I have to say that bread is my downfall in life. I love bread. I am not picky, I will eat any kind of bread that you put in front of me. So I am always looking for new bread. My daughter is 14 and also loves bread. Packing school lunches, you start to look for new things. Pita bread was the answer. I love that it is a pocket. So many times when I pack a lunch, the sandwich falls apart before she gets a chance to eat it. Pita bread helps with that. Not to mention the incredible taste!!! So it is a win, win for mother’s. I am going to try this with Sourdoughs International’s South African (which is a whole wheat culture) and their Polish (which is a rye culture) cultures. I think you can not go wrong with these.
Khubz Arabi from Classic SourdoughsRevisedA Home Baker’s Handbook by Ed and Jean Wood
Khubz arabi (Arab Bread) is a soft, round flatbread—the pita of the desert. This is probably the most delicious pita I have ever encountered. It is produced throughout the Middle East, both commercially and in the home. Yield 8 Flatbreads
2 cups sourdough culture
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Pour the culture into a mixing bowl. Add the water, salt, and oil and mix. Add the flour a cup at a time until too stiff to mix by hand. Turn out onto a floured board and knead in the remaining flour until the dough is smooth and satiny. Proof for 8 to 12 hours at room temperature, about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap. Then gently ease the dough from the container to a floured board.
Divide into 8 equal balls. Roll the balls into round flats about ¼ inch thick and form 2 stacks with the rounds, separated by paper towels. Proof the rounds at 85 degrees in proofing box for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven and a baking sheet to 500°F. Use a hand board or large spatula to slide the rounds onto the heated baking sheet. Use care to avoid damage to the surface or the rounds may not puff completely. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the rounds puff and start to brown. Let cool on wire racks.
Happy baking.
