Watch MoTV™ Subscribe free:
 RSS Feed | iTunes
Receive free advice, how-to videos and recipes from Moti!
He'll tell you what you can do:
 Iraqi Food Recipes
 Medical
Advice
 Q & A:
Life Advice
 Shop
MoTV™
Archives: Find
out what else is sooo good... |
Arabic Flatbread
I'll tell you what you can
put there :
-
2 cups flour (~200g)
- 150 mL lukewarm water
- 60 mL (1/4 cup) olive oil + more for topping
- teaspoon of sugar
- 1 packet of active dry yeast
-
Spices: 1 teaspoon salt, sesame seeds
|
Click to enlarge
Flatbread is very versatile and you can try all sorts of toppings. My
favorite is za'atar!. |
I'll tell you what you can do
:
Flatbread
is incredibly tasty fresh and plain, but even tastier
when it has sesame seeds or za'atar on top. Even though
we often call pita
with za'atar pita bread, this is often misconstrued by English
speakers. Pita is any kind of flatbread, and not just the
pocket bread that is called pita here in the US. This recipe
shows you how to make a thick flatbread more akin to focaccia,
and this is what is used to make a delicious snack bread
with any variety of toppings.
First, mix the yeast in with the
warm water and sugar. Let it stand for 5–10 minutes . In
a large bowl mix the flour, salt and oil. Add the yeast
mixture when it starts to foam and mix well. The dough
will be a little sticky and you should knead it until smooth
and elastic, about 10 minutes. Remove to a warm place to
rise for one hour, or until it doubles in size.
Punch down the dough and knead it
again for a couple of minutes. On a floured work surface,
roll the dough into a cylinder shape and divide into about
6 balls. Roll out each ball into a disc shape; cover and
let rise again for 30 minutes. Your bread dough is now
ready and all you have to do is add the toppings. I pour
generous amounts of olive oil and sprinkle on za'atar on
top.
To bake, place the dough in a hot
oven (500ºF)
for about 5–6 minutes, or until the corners turn brown.
Ideally this should be done in a clay oven or on a pizza
stone in your regular oven. Pull it out and eat it hot!
These make great snacks for the kids. Mmmm...
|
Oven
Tips
When baking bread, it's often all about the oven! This recipe
is no exception. In Israel the bread is baked in a huge clay
oven, often wood-fired or with something akin to a flame-thrower.
The point is that it's about 1000ºF. You won't achieve this in
your home oven, but you can approximate as best you can by
baking at 500ºF and cooking directly on a pizza stone placed on
the lowest rack of your oven.
|
Best of luck, Moti
 Stumble It!
 del.icio.us
New! Write a comment about this recipe:
hpum writes:
(15 Mar 2009, 16:37)
Dear Moti,
Please tell me what I did wrong. Recently, I had to make more than the
usual 10 pcs of lafas. So I just quantified the recipe; I allowed it to
rise an hour, rolled, shaped it into discs. To ensure that it's still
white even in the sides and pliable I baked it for 3 minutes. (1 1/2 min
each side). I aired them in a wire rack but they turned to be ABSOLUTE
CRACKERS.
Perhaps it was the recipe
Here is the recipe I followed ..........
5 cups flour
6 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cup water
3/4 cup oil
How dry should the dough really be after kneading and mixing?
Thank you for you advise
Matthew writes:
(07 Mar 2009, 12:08)
People... please realize that this is NOT the Iraqi flat bread that has
become popular in America through soldiers and marines that have walked its
streets. ANY RECIPE CONTAINING YEAST is not what you seek.
Moti writes:
(17 Jan 2009, 12:54)
Dear Rose,
Yes, you can definitely substitute some wheat flour -- I do it all the
time. But I wouldn't do more that 50/50 because otherwise the pita comes
out too dense and doesn't rise well.
Rose writes:
(16 Jan 2009, 09:49)
Dear Moti,
can you substitute some wheat flour for the white flour, looking for a
healthier recipe with the wheat
arif husain writes:
(07 Dec 2008, 14:54)
Dear Moti,
I am happy i found your web site,now
i bought pizza stone,and i am going
to try, thanks for giving us your idea.
Moti writes:
(24 Oct 2008, 07:52)
No one is suggesting you run out and buy clay oven (which cost hundreds of
dollars) but a pizza stone is really affordable. You could also put some
clay tiles in your oven, but I'm quite certain it will be easier and
cheaper to pick up the stone. I saw one at my local supermarket for $10!
asian wife of an iraqi man writes:
(23 Oct 2008, 19:37)
Dear Moti,
this website is so great.im not familiar with your food actually.but with
the pictures and great instruction.im planning to try it.
but, my questions is. i dont have a pizza stone or clay oven. any
alternatives?
Moti writes:
(21 Oct 2008, 08:35)
Dear hpum,
If your bread is breaking then you are facing one of two problems 1) you
aren't putting yeast in it and allowing it to rise the proper amount of
time, or 2) you're baking it too long. Either of these will result in a
cracker. Follow the recipe closely and you should be fine! Pull out the
bread while it is still white if you want a large, pliable lafa.
hpum writes:
(20 Oct 2008, 19:40)
Dear Moti,
Okay,I think this recipe answered my previous question of having a pizza
stone in a conventional oven. My main question now is if I can make the
pita bread thinner (lafa) so I can wrap it over food without breaking it.
Maani Shaikh writes:
(08 Dec 2007, 09:14)
Dear Moti,
I just read your recipe, I do belive it is nice recipe, Thanks
[ Back to Recipe Index ]
|
