Recipe - Khoubiz (Lebanese Flat Bread)

6 cup Plain flour
1 pack Active dry yeast
2 cup Warm water
1 One half teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 tablespoon Oil

Makes 8 loaves Oven temperature: 260 C (500 F) Cooking time: 45 minutes

Sift flour into a large mixing bowl and warm in a low oven.

Dissolve yeast in One fourth cup warm water, add remaining water and stir in salt
and sugar.

Remove about 2 cups flour from bowl and set aside. Pour yeast liquid into
centre and stir in some flour to make a thick liquid. Cover with cloth and
leave in a warm place until frothy.

Stir in rest of flour, adding oil gradually, then beat until smooth, either
by hand for 10 minutes, or on electric mixer using dough hook for 5
minutes.

Sprinkle some of the reserved flour onto a board, turn out dough and knead
for 10 minutes, using more flour as required. Dough is ready when it is
smooth and satiny with a slightly wrinkled texture. Shape dough into a
ball.

Oil bowl, put in dough smooth side down then turn over so that top is
coated with oil. Stretch plastic wrap over bowl and leave in a warm place
to rise until almost doubled in bulk about 1 to 1One half hours. Preheat
oven.

Punch down dough and turn out onto lightly floured board. Knead for a
minute or so, then divide into 8 equal pieces, rolling each into a ball.

Roll each piece into a 25 cm (10 inch) round and place on a lightly floured
cloth. Cover with another cloth and leave for 20 minutes.

Heat a large baking sheet or flat griddle on the lowest shelf in an
electric oven; in a gas oven select the section of the oven with the most
heat, probably near the top.

Place a round of dough on a lightly floured baking sheet with one flat edge
or on a piece of plywood, spreading it evenly. Shake to ensure that it will
slide off easily.

Rub heated baking sheet or griddle with wad of paper towel dipped in oil
then slide dough onto it. Bake in hot oven for 45 minutes until it puffs
up like a balloon. If you would like it browned on top, turn quickly and
leave for a minute. Remove bread and wrap in a cloth to keep it warm and
soft. Bake remaining loaves.

To bake in an electric frypan (a good alternative if your gas oven does not
heat evenly): Preheat frypan on highest setting with metal lid on, vent
closed. When heated, oil base quickly and slide dough onto base. Cover and
cook for 3 minutes, remove lid, turn bread over, recover and cook further
2 minutes.

* Source: The Complete Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos * Typos
courtesy of: Karen Mintzias Converted by MMCONV vers. 1.20

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini