Skip to main content

Pita in New York

If there's one thing that is sure to be found in New York is shop after shop in every turn you make. All the streets in Manhattan is lined with every imaginable dining experience you are in the mood for. I would have loved to do some bakery hopping but my legs just can't take it, we took a bus to Manhattan because traffic is horrendous and parking is impossible as well so your best bet to go around New York City is to find a place to stay, take your feet to the streets until you drop dead and go back the next day because you won't finish it in one day.
In Times Square, just feeling the crowd. Below is another twist to the Pandesal, i made sure my sugar level is just at the right sweetness for my mother who is taking Metformin already, not a full blown Diabetic yet, but i told her that i will reduce the sugar of the dough so she can still have her bread. She had also seen an eye doctor recently and was told that her cataract is still at bay, no need to worry. She loves to snack on Lengua, not really sweet stuffs but anything buttery and sweet at the same time. I don't make cakes for her because she does not like them, my last option since i told her i am not making her anymore Lenguas, is the Pandesal or Dinner Rolls, breads that are soft and light to eat. I also sneak in a few trans fat free margarine, our favorite is the "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter", my nephew dips the Pandesal or Dinner roll straight to the tub. Oh dear. This butter copycat is so good, i will bring some to my sister to taste.
PITA BREAD, made with Pandesal Dough, the Pita is a staple in our family, you can cut them in triangles for chips, salsas etc., or you can turn them into Pizza Crusts for instant Pizza snacks. Yum!
Using a Pizza Stone is the key to creating the perfect Pita bread.
One Pita after another is a cinch when the oven is hot, hot, hot. I just love making them, i use whole wheat or spelt during rolling just to add some nuttiness to the bread. I am so fortunate that i took a career change way back 1995 when teaching Nursery although adorable and funny was not really making a dent in my bank account. Personally, this is more gratifying and i have no regrets. I even told my mother that it was the best decision i have made, can you imagine us looking for Pan de Sal in Upstate New York? Hello? Sitaw nga wala, Pan de Sal pa kaya? Ha ha ha
Stack them up, if you plan to reheat the Pita, do not bake dark brown to a crisp, just lightly browned so you can eat them later as well. I will post what we did with the Pita after, not a hard thing to do when you have two young boys always waiting for something to munch on. As an Aunt, i am fortunate that i have people around me willing to eat whatever i place on the table. If you want to take a taste test of all these glorious breads, take time to attend my class, for 3 days, it isn't that much of a bother i think. I mean, i took two years of Food Service, 3 months plus so and so apprenticeship here and there to learn more, so i guess 3 days isn't too much to ask.
Above is the whole One Dough with Variations, i will post them later, taking a lunch break here. Baking Schedule in Fairview, Manila, for details go to the my website below. www.breadmakinglessons.com email me for inquiries at sherqv17@gmail.com or tweet me @pandesalatbp For cake decorating posts, cakesandpetals All breads featured in this blog can be found in my COMMERCIAL BREADMAKING EBOOK/BAKERY SET UP, you can go to my website and find more of the details, plus a preview of the table of contents, how to purchase etc.,

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3rd Class Flour, What's It All About

For starters i cannot make this Hard Monay if i did not bring any 3rd class flour or soft weak flour to New York. Once i ran out of 3rd class and tried Cake Flour, it turned bad, do not even think of using All Purpose, it will be soft but not chewy as this one made with yes, 3rd class indeed. So third class is hard to find here in the US if you will use that term. You have to say or look for soft wheat flour, that's it, not hard wheat flour, not cake or All purpose but something in between these two. It is easy to find in the Phil., just ask your local bakery suppliers and they know it is Tercera. Tercera is not for bread, bakers use it basically for cookies, cakes and other pastries, but we bakers know how to create bread recipes using part of this flour with the bread flour or hard wheat flour. It makes a softer version of any of your fave breads, with a cheaper price tag. Plus if i own a bakery, i get to use the third class for my cakes and cookies, lowering my food cos...
19 comments
Read more

Cutting Pandesal, Baston Style

So how do we really do the Baston style "singkit" cut? First start with a slightly stiff dough, if your dough does not have eggs or eggyolks, a hydration of around 55% is ideal. I have seen bakers use less water, but that will make your Pandesal too dry and dense after 1 day or so so try to keep it slightly on the soft side, but not too sticky. Why? If you use a sticky dough for the Baston style cut, the dough will spread and will have a flat look rather than a rounded shape we are all familiar with. In Tagalog, "lalapad" ang dough so medyo flat ung Pandesal. So after you mix the dough, divide it into 2 to 4 portions if you are mixing  kilogram. Experienced bakers divide their dough into 500 gram portions, i do mine the same way. Flatten the dough, focusing more on the length and not on the height. The height of the dough should be around 2 to 3 inches only. Next, fold the dough while pinching the edges making sure the dough surface ...
3 comments
Read more

Bake Malunggay Pandesal and Set Up A Bakery At Home

Two of my students for this month, Jenn Apares and Belle Nakpil. Having fun on our 3rd day of session making Monggo Breads. Jenn was able to bake these Malunggay Pandesal as part of their assignment and things to do at home in between our session. This is why there are always a 2 day gap in my class, to give the students time to practice what they've learned and then bring some dough and bread for me to look at. Belle forgot her breads at home so i am very satisfied with Jenn's first time with Pandesal. It needs at least 3% malunggay to be visible but the Pandesal is excellent. I am so happy for Jenn, she can now help her parents' bakery. Finally. This is only after our 2nd session, i admit i have to push my students but it was all worth the challenge. Plus, they had fun doing it!!! after chopping the fresh leaves, just pulse them into the finished dough, lightly kneading to incorporate the veggies. Now that obviously has Malunggay! My...
11 comments
Read more