Jacks Middle Eastern Style Pita Bread Recipes

HOMEMADE PITA BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl add 1 cup lukewarm water and stir in yeast and sugar until dissolved. Add 1/2 cup flour and whisk together. Place the mixing bowl in a warm place, uncovered to form a lose sponge. Give it 15 minutes or so, the mixture should bubble.
• Now add salt, olive oil and almost all the remaining flour (keep about 1/2 cup of the flour for dusting later). Stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass (at this point, the dough has little to no gluten development and just looks like a sticky mess and you can easily pull bits off). Dust with a little flour, then knead the mixture inside the bowl for about a minute to incorporate any stray bits.
• Dust a clean working surface with just a little bit of flour. Knead lightly for a couple minutes or so until smooth. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then knead again for a couple more minutes. The dough should be a little bit moist, you can help it with a little dusting of flour, but be careful not to add too much flour.
• Clean the mixing bowl and coat it lightly with extra virgin olive oil and put the dough back in the bowl. Turn the dough a couple times in the bowl to coat with the olive oil. Cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap then lay a kitchen towel over. Put the bowl in a warm place. Leave it alone for 1 hour or until the dough rises to double its size.
• Deflate the dough and place it on a clean work surface. Divide the dough into 7 to 8 equal pieces and shape them into balls. Cover with a towel and leave them for 10 minutes or so to rest.
• Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle that's 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. It helps to lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll so that dough doesn't stick to your counter too much. (If dough starts to stick, sprinkle a tiny bit of flour). If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough. (Once you get going, you can be cooking one pita while rolling another, if you like). You have two options for baking the pita from here.
• Heat the oven to 475 degrees F and place a heavy-duty baking pan or large cast iron skillet on the middle rack to heat. Working in batches, place the rolled-out pitas directly on the hot baking baking sheet (I was only able to fit 2 at a time). Bake for 2 minutes on one side, and then, using a pair of tongs, carefully turn pita over to bake for 1 minute on the other side. The pita will puff nicely and should be ready. Remove from the oven and cover the baked pitas with a clean towel while you work on the rest of the pitas.
• To cook pita on stovetop: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. (Test by adding a couple drops of water to the skillet, the skillet is ready when the beads of water sizzle immediately). Drizzle a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil and wipe off any excess. Working with one pita at a time, lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 30 seconds, until bubbles start to form. Using a spatula, flip the pita over and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side. The pita is ready when it puffs up forming a pocket (sometimes, with this method, the pita may not puff or may only form a small pocket. Try pressing the surface of the pita gently with a clean towel). Keep baked pita covered with a clean towel while you work on the rest.

PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Add the flour, yeast and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment and mix to combine. With the machine running at medium-low speed, add 1 cup warm water and mix well. Increase the speed to medium to medium-high and continue mixing, adding more warm water if necessary, until the dough gathers into a ball, completely pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the bowl is clean, about 5 minutes total.
• Lightly flour a work surface. Remove the dough from the bowl, sprinkle with flour and knead by hand until smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball, place in a large bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, humid place for 1 hour.
• Transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured surface, kneading lightly to deflate it. With floured hands, pull small portions of dough (slightly bigger than a golf ball) and roll them into balls.
• Flatten each ball with your hands, then roll it thin with a rolling pin. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Once heated add the bread and cook until browned and bubbled on the first side, then flip and cook the other side until it puffs and turns golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Serve the bread with the pickles, tomatoes, green olives, mint leaves, zaatar and labneh, if you like.

MIDDLE EASTERN-STYLE CHICKEN, VEGGIES AND RICE

Steps:

• Prepare the rice according to package directions. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a wok or large deep skillet over high heat. Add the green beans and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add the peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir-fry until the green beans and peppers are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the shredded chicken, rice, spice blend and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until no excess liquid remains, about 1 minute. Season with salt.
• Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the parsley and pine nuts and serve.

JACK'S MIDDLE EASTERN-STYLE PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in 3/4 cup warm water. Stir in the sugar and set aside the mixture until it blooms with a slightly foamy top, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Sift together the all-purpose flour and white whole-wheat flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Make a deep depression in the middle with a wooden spoon and add the olive oil. Slowly pour in the bloomed yeast mixture.
• Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough on low speed until the mixture starts to come together. Slowly pour in 1 1/2 cups of warm water, adding up to an additional 1/4 cup if needed so the dough looks smooth and feels slightly sticky. Add the salt, increase the speed to medium and continue to knead until a soft and stretchy dough forms (it should not feel sticky), 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Allow it to rise in a dark area until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently punch it down. Divide the dough into 18 even pieces, and form these pieces into smooth balls. Using a rolling pin, roll a piece of dough into circle that's about 5 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. Cover the dough with the damp towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a nonstick baking sheet in the oven and preheat the oven to 525 degrees F.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully transfer 3 pieces of dough to it; lightly spritz them with water from a spray bottle. Bake the pitas until they're puffed up and light brown with a few dark brown freckles in places, watching very closely because they burn quickly, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the pitas from the baking sheet and allow them to cool on plates or a wire rack covered in paper napkins to maintain softness. Place the baking sheet back in the oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pitas.
• Serve the pitas immediately with Tahini Sauce, if desired. Store them in resealable bags at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze them in resealable bags for up to 3 months.
• Combine the lemon juice, garlic, salt and cumin in a large bowl. Add the tahini to the garlic mixture, stirring with a whisk or fork to combine (the mixture will be very thick). Pour in 1/2 cup cold water, stirring until incorporated; feel free to add more until you reach the desired consistency. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

HOMEMADE PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Mix together the water, honey and yeast and allow the yeast to bloom until very foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• To a mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, olive oil and salt. Turn the mixer on low to combine. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until a smooth dough mass forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for 1 more minute. Portion and shape the dough into 8 even balls, roughly 4 ounces each. Place on a sheet tray and spray or brush the tops with olive oil. Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, allow the dough to temper back to room temperature for 1 hour.
• Set up your grill for high heat. If using a charcoal grill, distribute the coals evenly on the edges of the grill, leaving the middle with no coals. If using a gas grill, heat one side only. Allow the temperature to reach 475 degrees. Place a small saucepot with water on the grill for extra moisture.
• Place a flat cast-iron pan onto the grill grate to preheat.
• On a very lightly floured surface, roll each pita ball into an 8-inch round and allow to rest for 10 minutes before baking. Place a dough round onto the hot pan, close the grill and bake for 1 minute. Flip and bake for another minute, then remove to a ziptop bag. This will ensure the pita stay moist and fresh. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Serve!
• To make in the oven: Place a flat cast-iron pan and a small pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
• Place the rolled dough onto the hot pan and bake for 1 minute. Flip and bake for another minute.

MIDDLE EASTERN PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic powder, sumac and tomatoes and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Make the pizza: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Drizzle a rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil and stretch the pizza dough to fill the pan (it doesn't have to be perfect since this is a rustic pizza). Brush the dough with olive oil and bake until just golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and cumin, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the eggplant is tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 5 more minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 15 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Top the crust with 1 cup sauce, the mozzarella, eggplant mixture, caramelized onion, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and feta. Return to the oven and cook until the cheese melts and the crust is golden brown, 15 to 20 more minutes, brushing the crust with olive oil halfway through.
• Remove the pizza from the oven and brush the crust with olive oil again. Top the pizza with the mint.