Syrian Mountain Bread Recipes

SYRIAN BREAD

Steps:

• Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough cycle; press Start.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
• Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and form into rounds. Cover the rounds with a damp cloth and let rest.
• Roll dough into thin flat circles, about 8 inches in diameter. Cook two at a time on preheated baking sheets or a baking stone until puffed up and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Repeat for remaining loaves.

LEBANESE MOUNTAIN BREAD

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup flour, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour in warm water. Whisk together thoroughly, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover bowl and let sit until mixture gets bubbly, 30 to 60 minutes. Drizzle in olive oil; add salt and 1 cup flour. Mix together until mixture forms a sticky (not wet) dough ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If mixture seems too wet, add a bit more flour.
• Lightly flour a work surface. Knead dough until it is soft, supple, and slightly elastic, about 2 minutes. Pour a few drops of olive oil in a bowl. Transfer dough ball to bowl and turn to coat surface with oil.
• Cover bowl and place in a warm spot. Let dough rise until it has doubled in size, 60 to 90 minutes. Transfer dough to work surface and knead to remove air bubbles, about 1 minute. Transfer to zip top plastic bag; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Lightly flour a work surface; dough may be sticky so make sure you use enough flour to keep dough from sticking to the surface or your hands (but less flour is best). Break off a piece of dough slightly smaller than a golf ball. Roll into a smooth ball. Flatten and roll out into a circle about 1/8-inch thick.
• Invert a smooth mixing bowl on work surface; lightly flour the bottom. Lightly stretch the dough and place dough circle on the floured surface of the inverted bowl. Gently stretch dough evenly down the sides of the bowl, working your way around the edges, until it is very thin and translucent, or as thin as you can get it without tearing it.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Flour your hands and carefully remove dough circle from bottom of bowl. Transfer to hot skillet. Cook until blisters form and begin to brown, about 45 to 60 seconds per side. Transfer to a dish and cover, using dish inverted over it to allow bread to steam and stay moist and supple.

SYRIAN MOUNTAIN BREAD

Steps:

• Make the dough and leave it to rise for 2 hours in a warm place.
• Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the chillies, onions, leeks and lemon juice. Cook gently for 12-15 minutes, until everything is tender. Add the spices and salt and stir well. Leave to cool and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to its highest temperature. Knock the air out of the dough, then tip it out onto a floured work surface. Cut the dough into 12 portions, then lightly flour each one and roll it out as thinly as you can. You are aiming for rough circles, around 18 cm (7 in) in diameter. Cook each round on a baking stone for 1-2 minutes until its starts to blister and color slightly. Actual baking time for the whole batch will depend on how many breads will fit comfortable on your stone at a time as stones come in a wide range of sizes.
• Wrap the breads in a tea towel to keep warm while you bake the rest.
• When all the breads are ready, smear each with a dollop of the chilli mixture. Roll them up and pack them into a baking tray. Warm them through briefly before serving with the goat's cheese, if using.

LEBANESE ZAATAR (ZA'ATAR) BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix water, yeast, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, olive oil, and corn oil; mix using your hands, adding more whole wheat flour if needed, until dough holds together. Mix za'atar into dough until evenly incorporated (see notes).
• Shape dough, about 1/4 cup per piece, into rounds on a floured work surface. Arrange rounds on baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

HIKER'S MOUNTAIN BREAD

Steps:

• Combine dry ingredients.
• Combine wet ingredients.
• Mix together.
• Bake in preheated 300° F oven for 1 hour.

LEBANESE MOUNTAIN BREAD

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup flour, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour in warm water. Whisk together thoroughly, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover bowl and let sit until mixture gets bubbly, 30 to 60 minutes. Drizzle in olive oil; add salt and 1 cup flour. Mix together until mixture forms a sticky (not wet) dough ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If mixture seems too wet, add a bit more flour.
• Lightly flour a work surface. Knead dough until it is soft, supple, and slightly elastic, about 2 minutes. Pour a few drops of olive oil in a bowl. Transfer dough ball to bowl and turn to coat surface with oil.
• Cover bowl and place in a warm spot. Let dough rise until it has doubled in size, 60 to 90 minutes. Transfer dough to work surface and knead to remove air bubbles, about 1 minute. Transfer to zip top plastic bag; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Lightly flour a work surface; dough may be sticky so make sure you use enough flour to keep dough from sticking to the surface or your hands (but less flour is best). Break off a piece of dough slightly smaller than a golf ball. Roll into a smooth ball. Flatten and roll out into a circle about 1/8-inch thick.
• Invert a smooth mixing bowl on work surface; lightly flour the bottom. Lightly stretch the dough and place dough circle on the floured surface of the inverted bowl. Gently stretch dough evenly down the sides of the bowl, working your way around the edges, until it is very thin and translucent, or as thin as you can get it without tearing it.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Flour your hands and carefully remove dough circle from bottom of bowl. Transfer to hot skillet. Cook until blisters form and begin to brown, about 45 to 60 seconds per side. Transfer to a dish and cover, using dish inverted over it to allow bread to steam and stay moist and supple.

