Another comment: I have made the Lebanese bread recipe (khoubiz) in the "Lebanese Cookbook" by Dawn, Elaine, and Selwa Anthony, with a few tweaks. I use half Golden Wheat and half AP flour by weight and Whole Grain Bread Improver. I also mix all of the ingredients together rather than to knead in the oil -- much easier. I let the mixed dough rest for about 30 minutes before kneading it, then let it rest in the bowl until it's puffy. I divide the dough (typically 4 pieces for a half batch), preshape the pieces into rounds, let them rest under a covered cloth for about 20 minutes before rolling them out, and then let the rolled-out bread rest for about another 20-30 minutes. (I preheat my oven with to 500 with a baking stone on the lowest rack before I start preshaping the bread.) When rolled out as thinly as possible, the diameter of each piece is about the size of a small dinner plate, bigger than 6 inches and bigger than a dessert plate, but smaller than a full-sized dinner plate. They say to preheat the oven to "maximum heat." I hesitate to test the limits of my oven and baking stone, so 500 is fine for me, based on the temperature of an oven thermometer. They also say to bake the breads on an oiled baking tray. I tried that ONCE and never again! Big, smoky mess! They say to bake for 4 to 8 minutes until it swells in the center and "browns slightly." For me, that's about 4 1/2 to 5 minutes, baking them one at a time and getting the bread as close to the back of the stone as I can. Anyway, I'm sharing this version because it makes a more substantial piece of bread than the Golden Pita does, even when sliced in half. A half slice makes an incredibly filling sandwich with the whole wheat flour. When they puff up, they create a big and fairly sturdy pocket for sandwiches. I have been stuffing them with homemade hummus and peppers, falafel patties, and even sliced turkey and Swiss cheese.
October 1, 2024 at 2:49pm
Another comment: I have made the Lebanese bread recipe (khoubiz) in the "Lebanese Cookbook" by Dawn, Elaine, and Selwa Anthony, with a few tweaks. I use half Golden Wheat and half AP flour by weight and Whole Grain Bread Improver. I also mix all of the ingredients together rather than to knead in the oil -- much easier. I let the mixed dough rest for about 30 minutes before kneading it, then let it rest in the bowl until it's puffy. I divide the dough (typically 4 pieces for a half batch), preshape the pieces into rounds, let them rest under a covered cloth for about 20 minutes before rolling them out, and then let the rolled-out bread rest for about another 20-30 minutes. (I preheat my oven with to 500 with a baking stone on the lowest rack before I start preshaping the bread.) When rolled out as thinly as possible, the diameter of each piece is about the size of a small dinner plate, bigger than 6 inches and bigger than a dessert plate, but smaller than a full-sized dinner plate. They say to preheat the oven to "maximum heat." I hesitate to test the limits of my oven and baking stone, so 500 is fine for me, based on the temperature of an oven thermometer. They also say to bake the breads on an oiled baking tray. I tried that ONCE and never again! Big, smoky mess! They say to bake for 4 to 8 minutes until it swells in the center and "browns slightly." For me, that's about 4 1/2 to 5 minutes, baking them one at a time and getting the bread as close to the back of the stone as I can. Anyway, I'm sharing this version because it makes a more substantial piece of bread than the Golden Pita does, even when sliced in half. A half slice makes an incredibly filling sandwich with the whole wheat flour. When they puff up, they create a big and fairly sturdy pocket for sandwiches. I have been stuffing them with homemade hummus and peppers, falafel patties, and even sliced turkey and Swiss cheese.