3.0 KiB
+++ categories = ["food"] tags = ["recipe", "bread", "pita"] date = 2024-04-30T17:17:58Z description = "Making sturdy, soft pocket bread for stuffing, frying as chalupa shells, and freezing for later meals." draft = false slug = "pita" title = "🥙 Pita" author = "nicholas" +++
This is not traditional or authentic pita I made this bread to be strong, pliable, and soft so I can stuff it with fillings or deep fry it to use it as a chalupa shell. During the baking process the disc should formed a void or a pocket that can be filled. Pita is baked at 500° F on a thick 3/8" A36 steel plate then wrapped, and finally frozen after cooling to ~90° F. Like most bread products, these thaw / reheat with no discernable loss in quality. After baking, they should be used right away because they become dry quickly. If they are to be frozen and later stuffed, is not recommended to stack them. The layers will compress and stick together under the weight and make it impossible to separate after a freeze / thaw cycle.
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Process
1. Preheat Steel Plate
- Pre-heat the steel plate for approximately 45 minutes prior to the Bake step.
2. Mix Ingredients
- Combine dry ingredients.
- Combine liquid ingredients (except oil).
- Add the liquid mixture to the mixer.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to the mixer.
- Mix until the liquid is fully absorbed.
- Add oil to the mixer.
- Mix for approximately 10 minutes.
- Allow dough to rest in the mixer for 10 minutes.
This allows the dough to become less sticky on the surface, likely due to some water evaporating or absorbing into the dough, aiding in extraction.
3. Divide & Scale
- Divide and scale the dough into portions weighing roughly 180 grams (as used in the photos below).
- Shape the portions into balls.
- Two options at this stage:
- Refrigerate the dough for later use.
- Proceed to the next step — Shape.
4. Shape
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If the dough has been refrigerated:
- Separate the dough balls and reshape them into spheroids.
- Allow them to warm slightly to make rolling easier.
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Dust the surface of each ball with flour.
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Roll out the dough into a disc approximately 7" in diameter.
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Let the discs rest on parchment paper for 10 minutes.
This helps create a "skin" on the dough surface, essential for producing a void during baking.
5. Bake
- Ensure the steel plate and the oven are both preheated to 500° F.
- Open the oven, launch the parchment paper with dough into the oven, and shut the oven immediately.
- Retrieve the pita once they have fully inflated.
6. Cool
- Place each pita on a cooling rack and let them cool until they reach a temperature below 90° F. This typically happens within minutes.
- Use immediately, or wrap/seal the pita in a container to preserve softness.
- Optionally freeze indefinitely.
- Rest