Best Pocket Bread Recipes

PITA POCKET BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Place the above ingredients into the bread machine according to owner's manual specifications (mine does wet ingredients first).
• Program for DOUGH or MANUAL.
• After the program is completed, divide dough into 10 equal pieces; shape each into a smooth ball; place five on each baking sheet.
• Let rise for 20 minutes while oven preheats to 500; flatten puffy balls gently into a 6-inch disk.
• Bake for five minutes (tops will be puffed and beginning to brown).
• Cut each circle in half to form two pockets.
• Fill with your favorite sandwich fixin's: ham, turkey, chicken salad, lettuce, sprouts, cheese and grapes.
• TRADITIONAL BREAD-MAKING: In a mixing bowl, mix water, sugar and yeast; allow to foam for 3-5 minutes; add oil and salt, mixing well; mix white & wholewheat flours together in a separate bowl, then add to liquids, mixing until well-blended. Place dough-ball in a well-greased bowl, allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume. Continue from Step #3 above.

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.

POCKET BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the 3 cups flour and the salt. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 10 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Divide the dough into sixteen equal pieces and form into rounds. Roll rounds into square loaves 1/4 inch thick. Place the on ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 4 to 5 minutes, until loaves puff in the middle. Let cool on a wire rack.

PITA POCKET BREAD

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, COMBINE all dry ingredients. ADD water. MIX thoroughly. ADD more flour 1/2 c. at a time and KNEAD until firm
• 2. TURN out onto floured surface, KNEAD for about 10 minutes, adding small amounts of flour to prevent sticking. PLACE in bowl, and LET RISE until double.
• 3. REMOVE from bowl onto floured surface. PUNCH down, KNEAD briefly.
• 4. PULL off pieces of dough, and roll into balls. Size could be as small as a golf ball for "mini pitas", or as large as a softball if to be used for pizza.
• 5. ROLL each ball out with a rolling pin until about 1/8th inch thick
• 6. Bread will not form pockets if thicker than this.
• 7. PLACE onto cooling rack, and place into preheated 500° oven for 2-3 minutes, just until bread forms pockets. REMOVE.
• 8. NOTE: Steam escaping pockets can be scalding!
• 9. ****For Pita Chips: SLICE whole wheat pita into triangles,

MIGNON'S PITA BREAD / POCKET BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl throughly mix 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
• Gradually add the water and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.
• Add 1 cup flour and beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
• Stir in enough flour to make soft dough.
• Knead the dough on high for 8 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl, turn and raise for an hour.
• Punch the dough down and put on a flour covered board and rest for 30 minutes.
• Divide into 8 pieces. Roll each one into a 6 inch circle.
• Bake for 5 minutes in a 450-500°F oven on lowest shelf.
• Broil for 1-2 minutes on the top shelf until desired brown on top.
• Cut them while they are still hot - either into a pocket or in half.

HOMEMADE BREAD POCKET WITH PIZZA FILLING (OAMC)

Steps:

• Bread dough:.
• Heat the milk until luke warm, stir in yeast until absorbed.
• Add sugar, salt and oil.
• Add whole wheat and all purpose flour (reserve 3/4 cup of all purpose flour).
• Knead until smooth and not sticky.
• Let rise for 30 min in a bowl under a dishtowel.
• Filling:.
• Brown the meat and pour off juices.
• Add bell pepper and onion.
• Season with salt, pepper, oregano and any spice of your liking, put aside.
• After the dough has risen punch it back down and knead for a couple of minutes.
• Divide the dough in 20 small balls. I usually divide the dough in half, then in quarters and then each quarter into 5 balls, to get even sizes.
• Each ball is rolled out thinly with a rolling pin to approx a dessert plate size. Use the reserved flour to help non sticking.
• Brush the rim with egg.
• Smear the middle with 1 tbsp of tomato, add 1-2 tbsp meat filling to the middle and top with cheese.
• Fold over and pinch the rim with a fork - you should now have a half moon shaped bread with filling. The filling should not be visible or falling out.
• Let rise for 10 minutes.
• Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes until golden.