QUICK AND EASY SYRIAN-LEBANESE-POCKET-PITA BREAD!

Steps:

• Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large sturdy bowl (hard plastic or stainless steel). Form a little well in the center.
• Heat the water in a microwave safe dish for one minute.
• Pour the water into the flour well and mix the ingredients with a spatula as far you can. Place a dish of cool water in a bowl next to you as you begin to knead by hand.
• Knead the dough in the bowl by hand for at least 5-10 minutes, dipping your fingertips into the bowl of water as you knead. This will help create a smooth, elastic finish. You know your dough is ready when the surface is smooth and doesn't have pock-marks. The dough will feel slightly sticky as you knead it, but should not stick to your hands.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut with a knife (or separate by hand) into equal sized pieces - 8 for larger rounds or 20 for small pitettes. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and lay on clean dish cloth or floured cutting board or surface, keeping them covered with another cloth.
• Once all of the balls are rolled and resting, cover them with a clean cloth and lightly pat the cloth with water on your finger tips to keep them moist, or spray lightly with a water mister. Let the balls rest for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes rest, preheat oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone or pizza pan on bottom rack inserted.
• As the oven preheats, roll each ball on a lightly floured surface into a flat round, no thicker than 1/4". The thinner the round, the better your pocket. Turn them over to roll them, trying to keep the round as best you can. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, dip your finger tips in a little flour and coat the surface of the round as you roll. Make sure the edges are rolled out equally and not thicker than the center. Lay each round on the cloth or floured surface to rest again as the oven preheats. Keep them in the order your rolled them.
• Once the oven is ready, bake each round (or several at a time depending on size) on your baking stone, being careful to place them BOTTOM SIDE UP for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. The rounds should start to bubble on top and will "poof" up with the pocket. Once the pocket is formed, remove them from the oven and place onto clean surface to cool. The bottoms will be just starting to brown as you remove them from the oven.
• Once completely cooled, they can be stored in a freezer bag and frozen until ready to use - they will thaw quickly on the counter.

SYRIAN MANOUSHI BREAD

Steps:

• Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the yeast and salt.
• Dissolve the sugar in the warm water and dribble it into the dry ingredients until they absorb enough to make a sticky dough, how much water is required will entirely depend upon your flour.
• Mix in the olive oil and use your hands - or the dough hook on your electric mixer - to knead the dough until it is smooth and silky. It will take about 10 minutes.
• Lightly oil the ball of dough and put it into a bowl.
• Cover and leave in a warm place to rise for 2 hours, by which time it should have at least doubled in size.
• Knock the air out of the dough, then tip it out onto a floured work surface. Cut the dough into12 portions, then lightly flour each one and put them on a tray, covered, for another 10 minutes.
• When ready to cook, roll each portion out to a 15 cm (6 in) circle and cover with the topping of your choice.
• Bake in a hot oven (450 -500f) until done to your liking.

SYRIAN BREAD

Steps:

• Mix 2 cup flour and the yeast in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix remaining ingredients and heat until warm (115 degrees) stirring constantly.
• Add to flour/yeast mixture.
• Beat at low 1/2 minute (scrape sides of bowl).
• Beat on high 3 minutes.
• By hand, stir in enough remaining flour to make moderate stiff dough.
• Knead on floured surface until smooth.
• Place in greased bowl; turn once.
• Cover and let rise until double (40-45 minutes) Punch down; cover and let rest 10 minutes.
• Form into balls 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Place on ungreased baking sheets; roll each to 4 inch circle.
• Bake at 400 degrees till puffed, 7 to 9 minutes.
• Cool on cloth covered surface.