This is my first project from the many breads that I found interesting in Bernard Clayton Jr.'s book,  "Breads of France", first printed in 1978. I obtained the copy I'm reading through an inter library loan from McPherson, KS, which is deep in the heart of Kansas and wheat growing country. The book is a 1978 copy. Mr. Clayton's formulas are written down in volume measurement so I used a calclator, pad, and pen to scratch out my weight measurements. That's the penalty I pay for not having learned how to use a spread sheet. This must be an obscure if not quite forgotten bread because both Bing and Google searches failed to turn up any formulas on line that I could find.

The bread isn't quite a flat bread as Mr Clayton described it nor is it a focaccia type bread despite the estimated 77% hydration. With stone ground whole wheat flour accounting for 44% of the flour and some wheat germ added, the bread has a nice dark crumb. The WW flour is used in both the preferment and sponge so there's little if any bitterness from the WW. I expect that the formula could be adapted for use with a sourdough starter. It goes well with hearty soups that I like to serve in wintertime. Mr. Clayton wrote that the bread was considered as a "pain de regime" or diet bread in France at the time the book was written.

I wouldn't say that my formula has been perfected yet. There were enough details in the formula and procedures that puzzled me the first time around so I think that I'll have to go back to this loaf again. However, I posted my procedures and weight measurements along with some aimless chatter on my blog. Don't expect a professional formula please. If you should share my interest in the loaf and actually try it for yourself, I hope that you'll share your successes and mishaps with me.

http://chaosamongstthefloursandflowers.blogspot.com/2012/01/gallette-persane-bread.html

I've been having huge issues with my bread falling (for years and years!).  I let it rise twice and somehow on the second rise, it spreads out and falls flat.  What am I doing wrong?  I followed the recipe to the T and I can't seem to get bread that rises appropriately so that it is nice and airy! It tastes fine, but gets crumbly very quickly once it cools.   Thanks so much for whatever help you can give.  

Question for you bakers out there. At my job we are constantly looking at ways to streamline and improve our recipes. One of my tasks is to make a cracker thin flatbread.

White: Focaccia Dough recipe, this recipe contains yeast, and the way that they have been producing it, is to wait 3 days for the yeast to die. I think this is unnecessary, what is your opinion on reducing, or even completly omitting the yeast in this recipe. Its a very a small percentage of yeast, I believe its 3/4oz SAF yeast (blue? ... not the gold type) or if it would be more efficient if I convereted the SAF yeast to using fresh yeast for a faster turn around time on the bread. This bread is made on the sheeter and is rolled down to 0.5.

Before going into the bread itself (which is simple enough), here is some background:

About a week ago the Jews had their Passover holiday. This holiday lasts for a week during which the religious and traditional Jews are not allowed to eat any bread that its dough was allowed to rise.

This is due to the Bible story of the Hebrew slaves running away from Egypt (the story with Moses – let my people go…). During this quick departure, they didn’t have the time to let their dough to rise and instead of bread they the Matza – bread of the poor – for their desert track.

So, after a week of eating no real bread some factions invented the Mufleta – flat bread that can be prepared very quickly when the holiday ends (at the evening when the bakeries are not open yet).

The recipe:

·         3 cups of four

·         1.5 cups of water

·         1 spoon of oil

·         ½ teaspoon of salt

·         2-3 teaspoons of dry yeast

Mix all the ingredients and kneed it for 10 minutes.

Split the dough into balls in size of about half chicken egg and place all of them on an oiled surface.

Cover with a towel and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Put a frying pan on the stove.

Oil your kitchen counter.

Spread the first ball of dough with your hands until it gets to a size of a medium plate about 2mm thick (I consistently failed to get the correct shape out of it…).

Put the dough in the pan to fry while you start spreading the second one.

After the first got a golden color (fried from one side only), put the second on top of it and flip them – the new dough should touch the pan itself. Keep doing it until all are ready.

Once all are done, serve it with butter and honey (combination of the two is recommended). Its nice to spread the butter and honey and then fold it like a crepe or simply like an envelope.

The one I managed to take picture of was way under 2mm of thickness :)

Something went wrong - they came out too dry (I think) but me and my wife finished them all in any case...

It was interesting and different bread experience.

Next bread will be a more conventional one - already made a baguette starter for tomorrow - about 12 hours left.

Until the next post

Ilan

I was making my wife some special pancakes this morning that are gluten free - egg free and dairy free (she is allergic to all) and the recipe I am always using and tweeking got much better. I usually have to use soy or rice milk in place of dairy milk, but this time I tried canned coconut milk. This worked really well and I also thinned the recipe and made a very nice injera type flat bread at the end. I wanted to share it with anybody that might want to try it, or give suggestions. I do add fruit sometimes, but am always working on getting the consistancy and flavor best before masking it with those additions. I usually make the following double batch so that she can have some ready made for later in the week.

3 cups buckwheat flour

2 cups coconut milk

2 tsp baking soda

3 tsp baking powder

3 tsp sugar

1 tsp xanthan gum

4 flax egg substitutes (each = 1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons boiling water, let sit for a few minutes till gooey)

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

enough water for runny pancake batter

ladle a scoop of batter onto medium hot lightly greased skillet.  When the batter stopps bubbling but is still steaming, flip

yum

For a nice injera type flat bread or roll up, add more water to the batter so that it can spread out nice and thin. Cook on one side until the top is dry to touch. Don't flip, injera only gets cooked on one side, this leaves the other side flexible for rolling. There will be alot of bubble holes and be nice and soft inside.

Russ from RI

My family is originally from the Middle East (several generations ago) and it is pretty sad that every time I attempt to make Pita bread I do not get that classic hollow flat bread but instead I get something that resembles a puffy tortilla. Although there is nothing wrong with tortillas that is not really what I am after. What am I doing wrong? How do I get that classic pouch (for filling with falafel of course)? Does it have to do with the type of flour, or amount of time I knead it, or quantity of yeast? If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Also, if anyone has a great pita bread recipe please inform me of it. I recently made a sourdough starter and am wondering if it  is possible to make a sourdough pita?

When I was taking my Breads & Rolls class last year in culinary school we made an Indian bread called Aloo Paratha. It is a wheat bread dough that is filled with a curried potato mixture, rolled flat and cooked on a hot griddle. They were, in a word, delicious!

I have thought of them fondly, but had not gotten around to making them when the curry bug bit one afternoon. I had potatoes, I had Indian spices, and I had wheat flour. I would make parathas to go along with some Curry Crusted Chicken Thighs.

Aloo Paratha    Yield 8 parathas

For the dough -

2 1/4 whole wheat flour
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt

For the filling -

1 lb. potatoes (about 2 large)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped fine
salt and pepper
vegetable oil, or ghee, for brushing the parathas

In the bowl of a stand mixer mix the flour, salt and water with the dough hook for 5 minutes on medium speed.  The dough should be quite soft and a little sticky.

Cover the bowl with plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes. 

While that rests make your filling.

Boil the potatoes in their jackets, or microwave for 12 minutes, until soft.  Allow to cool slightly then carefully peel the potatoes and put them in a bowl.  Add the spices, cilantro, oil, mustard, and season with salt and pepper.  Mix well and form the mixture into 8 equal sized balls.  (I used a disher for this to make sure the balls were all the same size)

After the dough is rested turn it out on a floured surface and divide it into eight equal pieces.  Flatten with your fingers and place a ball of filling in the center.  Wrap the filling with the dough, making sure the dough is completely sealed.  Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough and filling.

Gently pat out the parathas into fat disks, then carefully roll them out until they are between 6″ and 7″. 

Cook the parathas on a smooth griddle over medium heat for two minutes.  Flip the parathas, which should be lightly browned and spotty, and brush the cooked side with vegetable oil or ghee.  After two minutes flip again and brush the second side with oil or ghee.  Cook for 30 seconds per side then transfer to a plate and cover with a towel. 

Repeat until all the parathas are cooked.

Published on www.evilshenanigans.com - 3/13/2009

This is my first post, as I have had no luck in finding a recipe for this.  I was lucky to have an Armenian bakery close to my college years ago, and besides having some of the best breads, they had some small, pita-like sweet breads, which if i remember correctly were called "amour".   They were about 8 inches in diameter and maybe 1/3 of an inch thick, very soft, and were marbled with cinnamon.  I've looked everywhere, but can't seem to find anything resembling them.  I would appreciate any help.

Naan

Spinach & Cheese

Thank you ejm! I was browsing your post on Palak Paneer and Naan and was inspired by your well documented process and delicious results. I have made Pita several times on the stone in the oven and they usually turn out well. I thought I would try the BBQ gas grill tonight. As you can see, they were a little thin in a few places but even the charred areas were tasty. My wife loved the spinach and cheese (firm tofu). The flavor of the cumin seeds was just subtle enough to be wonderful.

I will definitely make this again. Are there any egg plant mixes that go with Naan? I have had some canned egg plant from a middle eastern grocer that would be good on this.

I told my daughter about the Naan being the bread that fed people 5000 years ago. She thought I was cheating by not using a stone on an open fire.

No snickering on the burned spots now. This is my first time on the grill.

Eric

This is the pita found on here on the main page of the website. It's tasty! Tomorrow I will be making souvlaki and tzaziki to accompany. Thanks for this recipe!