Pita Bread

This pita bread isn't the fluffly, stuff with veggies variety so often found in great Greek restaurants. Instead, it's a slightly salty, hearty bread that will hand a pile of tomato salad or a scoop of hummus without bending. The kids ate it hot off the grill blowing on their fingers while the adults tried, but failed, to practice restraint.

If you are going to give this a try, make sure you start early in the morning and have the day blocked out. The process is involved, but the end result is well worth the effort. A triple batch was made for dinner and very few pitas remained by the end of the evening.

Pita Bread

1 tbsp. active dry yeast

1 tbsp. sugar

4 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading/forming

2 tbsp. salt

¼ cup and 1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for greasing

1. Preheat Oven to 350°. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in ½ cup of warm water. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, dissolve the salt in 1 cup of warm water. Add the flour and turn the mixer on. Slowly add the yeast mixture and 1 tbsp. of the olive oil. Mix until the dough combines. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes.

3. Shape the dough into a ball and place on a lightly greased sheet pan. Coat lightly with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area for an hour.

4. Punch the dough down and knead for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 6 (5 oz.) pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cover the balls with plastic wrap, being careful not to let the plastic wrap stick to the balls. Let the balls proof for 15 minutes.

5. Lightly dust one piece of dough at a time on both sides with flour. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to get it to 7" in diameter and 1/8" thick.

6. Transfer the dough to an inverted lightly floured sheet pan. Place in the 350° oven and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the bread over and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven, transfer to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Place a second piece of parchment paper on top of the bread. Let the bread sit for 10 minutes, or until cooled.

7. When ready to serve, lightly brush the pitas with olive oil and grill for 1-1 ½ minutes on each side. Cut the bread into wedges and serve.

French Bread

 New Orleans French Bread

 I am not sure what the difference is between "french bread" and "New Orleans french bread" but this was wonderful bread. All four loaves were gone by the end of the evening!

Ingredients 

 2 tbsp. sugar

2 1/4-oz. packages active dry yeast

2 tbsp. vegetable shortening

6 cups bread flour

1 tbsp. kosher salt

Directions 

1. Place 1 tbsp. sugar, yeast, and 2 cups water heated to 115° in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Add remaining sugar and shortening, and then add flour and salt.
3. Mix on low speed until dough forms; increase speed to medium-high and knead dough until smooth, 8–10 minutes.
4. Remove bowl from mixer and cover with plastic wrap
5. Let sit until doubled in size, 1 1/2–2 hours.
6. Uncover dough and transfer to a floured work surface; knead briefly to form a ball.
7. Divide dough into quarters and shape each quarter into a 16"-long thick rope.
8. Place two ropes each on a parchment paper-lined baking sheets, and cover with plastic wrap;
9. Let sit until doubled in size, 1–1 1/2 hours.
10. Heat oven to 375°.
11. Using a sharp knife or cutting blade, slash a long line down the middle of each loaf.
12. Bake loaves until light brown and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of each loaf reads between 208°–212°, about 30 minutes.
13. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

piping hot fresh from the oven!