Post by atash on Jul 18, 2011 10:51:51 GMT -5
By request. I've seen a number of different variations on pida. Some have a pocket, some don't. To make a pocket, be sure to work the dough down to about tortilla thickness, let it rest, then pop it onto a hot baking stone, around 425F.
To avoid a pocket, roll it out slightly thicker, bake on a pan, and bake it significantly cooler, around 380-400F.
Armenians make something similar they call "lavash", which could be soft or crispy, whole grain or white, and possibly studded with herbs. Scallions are a nice choice.
The flour used is somewhat arbitrary. More gluten = chewier texture. Less = tender texture. Americans use anything from all-purpose to bread flour, with a mixture of the two being a good compromise. Bread flour = "hard flour" in some countries. In some countries the equivalent of our all-purpose flour is as hard as you're going to get. If anyone is confused by this issue, ask.
Here is my basic pida recipe:
1. Sift together in a bowl:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups bread flour (hard flour)
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp instant dry yeast
I realize Europeans usually weigh flour. Americans don't generally have scales sufficiently accurate (though I do...). I'll try to figure out how much this weighs in grams, and update the recipe accordingly.
2. Using wooden spoon or plastic scraper, gently stir in:
1 cup + 6 oz tepid water (consider adding tiny tip-of-a-spoon of vitamin C as a dough conditioner--some flours already have this)
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil.
3. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
4. On a lightly oiled surface, kneed by slapping one end of the dough down on the counter and PULLING the other end, then folding it over and repeating (NOT pushing like Brits and Americans usually do--PULL the dough--trust me, it aligns the gluten strands better) 10-15 times total. This takes less than a minute and not much effort at all; if this is real work, you're over-doing it. Trust me, this will work.
5. Let the dough sit on lightly oiled surface, covered with the bowl, for 10 more minutes.
6. On same lightly oiled surface, kneed 10-15 more times.
You now have silky-smooth, elastic dough. In case you're wondering, the 2 rest times did the trick.
The gluten strands unravel on their own if you give them time to do so, and it makes a much silkier, baby's-bottom smooth dough every time, versus beating the dough to death as is done by folks who don't know this trick.
7. Clean out the bowl and oil it. Pull the dough into a nice round ball (hard to explain--pull it "inside-out", pull the edge together and pinch together on the bottom), and leave it in the bowl, covered with a cloth, in a warm spot, for 1 hour, roughly, until doubled.
8. GENTLY (don't tear the gluten strands!) place dough ball onto lightly oiled surface, and divide it up into 8 equal portions.
9. Pull each portion into a ball shape, and let rest for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven and baking stone while you're waiting, 425F (~215C).
10. Gently work each portion of dough into the shape and thickness of a tortilla using a lightly oiled rolling pin. Be patient--don't squash the dough. Work it gently.
11. Rest for 10 minutes.
12. Bake each one (or as many as you can fit on your stone) for about 2 minutes each, MORE OR LESS. The pidas will puff up on the baking stone. Once puffed they're usually done and full of VERY hot steam (WATCH OUT FOR STEAM BURNS as they deflate!). Shorter baking time makes them more tender; longer, crisper.
If you bake to the point of making them crisp, it is possible to use them as "bread bowls" for salads. Probably works better for that to make them a little smaller though.
13. Remove from oven, and brush the side that was in contact with the baking stone with extra-virgin olive oil, then sprinkle some koshering salt and herbs (for example, some zataar) over that side.
Pile 'em up and serve. Might want to cut into halves or wedges.
I might post someone else's take on flat bread later.
For a whole-wheat version, substitute 2 cups whole wheat four for the 2 cups of all-purpose, and add a little more water. Might want to increase resting times a bit too.
To avoid a pocket, roll it out slightly thicker, bake on a pan, and bake it significantly cooler, around 380-400F.
Armenians make something similar they call "lavash", which could be soft or crispy, whole grain or white, and possibly studded with herbs. Scallions are a nice choice.
The flour used is somewhat arbitrary. More gluten = chewier texture. Less = tender texture. Americans use anything from all-purpose to bread flour, with a mixture of the two being a good compromise. Bread flour = "hard flour" in some countries. In some countries the equivalent of our all-purpose flour is as hard as you're going to get. If anyone is confused by this issue, ask.
Here is my basic pida recipe:
1. Sift together in a bowl:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups bread flour (hard flour)
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp instant dry yeast
I realize Europeans usually weigh flour. Americans don't generally have scales sufficiently accurate (though I do...). I'll try to figure out how much this weighs in grams, and update the recipe accordingly.
2. Using wooden spoon or plastic scraper, gently stir in:
1 cup + 6 oz tepid water (consider adding tiny tip-of-a-spoon of vitamin C as a dough conditioner--some flours already have this)
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil.
3. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
4. On a lightly oiled surface, kneed by slapping one end of the dough down on the counter and PULLING the other end, then folding it over and repeating (NOT pushing like Brits and Americans usually do--PULL the dough--trust me, it aligns the gluten strands better) 10-15 times total. This takes less than a minute and not much effort at all; if this is real work, you're over-doing it. Trust me, this will work.
5. Let the dough sit on lightly oiled surface, covered with the bowl, for 10 more minutes.
6. On same lightly oiled surface, kneed 10-15 more times.
You now have silky-smooth, elastic dough. In case you're wondering, the 2 rest times did the trick.
The gluten strands unravel on their own if you give them time to do so, and it makes a much silkier, baby's-bottom smooth dough every time, versus beating the dough to death as is done by folks who don't know this trick.7. Clean out the bowl and oil it. Pull the dough into a nice round ball (hard to explain--pull it "inside-out", pull the edge together and pinch together on the bottom), and leave it in the bowl, covered with a cloth, in a warm spot, for 1 hour, roughly, until doubled.
8. GENTLY (don't tear the gluten strands!) place dough ball onto lightly oiled surface, and divide it up into 8 equal portions.
9. Pull each portion into a ball shape, and let rest for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven and baking stone while you're waiting, 425F (~215C).
10. Gently work each portion of dough into the shape and thickness of a tortilla using a lightly oiled rolling pin. Be patient--don't squash the dough. Work it gently.
11. Rest for 10 minutes.
12. Bake each one (or as many as you can fit on your stone) for about 2 minutes each, MORE OR LESS. The pidas will puff up on the baking stone. Once puffed they're usually done and full of VERY hot steam (WATCH OUT FOR STEAM BURNS as they deflate!). Shorter baking time makes them more tender; longer, crisper.
If you bake to the point of making them crisp, it is possible to use them as "bread bowls" for salads. Probably works better for that to make them a little smaller though.
13. Remove from oven, and brush the side that was in contact with the baking stone with extra-virgin olive oil, then sprinkle some koshering salt and herbs (for example, some zataar) over that side.
Pile 'em up and serve. Might want to cut into halves or wedges.
I might post someone else's take on flat bread later.
For a whole-wheat version, substitute 2 cups whole wheat four for the 2 cups of all-purpose, and add a little more water. Might want to increase resting times a bit too.
