i’m so glad i make bread now because i’m not afraid to try to make any bread and i have just enough knowledge to make the dough work even if i didn’t get the recipe quite right. which just goes to show you that dough is very forgiving and you shouldn’t be afraid to make dough/bread. tonight i made pita to go with m’s shawarma. whoa. mind blown. we may never have to go to zankou chicken ever again.
Epicurious shawarma recipe
Shawarma-Spiced Chicken Pita with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce
RHODA BOONE EPICURIOUS JANUARY 2016
Yield: Serves 4 people
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
4 pitas
1 cup full-fat or low-fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon tahini
1/4 teaspoon grated garlic
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dill, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped mint, plus more for serving
1/2 large English hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/4″-thick half-moons (about 1 cup)
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
3/4 cup small cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (about 5 ounces)
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, 2 Tbsp. oil, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, 12–15 minutes; wrap pitas in foil and warm in oven during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Meanwhile, mix yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon zest, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl until incorporated. Fold in 2 Tbsp. dill and 2 Tbsp. mint.
Toss cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, remaining 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in another medium bowl.
Thinly slice chicken. Place 1 warmed pita on each plate and top evenly with chicken and tomato-cucumber salad. Drizzle each pita with 2 Tbsp. tahini-yogurt sauce; top with dill and mint. Serve remaining tahini-yogurt sauce alongside.
Do Ahead
Tahini-yogurt sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
NYTimes Pita recipe
About 2 hours
Yield 8 six-inch diameter breads
Ingredients
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
35 grams whole-wheat flour (1/4 cup), preferably freshly milled
310 grams unbleached all-purposed flour (2 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
253 calories; 5 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 326 milligrams sodium
Preparation
Make sponge: Put 1 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the whole-wheat flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and whisk together. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place, uncovered, until mixture is frothy and bubbling, about 15 minutes.
Add salt, olive oil and nearly all remaining all-purpose flour (reserve 1/2 cup). With a wooden spoon or a pair of chopsticks, stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass. Dust with a little reserved flour, then knead in bowl for 1 minute, incorporating any stray bits of dry dough.
Turn dough onto work surface. Knead lightly for 2 minutes, until smooth. Cover and let rest 10 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes. Try not to add too much reserved flour; the dough should be soft and a bit moist. (At this point, dough may refrigerated in a large zippered plastic bag for several hours or overnight. Bring dough back to room temperature, knead into a ball and proceed with recipe.)
Clean the mixing bowl and put dough back in it. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place. Leave until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Heat oven to 475 degrees. On bottom shelf of oven, place a heavy-duty baking sheet, large cast-iron pan or ceramic baking tile. Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces of equal size. Form each piece into a little ball. Place dough balls on work surface, cover with a damp towel and leave for 10 minutes.
Remove 1 ball (keeping others covered) and press into a flat disk with rolling pin. Roll to a 6-inch circle, then to an 8-inch diameter, about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour if necessary. (The dough will shrink a bit while baking.)
Carefully lift the dough circle and place quickly on hot baking sheet. After 2 minutes the dough should be nicely puffed. Turn over with tongs or spatula and bake 1 minute more. The pita should be pale, with only a few brown speckles. Transfer warm pita to a napkin-lined basket and cover so bread stays soft. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.