Kofte Kabobs with Pita Bread

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Andrew Kowalski – Culinary Arts Student
The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles

Pita Bread

Servings: 24 small/12 large pitas

Ingredients

2 cups warm water (90° – 110°F)

2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

5 - 5 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Preparation

1. Pour water into a large bowl and sprinkle in yeast. Stir to dissolve.
2. With a wooden spoon, stir sugar and salt into yeast mixture; mix thoroughly. Gradually add 5 cups of flour, stirring constantly until the dough is smooth. Slowly work in the remaining flour (up to 1/2 cup) with your hands, kneading until the dough is no longer sticky. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board. Knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
3. Shape dough into an even rectangle and cut in half lengthwise. Divide the dough into 24 portions for small pitas (12 for large ones). Shape each portion into a small ball. Place the balls on a floured surface and cover them with a slightly damp towel while you roll one ball at a time.
4. Gently press each ball flat with your fingers, keep them well rounded. Flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Roll each round from the center to the outer edge, giving the dough a 1/4 turn after each roll, to form a perfect circle not quite 1/4 inch thick (about 5 to 5 1/2 inches in diameter for small pitas; about 3 1/2 inches for larger ones). Carefully flip the circles over to smooth out any creases that might prevent the pocket from forming.
5. 15 minutes before the loaves have finished rising, preheat the oven to 500°F. At the same time, place an ungreased baking sheet in the oven to warm.
6. As each loaf is rolled, place it carefully on a floured surface and cover with a clean, dry towel; do not let the surface of the loaves dry out. Let the loaves rise in a warm draft free area, 30 to 45 minutes.
7. To bake, place 4 small pitas or 1 large pita on hot baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven until puffed and lightly browned on the bottom and almost white on top, about 4 minutes for small pitas and about 3 1/2 minutes for large; the pita will be soft and flexible. If desired flip the loaves over after they have puffed and bake up to 1 minute longer to brown the tops; be careful not to let the pita get crisp and brittle.
8. Remove the hot pitas from the oven and wrap immediately in clean, dry towels until cool enough to handle. Serve warm or at room temperature.
9. Repeat this process until all pitas are baked.

Variation

Poppy-seed or sesame pita: After rolling out each circle of dough in step 4, brush the tops lightly with water and sprinkle with the poppy seeds or toasted sesame seeds. Let the loaves rise and bake as above.

Cook's Note

Contrary to the standard method of allowing bread dough to rise before shaping, these loaves are first shaped and rolled, then allowed to rise before baking. This simplified version, which cuts preparation time by about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, lets the yeast do its best work in the oven, thus assuring a better pocket. This results in a superior pita with a delightfully chewy, yet tender texture and a puff in every loaf.

Kofte Kabobs – Beef Kabobs

Servings: 4

Ingredients

3/4 lbs ground beef, lean

2 tbsp butter

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Turkish baharat*

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp soda water

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp pomegranate molasses

4 pitas, warm

Preparation

1. Combine beef, butter, parsley, garlic, baharat, cayenne, salt, black pepper, flour and soda water and knead until smooth and well blended. Divide into 4 parts.
2. Grill kabobs over glowing coals, turning on all sides until firm and crusty, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove the kabobs from the grill and place them in a skillet or baking pan directly over the coals. Cover with a lid or foil and allow the kabobs to finish cooking, basting often, about 20 minutes.
4. To serve, transfer the kabobs carefully to individual plates, spoon pomegranate molasses over them, and serve at once with onion salad and warm pita.

Cook's Note

Turkish baharat can be substituted with 1/4 tsp ground all spice, 1/4 tsp hot Hungarian paprika. If substituted, no cayenne pepper is necessary.