Lebanese bread is a versatile flatbread that develops an air pocket in the center when baked. It can be filled with sandwich ingredients or topped with meat, vegetables, or cheese. The recipe typically includes yeast, warm water, and flour, and the dough is rolled into discs and baked until golden brown. It can be used for a variety of recipes, including sandwiches, pizzas, and snacks. Lebanese bread is portable and can be filled with different ingredients for a quick meal on the go.
Lebanese bread is a special flatbread that is baked so that it develops an air pocket in the center. When it first comes out of the oven, Lebanese bread is round and fluffy, but deflates quickly into flat circles. Some like to cut this bread in half and fill the resulting pockets with sandwich ingredients. Others prefer to top the Lebanese flatbread with meat, vegetables or cheese. It can be difficult to make, but many cooks find it endlessly versatile.
Most Lebanese bread recipes start with about 1/16 part yeast and 1 part warm water. The yeast should remain in the water for about five minutes, until it starts to foam. This indicates that the yeast is active and will leaven the bread. It is crucial that the yeast in Lebanese bread is active. Without yeast, the bread will not form a gas pocket in the center and will simply be a thick round of flatbread.
The water and yeast are usually combined with about 3 parts flour, white or wheat. This mostly depends on the cook, and some prefer one type of flour over the other, while others prefer to combine them. The type of flour the cook chooses for this recipe usually affects only the flavor of the bread, not its baking or rising.
Typically, the baker has to let the Lebanese bread dough rise for about an hour and then hit it. At this point, he should gently pinch the large ball of dough into six to 10 palm-sized balls of dough. These balls should be rolled into 0.25 inch (about 0.5 cm) thick discs. The discs should have risen for about 30 minutes, then baked until golden brown. Rolling and lifting is usually what creates the pocket of air inside each disc.
When Lebanese bread comes out of the oven, the cook can use it for a variety of recipes. Some cooks may use it to replace the regular sandwich, while others may use it as a base for miniature pizzas. Traditional fillings include lamb curries, roasted vegetables and falafel mixes. Other ideas include lining them with hummus and stuffing them with cheese and olives for a savory and satisfying snack.
Many bakers love Lebanese bread because it’s portable. Those with busy mornings could fill half a loaf of Lebanese bread with scrambled eggs and gravy for a breakfast on the go. The other half of the bread could become a portable salad. When fried, this bread often adds crunch and delicacy to soups and curries.
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