, I have one question, for yoghurt measurement, you put 2 pots / 90g, does it mean that the total yoghurt should be 90gm only? or is it (90g X 2)? thank you
Esalaam Noorul,
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting and viewing my blog!
Sorry - I will clarify. The yoghurt I have used is the small individual sized ones ; just one is enough ... sizes of course of yoghurt container vary country to country but usually they are around 90g or 3oz containers. So overall here 6TBS or 90g or 3oz of yoghurt
Thanks Heni...I've tried this recipe and it comes out great and tasty. I cooked them in a skillet. However, I have to say, not all of them had pockets but they tasted great..::))) will try again..thanks again
ReplyDeleteEsalaam Noorul,
ReplyDeleteThis is more like a Greek pita, so it is not suppose to have a pocket.
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Is there a wheat free flour I can substitute?
ReplyDeleteSalaamu aleikoum, Hello!
ReplyDeleteI've made this bread quite a few times with barley and rye flour. But never with a gluten-free or grain-free. But that does inspire me to try and see how it'll turn out.