basic bread

I've been having cravings for bread lately, it just smells so good when you bake your own. My boss used to be a professional chef in a past life before becoming a lawyer and activist (he still makes hella good pies for intern farewell partie though). So this recipe is borrowed but so simple and fun.
This guy is one of the chillest people I know. Like Charles says bread takes patience, it takes its own pace and can't be rushed.


Easy Bread Recipe (by Charles Margulis)

The evening before you will bake the bread, mix together:
1 1/2 c filtered water (room temperature)
Pinch of yeast (1/4 t for those who like exact measurements)

Let stand 2 minutes and add:
1 1/3 c Organic Whole Wheat Flour

Mix vigorously for two minutes. It should look like a thick pancake batter. Let sit overnight (at least 7 hours; longer is okay) at room temperature.

In the morning add:
1 c Filtered Water
1/4 c Oil (a nice olive oil, safflower is also fine)
1 T Molasses
2 c Organic Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 t Salt

1. Mix ingredients together until a dough forms, then turn onto a lightly floured board and start kneading.
2. Knead in another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour, as needed, to make a soft but not too sticky dough (roll a piece of dough into a ball; it should hold its shape with little. If it droops a lot, it's probably too sticky).
3. After 10 to 15 minutes of kneading, form the dough into a ball and let it rest for 3 to 4 hours. It should be doubled in volume after 3 hours.
4. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees (or as high as it goes). When the oven is almost ready, divide the dough into 8 pieces, forming each into a smooth ball.
5. With a rolling pin, roll out each ball between 1/4 to 1/2" thick (to form round discs about 6 to 7" across). If you want sesame seeds on top, sprinkle lightly toasted seeds on the dough half-way through rolling and roll them in.
6. Place 2 pitas on a lightly floured baking sheet. (To insure bottoms don't burn, double two baking sheets together; these are also great baked on a baking stone, which should be preheated with the oven.)
7. Let the rolled pita stand 10 to 15 minutes before baking. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, once pockets form they should bake no more than another minute.

This is a great summer bread since they don't bake for too long and they are good with cold sandwiches. You can see the original article at http://www.satyamag.com/jul01/margulis.html

I've also tried making fun shapes out of these breads and sprinkling cheeses over them. They're pretty good for calzones too (although I've never tried it with the following recipe before). Enjoy!

Cheers--SKLT