Pita Bread

Pita bread is one of the most popular Mediterranean bread and it is very easy to make. It is leavened bread that requires a very hot oven to help the bread puff up.

I had always wanted to make pita bread as my family loves it. My initial plan was to use my sourdough starter to leaven the bread but changed my mind as I forgot to feed it. I plan on making a version with my starter soon. Homemade fresh pita bread tasted so good with all the other accompaniments. I have so many recipes for which I use pita bread. I usually used store bought bread but now I don't have to.

You will need for 8 pita
3 cups strong white flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. instant yeast
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups water

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, yeast, salt and oil. Add the water and form a dough. If needed add up to a fourth of a cup of water. Knead well until the dough is elastic and soft. Cover and keep aside for an hour and a half or until it doubles in size. Transfer to a floured work surface and divide into eight equal portions. Smooth out each portion into round ball. Cover and let them rest for another 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Place an inverted baking sheet in the oven while it heats. If you have a baking stone you can use that instead. Flour the working surface lightly and roll out one portion to a disc using a rolling pin.

Place the rolled out pita on the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 3 minutes. It should puff up. If you like them brown turn over and bake another couple of minutes. Take the pita bread out of the oven and cool on a rack for a minute. Place in an airtight container to keep it soft.

Repeat for all the other portions of dough.

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

This is a recipe from Greece. It is a delicious, flaky spanakopita - a spinach pie in a phyllo pastry shell.

I have eaten spanakopita in Greek restaurants and always wanted to try it.

The prep time is long but the end results were awesome! This would be a great recipe to make with family. There are a lot of simple but distinct steps and multiple people would cut down on the prep time.

The recipe after I halved it is given below. I adjusted the proportion of onion to cater to the taste of my family.

You will need
1 box of baby spinach
1 box frozen whole wheat phylo dough sheets
1 red onion
2 shallots
7-8 scallion, white and some green
1 leak,, white and some green
a bunch dill
6 oz. feta cheese crumbles
1 egg
1 pod garlic
1 tsp. grated nutmeg
salt and black pepper to taste

To start defrost the frozen phyllo dough. Chop the baby spinach and put it in a large mixing bowl.

Chop red onion, shallots, scallion, leeks, garlic and the dill. Add it to the spinach.

Add the feta cheese crumble. Grate nutmeg and fresh ground black pepper over the mixture.

Now is the time to get your hands dirty. Mix and knead the mixture until the volume reduces to a fourth of the original. It is amazing how the mixture comes together.

Pick up a handful of the spinach mixture and squeeze out the juice.

Place the spinach in another bowl. Continue until all the spinach is in another bowl and the liquid remains. Add couscous to the liquid and let it sit for at least 5 minutes.

The couscous will expand and absorb the liquid.

Now put the spinach back into the bowl with the liquid. Season with salt, note that feta is salty. Add black pepper if needed. Add an egg and mix well.

The filling is ready.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare a mixture of butter and oil. Grease the casserole dish. Cut the phyllo dough sheets to fit the dish and keep under a damp towel. Using butter and oil mixture coat a sheet of dough and place it in the dish. Using another 9 sheets cover the bottom and sides of the dish completely. Coat every alternate sheet with the butter and oil mixture. Let the sheets overhang from the sides. Spoon in the filling into the dish.

Spread the filling evenly in the dish.

Fold the dough hanging over the sides and smooth it out. Place another 6-9 sheets to cover the top coating every alternate sheet with the butter and oil mixture.

Cut the pie into squares. Ensure the knife goes through all the layers to the bottom of the dish.

Place in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour. The top of the pie should be a golden brown.

Serve hot.

The pie tastes just as good the next day. Leftovers can be warmed in the microwave.