Lebanese bread

The Lebanese cook book  By Dawn, Elaine and Selwa Antony

Published by NewHolland 

Recipe amounts enough to make 8 nos

Ingredients

15g dried yeast or 30 gram fresh yeast

2.5 cups of luke warm water

Sugar – 1tsp

Plain flour – 8 cups

Salt – 2tsp

Oil – 3 tsp

Method

Dissolve yeast in the water and add some sugar and leave in a warm place for it to rise and form for around 15 minutes

Sift flour and salt in a mixing bowl and warm it slightly in a warm oven for a few minutes.  Once that is taken out make a well with your hand at the centre of the flour add the yeast mixed water gradually and knead well to a soft dough. Knead it enough to make it smooth and shiny.

Knead in 2 Table spoons of oil , roll into a large ball and rub the remainder of the oil around it . Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place. It will become almost double in size.  Leave there for around 1-2 hours. Turn the oven on to a maximum  heat at least 45 minutes before cooking the bread.

Punch down the dough in the centre and draw edges to the middle to  reform the ball. Turn onto a floured board or cloth and knead for about 2 minutes

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Flatten each ball on a lightly floured cloth and roll with a rolling pin into flat round shapes about the size of a dinner plate and about 6mm thick. Place rounds on a floured cloth, cover with another floured cloth and set aside again to rise to nearly double in size about 20-30 minutes.  Place a baking tray in oven for 5 minutes, remove and lightly rub with oil. . Place 1 round  of bread on the baking tray and bake until it swells up in the centre and browns slightly, about 4-8 minutes . Remove from oven  and wrap in a cloth. Continue until all rounds are cooked.

The bread should be white soft and chewy. When cut in half it will form a pocket  into which sandwich filling of every description may be placed.

— Lebanese bread , Lebanese recipe , Lebanese food , Bake Recipes —