Vegetarian Pita Bread 口袋面包

Also known as 口袋面包 as indicated from the recipe book I am currently using by 周淑玲 titled 周老师的美食教室 "天然手作面包101道路". 

The beauty of this bread is the ease of making with minimal ingredients and lesser baking time. All it takes is 5mins of baking time once it have completed the 2 cycles of proofing. 

Initially I was rather skeptical wondering how would 5 mins be sufficient to bake the proof dough and once its in the oven you will be amazed by how it puffs up almost instantly hence producing a hollow core. The hollow core is like an empty pocket which allows you to fill it with anothing to go along with it. Yes, it is very versatile as the skin is thin and the hollow core is huge to accomodate lots of fillings to keep one seriously full to the brim. 

Personally I prefer to fill it with the home made Vegetarian Lentils which I coincidentally made few days ago. My husband also likes to use it as a burger wrap packed with lettuce, egg, chicken or ham. 

VEGETARIAN PITA BREAD

Ingredients 

240g Lukewarm water (less than 35C degrees)
4g Istant Yeast
300g Bread Flour
100g Low Protein Flour15g Castor sugar
4g Salt
15g Rice Bran Oil or any oil of preference

Directions :

• In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine all  ingredients (except salt and oil) together and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes for mixture to rise and  make a loose sponge. 

• Add oil and salt into sponge and continue mixing at low speed, using a dough hook attachment, until dough is soft, supple, and slightly sticky. If  dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add up to  1/4 cup more flour, a little at a time.

• Knead dough with mixer on low speed until slightly springy and still soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and form into a ball.

• Transfer the dough / ball to another bowl coated  with 1/4 tsp of cooking oil (any oil will do) and cover the bowl with clingwrap and let sit for 30mins.

• Remove dough from bowl and place onto a floured work surface. Lightly pat into a flat shape about 1 inch thick. Use a knife to cut dough into  8 pieces. 

• Form each piece into a small round ball with a smooth top, pulling dough from the sides and tucking the ends underneath the bottom. Cover dough balls with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes. 

• Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a work surface and top of a dough ball, gently pat dough ball flat with your fingers or using a rolling pin to form a flat round disc about 1/4 inch thick or 16cm circles. 

• Arrange the flat disc on baking paper / mats and allow to proof for another 30 mins. Repeat with remaining dough balls. 

• Preheat the oven to 250C degrees together with an empty baking pan / tray into the oven and heat it until it is burning hot. Remove the preheated baking tray / pan from oven and place a sheet of the baking mat with the proofed doughs over the tray. Immediately transfer the baking tray back into the hot oven (middle lower rack) and bake for 5 mins. Pita bread will begin to puff up and fill with hot air. 

• Stack cooked breads on a plate; when cool enough to handle, break breads in half and open the pocket inside for stuffing.