- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 tsp sugar until fragrant
- 11 oz (2 1/4 cup sifted, maybe 1 1/2 cup unsifted) bread flour
- (I use Bob's Red Mill unbleached white flour, which I recommend)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 tsp kosher salt or 1/2 tsp table salt
The dough–proof 2 tsp active dry yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and 1 tsp sugar until fragrant. Add 11 oz (2 1/4 cup sifted, maybe 1 1/2 cup unsifted) bread flour (I use Bob's Red Mill unbleached white flour, which I recommend). Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/4 cup warm water with 1 tsp kosher salt or 1/2 tsp table salt dissolved. Stir until combined then turn out and knead about 5 minutes by hand until window pane forms. (Window pane–pinch a small ball of dough, flatten, then stretch gently without breaking to translucence when held up to a light.) Dough should be very smooth but not wet and sticky, add more flour if it is. If the air is dry, you may need a teaspoon more water–just wet your hands and continue kneading. Place in plastic covered bowl (to prevent drying) in oven with light on and let rise until doubled, about one hour. Remove from bowl and divide into 2, 4, 6, or 8 pieces.
4 Pretzels or 8 breadsticks–roll with your hands into a thin strand 12" to 16" long. Make a pretzel shape by forming a U, then bring one arm down and cross a little to the other side of the bottom of the U. Then bring the other arm down across the first and across a little to the other side of the bottom. (For breadsticks, just cut each into two 6" straight lengths.) Boil for 30 seconds or so in a 1:15 baking soda solution (1/3 c baking soda to 5 cup water). Place on baking tray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake 10-12 minutes at 425 F but watch the last couple of minutes.
2 Bagels–I've made some quite decent cinnamon raisin bagels with this recipe. Add them before kneading the dough, maybe with a little brown sugar or molasses or ginger. After rising, divide the dough into two balls, flatten them with your hand, poke a finger through their centers and twirl them around to form a smooth hole. Then boil and bake as above, possibly with a little extra cooking time, but not too brown.
6 Pitas–roll with a pin into thin 6" circles. Bake 10-12 minutes at 425 F but watch the last couple of minutes. Baking creates the steam to form a pocket which frying does not. Cool but store in a plastic bag to prevent drying out.
6 Flatbreads–roll with a pin into thin 6" circles. Fry or saute them in a pan on medium high with about 1 Tbsp of fat. Olive oil is nice, but I prefer shortening (the zero trans fat kind). 2-3 minutes on the first side will leave them light to dark brown–feel free to peek–then flip and sprinkle with kosher salt. There's less oil in the pan and a bubbly surface, so the other side will tend to char slightly, but that will add to the taste. 1-2 minutes should cook it through. Eat warm or cool and let dry before packaging, since the bread contains a lot of moisture. This is my favorite.
2 Pizzas–have ready and cooked or warm all sauce, toppings and cheese, then roll the two pieces into thin 12" circles. Cook as for flatbread, browning the first side well to seal and prevent sogginess, but after flipping, quickly put on all toppings, careful not to spill any into the pan. After bottom is done, place under broiler until cheese melts. Slide onto cutting board and slice with your longest knife.