JAKE CAN BAKE

My grandson Jacob makes magic in the kitchen! He fills his house with the sensational aroma of fresh baked bread and the bellies of his whole family with the most delicious whole grain oil free pita! This 11 year old whiz kid uses the precision of his Brown Belt Karate training and the strength of his Parkour performance practice to mix, roll, pat and bake the best batch of pita this side of the Mississippi! Can’t wait for a personal demo (baking, not Karate) in my own home kitchen. 

Jacob’s Whole Wheat Pita

(makes 24 8-inch breads)

Ingredients:

4 packages active dry yeast (1/4 oz. each)

5 cups warm water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

11-12 cups whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons salt

 Equipment:

(at least )1 large baking tray

rolling pin

(at least) 6 dish cloths

 In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in 2 cups of the warm water.  Let rest about 10 minutes until it begins to froth.  

 Add the remaining warm water and 6 cups of flour, stirring vigorously after each cup.  Let this “sponge” rest 10-15 minutes, until it begins to froth.  

 Stir in the salt and the remaining flour, stirring after each cup (you may need less than 12 cups), until you have a dough that holds together in a ball.  

 Knead well by hand, on a floured board, for about 10 minutes, until it is smooth, shiny, and elastic and no longer sticks to your fingers.  Dust with flour if it is too sticky.  

 Roll the dough into a ball and dust with flour (so it doesn’t stick to the bowl/board), cover with plastic wrap or a cloth, and let rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours, until doubled in bulk.  

 Punch down the dough and knead briefly.  Divide in half, then in half again, continuing until you have approximately 24 equal-sized lumps of dough.  Cover the dough with a cloth.  

 Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, with one or two large baking sheets inside.  

 Roll each lump of dough into a ball.  Using a rolling pin, flatten on a lightly floured surface into rounds 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick.  

 Arrange rounds on a lightly floured cloth, cover, and let rest for about 20 minutes (it will probably take you that long to roll out the rest of the dough balls).  

 Place 2-3 rounds at a time on the hot baking sheets and bake for about 5 minutes, until they puff up like balloons and are slightly brown on top.  Repeat until all the rounds have been baked.  

 To keep the breads soft, wrap together in a cloth while they are still hot.  Store in a sealed bag.  Extra bread freezes well, and thaws quickly in the toaster or microwave.  

 Variation: Add chopped fresh herbs (Jacob’s bread had thyme added) or chopped pitted olives, before kneading.  If adding olives, prick all over with a fork before baking so as not to have a pouch. 

 Adapted from: The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden.