Pita Bread and Pita Chips

Not many bread choices exist on a dairy and soy free diet. I suggest heading the the natural food isle to find Ezekiel bread. A staple of many a vegan diet. However, their sprouted grain bread has sprouted soy, so stay away. Bran for Life is good! The Mr. likes it toasted for three minutes with avocado and salt. Yum! It's also good with roasted garlic and olive oil. Though, that can be said for a lot of things!

To add variety I made pita bread. For this you need a big ol' mixer. I have a 5 qt Kitchen Aid that my MIL gave me. Also, a pizza cookie sheet with holes is very nice because it cooks the bottom of the rounds without sogginess. If you don't have either, knead for 15m to incorporate extra flour and cook bread for 4m on one side 2 on the other.

Pita Bread

• 1 package of yeast. If measuring from a jar it's 2 1/4 tsp.
  
• 3 cups all purpose flour plus extra for kneading (Can use 1C whole wheat and the rest white)
  
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water

PREPARATION:

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.

Combine flour and salt in mixer bowl.

Make a small depression in the middle of lour and put yeast water in depression.

Slowly add 1 cup of warm water, and stir with paddle until elastic.

Preheat oven to lowest setting. Place a pan/dish with about 1 inch of water on the lower rack in the oven.

Insert dough hook and put on low. Add enough flour so that the dough becomes smooth. This is probably around another cup.

Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated.

Turn off oven and place dough in it. Let rise for about 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-12 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 deg F (remove the pan of water!). and make sure rack is at the very bottom of oven. Be sure to preheat your baking sheet also.

Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick.

Bake each circle for 5 minutes until the bread puffs up.

Remove each pita with a spatula from the baking sheet and add additional pitas for baking.

Take spatula and gently push down puff. Immediately place in storage bags.

Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips

• 2 pieces stale pita
• Canola or peanut oil (according to our allergist peanut oil is ok for breastfeeding moms)
• 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
• dash of salt
• 1/4 cup sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300

Take 2 pieces of slightly stale pita bread and cut in half. Then cut the halves longways through the middle.

Brush with oil on back and front

Cut or tear (messy) into small pieces

Put 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon, dash of salt and 1/4 cup sugar in a seal-able 1 gallon bag.

Put pieces in bag and shake

Place on cookie sheet

Bake in middle rack for 25 minutes.

Variations
I just made "everything" chips using olive oil, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion and garlic powder. I'll let you know how it turns out!