Beard on Bread (31 page)

Punch down the dough, turn out on a floured board, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Divide into eight or nine equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Cover the balls with a cloth or foil and let rest for 30 minutes. Flatten each ball with a well-floured rolling pin and roll to ⅛-inch thickness in approximately 8-inch circles. Dust two baking sheets with cornmeal, place two circles on each sheet, cover, and let rest again for 30 minutes. (Leave the four remaining circles on a lightly floured working surface and transfer them to the baking sheets, dusted again with cornmeal, when the first four are baked.)

Preheat the oven to 500°. Put one of the baking sheets on the lowest rack of the oven for 5 minutes.
Do not open the oven door until the
5
minutes are up!
Transfer the sheet to a higher shelf and continue baking 3 to 5 minutes longer until the loaves are puffed like balloons and just very lightly browned. Repeat the procedure with the second baking sheet, unless, of course, you have a large enough oven so that the baking sheets can go in side by side on the same shelf (or use two ovens, if you are fortunate enough to have two). Remove to prevent a crisp crust from forming and to ensure the familiar spongy pita texture. The loaves should deflate on cooling.

After cooling, the pita can be frozen. The loaves will reheat in the oven in 10 to 15 minutes.

Throughout the Middle East one finds many versions of the crisp flatbreads. The one I have chosen here is simple to make, a good keeper, and extremely pleasant in flavor and texture. It is also a nicely accommodating bread that seems to go along with almost any type of food. I find it keeps best in a tightly covered tin.

[4 10 × 14 sheets]

Pour the warm water into a large, warm bowl, sprinkle in the yeast, and stir until dissolved. After it has proofed, add the cooled butter, salt, sugar, and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a buttered bowl and turn to coat with the butter. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down, divide into four equal pieces, and roll each piece into a rectangle 10 × 14 inches. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake in a preheated 350° oven about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the sheets and cool on racks. If desired, the bread can be softened by holding under running water. Serve with cheese or other appetizers.

You are probably familiar with the packaged thin, crisp flatbread from Norway. Often used for pâtés or spreads it is extremely popular all through the country. This delicate commercial bread has been made for centuries at home and is not difficult to prepare. It entails a deft rolling job, but is well worth the trouble because of the crisp, mealy flavor that is excellent with smoked fish or salt meats cut paper thin.

[4 12-inch rounds]

Blend the flours and salt and gradually stir in the water until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer to a floured board and knead thoroughly. Divide the dough into four parts and roll into paper-thin circles about 12 inches in diameter or to fit your griddle—or an iron skillet will do. Lightly flour the griddle and bake the dough over rather low heat. (Pierce the dough lightly with a fork before placing it on the griddle if you wish to keep it from bubbling.) It will take 15 to 18 minutes for each side; the bread must be extremely crisp.

The flatbread may be stored in a large wooden box or in a tin.

Lefse
is a rather unusual flatbread of Scandinavian origin, and there are many different recipes for it. It can be eaten warm or cold. When cold it grows quite firm and crisp, but is traditionally dipped lightly into water and softened before being rolled with a filling or simply spread with butter. When it is eaten warm, it should be taken from the griddle, folded into a napkin, and served with butter, cheeses, preserves, or other fillings. In either case, it is easy to prepare and delightful to eat.

[12 to 14
lefse
]

Combine the ingredients and work the mixture with the hands, or in an electric mixer with a dough hook, to make a soft, pliable dough. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece about ⅛ inch thick into a square, oblong, or circle. Cut into squares or circles with a 4- or 6-inch cutter. Bake on a lightly floured griddle, over quite low heat, 12 to 15 minutes on each side. The
lefse
should color very slightly.

If it is not to be eaten warm,
lefse
should be stored in a tin or a box, where it will become crisp.

This is one form of the Provençal version of pizza. It calls for tomatoes, puréed onions, anchovies, and ripe olives and is baked using a brioche dough or a plain white bread dough. I prefer the brioche. Use the recipe for
Brioche Bread
, flattening the dough out into a wide pan and spreading the filling over it. It makes an attractive, delicious hors d’oeuvre or luncheon dish. I used to buy it in a bakery in St. Rémy in Provence, where I lived several summers, and found it much to my liking, as I am sure you will.

[8 to 12 servings]

Prepare the brioche dough. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling: