Whole Durum Pita

different sizes pita and green chickpea hummus

I've never made pita before. I usually buy the 3-inch whole wheat from Wegmans grocery store. They are very soft and are the perfect size for small sandwiches or for dipping in lemony hummus swimming in fruity extra virgin olive oil.

A few months ago I read about Jose Andres's teeny crispy air breads filled with some kind of creamy cheese and wrapped with thin slices of roast beef, his version of Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich. I don't know if the sandwiches are made with pita dough but the concept certainly inspired me to make pita. I used whole durum flour and made them into various sizes ranging from 3 to 5 inches, and a few ovals that are really tiny. It was fun to watch them balloon in the hot oven within a minute or two. It is even more fun to eat the soft bread with green chickpea hummus. Green chickpeas have a sort of grassy earthy flavor and whole durum pita's perfect partner!

Whole Wheat or Whole Durum Pita
2 cups whole wheat or whole durum flour
½ teaspoon instant yeast
½ teaspoon honey
¾ cup water
1 teaspoon kosher salt

• In a small bowl, dissolve honey in water. In a medium bowl, mix ¾ cup of the flour and yeast then stir in the water and honey mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight or at least 4 hours until mixture is bubbly.
• Sprinkle salt on top and mix in the rest of the flour. The dough should be stiff and slightly dry. Add more flour or water as needed. Knead by hand until smooth and elastic. Divide into 8 equal pieces or desired sizes and roll each into a ball. Cover with a moist towel or lightly oiled plastic film and let the balls rest for 1 hour on the kitchen counter.
• Put a rack on the lowest position of the oven and place a pizza stone or an inverted sheet pan on the rack. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
• Cut a few rectangular pieces of parchment and lay one piece on top of a peel.
• Cut the sides and top of a gallon freezer bag. Open the bag and place a dough ball on the right side of the bag. Cover with the other side and flatten the dough balls into 6½-inch or ¼ inch thick rounds. [Tip: I use a small heavy skillet to flatten the dough to keep its rounded shape.] Place 4 pieces of flattened dough on the parchment and slide onto the hot sheet pan. Bake for 2 to 4 minutes or until completely puffed up. Remove with a spatula, transfer into a plate, and cover with a moist towel while baking the remaining dough. Enjoy while still warm.

Food Friday: Pizza

barbecue sauce, roasted garlic, flaked Thai chicken, chives, cilantro, and mozzarella

Pizza is one food that nobody doesn't like. It's probably the perfect food with the right toppings, of course. Having made pizzas from half a dozen dough recipes, including Neo-Neapolitan from Peter Reinhart's new book ARTISAN BREADS EVERY DAY, I am sticking with the one I think is the best for my preference in pizza dough, Peter Reinhart's Pizza Napoletana from the The Bread Baker's Apprentice. For this pizza dough recipe, there's a choice of high gluten flour, unbleached bread flour, and all-purpose. The high gluten and bread flours need a quarter cup of olive oil to tenderize the dough. I have always used unbleached all-purpose flour for this recipe and have gotten excellent results each and every time.

This is an unusual dough because it uses ice cold water and made to rest in the refrigerator overnight (or for up to 4 days). The dough is a bit slack but easy enough to handle. The finished pizza has all the qualities I love: thin crisp but tender chewy sweetish creamy crust with puffy crispy chewy edges. This pizza dough does not need a lot of toppings and I usually add homemade tomato paste, 2 kinds of cheeses, and small pieces of vegetables such as roasted peppers or baby artichokes. Peter divides the dough into small 6 ounce balls for easier handling. I make mine 8 ounces each and stretch them into 12-inch rounds.

For pizza and other rustic breads I use 6-inch unglazed quarry tiles that I purchased from Home Depot for 33 cents each. The tiles get really hot and seem to do a great job of searing the bottom better than a pizza stone. They are also conveniently mobile and can easily be moved from oven to the outdoor grill.

Peter's notes:

The dough does not need "lip", but one inevitably occurs because the edge is usually thicker than the center and it doesn't have any sauce to hold it down. Do not try to build up the edges by crimping because you want it to bubble up on its own and create a light, airy crumb.

Neapolitan-style Pizza
adapted from The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart
4½ cups [20.25 ounces] unbleached all purpose flour, chilled
1¾ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1¾ cups [14 ounces] ice cold water (40°F)
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 zipper freezer bags

• Sift together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in a 4-quart bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment. Stir in the water until all the flour is absorbed, and mix for about 5 minutes. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for up to 7 minutes. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet and doesn't come off the sides, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it clears the bottom, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and registers 50° to 55°F.
• Sprinkle flour on a work surface. Using a metal scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour and form into balls. Place the oil in a bowl and roll each ball in the oil and place in separate bags. Place the bags in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or place some in the freezer for up to 3 months (transfer the frozen doughs in the refrigerator one day before you plan to bake them).
• On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired amount of dough balls from the refrigerator.
• Dust the work surface and your hands with flour. Gently press the dough into flat disks about ½ inch thick and 5 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rest for 2 hours.
• At least 45 minutes before baking, place a baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles on the lowest rack of the oven and preheat the oven to the highest heat setting.
• Place a large sheet of parchment on your peel or generously dust with semolina flour. Make the pizza one at a time. Dip your hands including the back and knuckles in flour and gently lift one piece of dough with the help of a pastry scraper. Very gently lay the dough across your fists and carefully stretch it by bouncing the dough in a circular motion, giving it a stretch with each bounce. If it begins to stick, lay it down on the floured surface and reflour your hands, then continue shaping. If you are brave enough, toss the dough up in the air.
• When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction, lay it on the paper-lined or semolina dusted peel. Lightly top it with your toppings and slide the pizza, including parchment, on the stone and close the door. The pizza should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Wait 3 minutes before slicing and serving to allow the cheese to set slightly.

These are from last year's BBA Challenge:

tomato sauce, capers, mozzarella, feta, and kesong puti (Filipino fresh white cheese)

dessert pizza topped with fresh blueberries and coarse raw sugar

Kaya

The first time I made kaya, the rich delicious Malaysian coconut egg jam, it was a semi FAIL but I loved it regardless. It is almost impossible for me to get the same color and texture by cooking it the traditional way unless I was willing to stir the whole day and night. So I altered the method to make it easier for me and for anyone who would like to try making the jam at home. I caramelized the sugar before adding the coconut milk and the tempered egg yolks. It still took about half an hour of stirring on low-medium heat to thicken the jam but it was worth it. I'm very happy the jam has a smooth texture, nice caramel color, and is of course very yummy specially on whole wheat toast.

Oggi's Coconut Egg Jam

2 fresh pandan leaves

¼ cup water

¾ cup sugar

1 can coconut milk

6 egg yolks

• Cut the pandan leaves into 1-inch pieces and blend with the water on high in a blender. Strain using a coffee filter. Set aside.
• In a large non-stick wok or saucepan caramelize the sugar over medium heat until golden to darkish brown. Carefully add the coconut milk and pandan water [it will bubble] and stir with a wooden spoon until the caramelized sugar has melted completely. Lower the heat to medium-low.
• In a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks until very thick. With the machine running, slowly pour 1 cup of the hot coconut milk mixture and beat on medium-high for 2 minutes.

• Stir in the tempered egg yolks to the coconut mixture. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until jam has thickened, about 30 minutes. Test the desired thickness by taking a half teaspoon and leaving in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• Spoon jam into small jars, let cool, and store in the refrigerator.

Let's Make Macarons

rosewater puffs filled with lychee buttercream, coffee puffs filled with chestnuts buttercream, and matcha puffs filled with sweet azuki beans

As promised (comments section) here is the macaron tutorial of sorts from the book i ♥ macarons by Hisako Ogita. Making macarons is a seriously involved process but if you are willing to take the time, it's very rewarding to eat tiny puffy buttons.

Basic Vanilla Macaron Batter
adapted from i ♥ macarons
2/3 cup almond flour
1½ cups powdered sugar
3 large egg whites, room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit your baking sheet. Draw 1-inch circles ½ inch apart [use a water bottle cap as a guide]. Cut 2 more sheets of parchment paper but leave unmarked.
  
• In a food processor, grind almond flour and powdered sugar together to a fine powder. Sift the mixture throuh a medium-mesh sieve twice. Set aside.

• In a standing mixer bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until frothy. Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Add vanilla and stir lightly. Beat meringue until stiff, firm, and glossy.
• Add half of the sifted flour. Stir with a spatula while scooping it up from the bottom of the bowl. Add the rest of the flour and mix it lightly in a circular motion.
  
• Macaronnage: Press and spread out the batter against the bowl's sides. Scoop the batter and turn it upside down (folding method). Repeat 15 times.
  
• Macaronner: When the batter becomes nicely firm and drips slowly as you scoop it with a spatula, the mixture is done.

• Fill a disposable pastry bag with the batter and snip a .4-inch opening. Clip the top of the bag to prevent the batter from coming out.
  
• Place the parchment with circles on the baking sheet. Place an unmarked parchment on top of the parchment. Pipe the batter using the circles as your guide. When full, carefully remove the parchment underneath. Rap the baking sheet firmly against the counter. This helps the macarons hold their rounded shape and helps the pied (little feet) to form. Repeat with the next baking sheet, parchment, and piping. You can fold and reuse the marked sheet which will save you time drawing circles. Leave the batter to dry on the kitchen counter for 15 to 30 minutes.
  
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Touch the batter lightly and if they do not stick to your fingers, they are ready. Bake 1 baking sheet at a time for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, remove from the baking sheets. Fill with vanilla buttercream.

Vanilla Buttercream
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
vanilla extract

• In a small bowl, stir the butter with a spatula until creamy like mayonnaise.
  
• In a small pan, boil the water and sugar to soft ball stage.
  
• In the bowl of a standing mixer beat the egg lightly. Increase the speed to high and slowly pour the hot syrup. Reduce the speed to medium then to low and continue beating until the bowl has cooled down to the touch. Beat in the creamed butter in three additions. Add a drop or two of vanilla extract. Continue to beat until the mixture is thick and heavy. Pipe onto the macaron halves using a disposable pastry bag.

coffee puffs filled with chestnuts buttercream



matcha puffs filled with sweet azuki beans