Homemade Pita Bread

Homemade Pita Bread

We were served a fresh puffed up baked dough with marinara sauce as an appetizer or snack at Pebble Beach.  So happy to have this recipe.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
½ teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour (35 Grams), preferably freshly milled
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purposed flour (310 Grams)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Make sponge: Put 1 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the whole-wheat flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and whisk together. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place, uncovered, until mixture is frothy and bubbling, about 15 minutes.

Add salt, olive oil and nearly all remaining all-purpose flour (reserve 1/2 cup). With a wooden spoon or a pair of chopsticks, stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass. Dust with a little reserved flour, then knead in bowl for 1 minute, incorporating any stray bits of dry dough. 

Turn dough onto work surface. Knead lightly for 2 minutes, until smooth. Cover and let rest 10 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes. Try not to add too much reserved flour; the dough should be soft and a bit moist. (At this point, dough may refrigerated in a large zippered plastic bag for several hours or overnight. Bring dough back to room temperature, knead into a ball and proceed with recipe.) 

Clean the mixing bowl and put dough back in it. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place. Leave until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 475 degrees. On bottom shelf of oven, place a heavy-duty baking sheet, large cast-iron pan or ceramic baking tile. Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces of equal size. Form each piece into a little ball. Place dough balls on work surface, cover with a damp towel and leave for 10 minutes. 

Remove 1 ball (keeping others covered) and press into a flat disc with rolling pin. Roll to a 6-inch circle, then to an 8-inch diameter, about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour if necessary. (The dough will shrink a bit while baking.) 

Carefully lift the dough circle and place quickly on hot baking sheet. After 2 minutes the dough should be nicely puffed. Turn over with tongs or spatula and bake 1 minute more. 

The pita should be pale, with only a few brown speckles. Transfer warm pita to a napkin-lined basket and cover so bread stays soft. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.

Samosas

Samosas

Ingredients

Pastry

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons semolina (cream of wheat)
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
a little over 2/3 cups water

Filling

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 cup sweet green peas
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon minced green chili
1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
a dash of lemon juice
oil for frying

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Mix all the dry ingredients together for the pastry dough.  Add the oil into the flour and mix well together until the flour holds itself together.  Add the water in small portions, mixing the dough after each portion until well mixed.  Once the dough comes together, work it another 5 minutes, then wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

*

For the filling, boil the potatoes. Cool, mash, and set aside.

*

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the cumin seeds. Once they start to pop, add the chili and onion. cook until the onion becomes translucent. Add the peas and turmeric. Once the peas are cooked, add the remaining filling ingredients including the mashed potatoes. mix well, then set the mixture aside to let cool before using.

*

Roll a lemon-sized ball of the dough into a 5" circle with a rolling pin. Cut the circle in half, forming two semicircles. Add about ball of the potato mixture into the center. Dip your finger into water and rub it along the straight edge of the semicircle to make the dough wet enough to stick.

*

Pick the samosa up from one side and place it over the potato ball, covering it half way. Pick up the other corner and place it over the previous one, covering the potato to make a triangle shape. Set the last un-folded end of the dough, and fold it over the overlapping corners to make all of the flaps stick together. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

*

Add the samosas to a wok or deep fryer with enough room temperature oil to cover. Begin to heat the oil on high and cook until the samosas turn a golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and set on a place of paper towels to drain. Serve with a sauce or chutney.

*

Filling

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 cup sweet green peas
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon minced green chili
1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
a dash of lemon juice
oil for frying

*

Directions for the filling: 

Boil the potatoes. Cool, mash, and set aside.

*

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the cumin seeds. Once they start to pop, add the chili and onion. cook until the onion becomes translucent. Add the peas and turmeric. Once the peas are cooked, add the remaining filling ingredients including the mashed potatoes. mix well, then set the mixture aside to let cool before using.

*

Roll a lemon-sized ball of the dough into a 5" circle with a rolling pin. Cut the circle in half, forming two semicircles. Add about ball of the potato mixture into the center. Dip your finger into water and rub it along the straight edge of the semicircle to make the dough wet enough to stick.

*

Pick the samosa up from one side and place it over the potato ball, covering it half way. Pick up the other corner and place it over the previous one, covering the potato to make a triangle shape. Set the last un-folded end of the dough, and fold it over the overlapping corners to make all of the flaps stick together. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

*

Add the samosas to a wok or deep fryer with enough room temperature oil to cover. Begin to heat the oil on high and cook until the samosas turn a golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and set on a place of paper towels to drain. Serve with a sauce or chutney.