Recipe: Khubz Arabi (Arabic Bread)/Pita Bread (2)

KHUBZ ARABI (ARABIC BREAD)/PITA BREAD

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, divided use
1 pkg. or cake of yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
6 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk

Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes.

Place flour and salt in a large bowl, making a depression in the center. Combine milk, remaining water and dissolved yeast; pour into depression.

Begin mixing flour with liquid, making sure all batter on sides of bowl is worked into dough. Knead until a smooth dough results and the sides of bowl are clean. (Hands are occasionally dipped in more water while kneading to give a smooth, elastic finish).

Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (2 to 4 hours).

Grab orange size balls from edge of dough and form into smooth balls. Cover and let rise on cloth for 30 minutes.

Roll into 1/4 inch thick circles. Cover and let rise again on cloth for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Place breads directly on racks in oven. As soon as dough rises into a mound, 2 to 5 minutes.

Place under broiler for a few seconds until lightly browned. Cool. These freeze well.

Makes 7 to 9 loaves.
Source: unknown

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KHOUBIZ (PITA BREAD)

This pita bread is from the regions of Lebanon and Syria. It is also known as a flat bread.

1/2 ounce active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water, divided use
1 teaspoon sugar
8 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
3 tablespoons oil

Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Stir in the sugar. Set aside in a warm place. Leave it until it begins to rise up and foam. This will take about 15 minutes.

Sift the salt and flour together into a large, warm mixing bowl.

Form a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the yeast into the center. Gently mix the yeast into the flour. Mix by hand, adding small amounts of warm water if necessary. Knead until this becomes a soft dough.

Transfer the dough from the bowl to a floured pastry board and continue to knead until it is smooth and shiny. This will take about 15 minutes. Knead 2 tablespoons of oil into the dough.

Roll into a large ball. Rub the remaining one tablespoon of oil over the surface of the ball. Return to the bowl. Cover with a moist cloth. Set in a warm place to rise. Leave it about 1 1/2 hours until it doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to maximum heat at a minimum of 30 minutes before using.

Punch down the dough. Pull the edges up to form another ball. Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead 2 minutes.

Divide into 8 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball. On the floured board flatten each ball and roll with a heavy rolling pin into flat round shapes approximately 1/4 inch or 6mm thick. They should be about 12 inches in diameter.

Place the flattened bread rounds on a lightly floured cloth. Cover this with another floured cloth set in a warm spot to rise again to double their size. This should take about 30 minutes.

Preheat the baking tray in the oven for 5 minutes. Carefully rub the tray with oil.

Place one round at a time on the baking tray. Cook 5-9 minutes. The bread should swell in the middle and become a light brown in color.

Remove from the oven and wrap in a clean cloth to keep moist. The swelling will disappear when the bread is removed from the oven. Continue this procedure with the remaining rounds.

Servings: 8 loaves
Adapted from Source: Arabic News