Some friends are handier than others. And then there’s Chaim — a former pastry chef turned lighting consultant and handyman with a toolkit as refined as his pastry skills, and a heart just as generous. Since Chaim is Israeli and he has worked in the food industry, we often discuss recipes I’m working on, and I ask him my baking questions because pastry is not my strong suit.
We hadn’t planned on cooking – he was out in my backyard assembling an egg swing I had ordered on Amazon and we were both starving. It was Yom Ha’atzmaut so I suggested making an Israeli spread for lunch, when Chaim offered to make homemade pita! Breadmaking always intimidates me, so I was happy to learn from a pro, and before I knew it, Chaim had already rolled up his sleeves and started weighing out the flour (you know he’s a former pastry chef when he starts to do that!).
I had some soft boiled eggs in the fridge, a jar of roasted eggplant, and plenty of veg in the frige, so we started working on some salads to make sabich sandwiches. An hour later, we had prepared an elaborate spread that rivaled some of the best Israeli hummusiya’s! And the pita? Oh. Em. Gee. the pita. It was the stuff of dreams!!
What should I have Chaim teach me next?
Chaim’s Fluffy Pita
(you know it’s a pastry chef’s recipe when he measures everything out in grams! Apologies!)
500 grams bread flour
10 grams sugar
10 grams salt
10 grams active dry yeast
300 grams warm water (or more, if needed)
10 grams extra virgin olive oil
Method:
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Pour the water and olive oil into a measuring cup and slowly add it to the flour, incorporating it with your hands until it comes together into a dough, adding a bit more water, if needed.
Turn the dough onto a floured counter and knead for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover the dough and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
Use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough into equal balls, about 80-100 grams each (50 grams for mini pitas). Keep the balls covered with a kitchen towel as you start to roll them out.
Using a rolling pin, flatten out the balls of dough into a circle about ¼ inch thick and 6–7 inches wide. Let them rest in a kitchen towel for 10 minutes.
Heat a dry cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add one pita at a time, cooking for about 1 minutes per side, flipping 3 times until it puffs up into a pocket. Set aside and wrap in a towel to keep warm.
NOTES:
Don’t roll the dough too thin or it may not puff.
If your pitas aren’t puffing, your oven/skillet might not be hot enough.
Store leftovers in an airtight bag for up to 3 days or freeze for later.
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