Boy have I been busy this past week! My usual pastry creations ventured off a bit into the bread territory. It has been awhile since I’ve made homemade bread, but it’s always been something that I enjoy doing. It’s very soothing to handle the dough and then watch as it bakes into a satisfying and sustaining loaf. It’s amazing how much of a presence bread has in people’s everyday lives. All it takes is a little yeast, flour, and water.

All of the recipes I used were from Mediterranean Harvest, by Martha Rose Shulman. She has an extensive bread section of recipes from different Mediterranean regions. Feeling disappointed and unfulfilled by most of the breads I’ve purchased from stores recently, I decided to experiment with a couple of her recipes.

I don’t think any of the breads are the typical white loaf variety. Rather, these are rustic breads that are rich with whole grains and hearty. They are meant to be sliced thick and served with tomatoes and feta for lunch, or used to sop up sauces and soups at dinner. For generations, cultures of people have depended on these recipes for a bread that keeps them going with its energy and nutrition.

The first recipes I made were two different styles of country bread. Country bread is kind of a free-form loaf that is often very crusty (and hard) with a softer interior. While they may not be the best kind of bread for PB&J’s, they are great for serving with meals and for making paninis. You can also easily make a meal out of thick wedge, with cheese or fruit. As I said before, they are quite hearty.

For the Whole Wheat Country Bread I made, the recipe required a biga, the Italian word for “starter”. What makes this type of starter different is that instead of imparting a sour taste to the bread (think sourdough bread), it only adds depth to the flavor. The biga is a simple mixture of yeast, flour, and water that you can make in the food processor and let sit for 24 hours. You can watch it grow before your eyes! The biga is then added to the dough when you make it. It gave my loaf a very spongy interior that was fabulously chewy and soft. The dough was sprinkled with lots of flour in a banneton before its second rise to give it that rustic appearance. While it turned out tasty, I decided not to include the recipe because it was a very difficult dough to work with and required some patience (and the hope that it would even turn out). I did, however, really enjoy the whole biga thing and I want to make more breads using this type of a starter.

While reading Mediterranean Harvest, I was also inspired to make Arab Bread. There are so many tantalizing recipes for Middle-Eastern spreads and dips, as well as numerous other dishes, that are meant to be served with warm flat bread triangles. My personal experience with store-bough pita bread is that they are dry, fragile, and bland tasting. Shulman promised her recipe produced soft, moist, and fragrant pita rounds. And so I tried.

The coolest thing about making your own pita bread is watching it bake. The rounds only bake for about 5 minutes and they go from a flat piece of dough to puffed up pockets. Once you remove them from the oven they deflate slightly, leaving a hollow inside for filling with tzatziki, hummus, or even the usual ham and cheese. They also make breakfast sandwiches much more fun.

Pita Bread (Mediterranean Harvest by Martha Rose Shulman)

• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups warm water (or 2 1/4 cups if using whole wheat flour)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5 to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or a combination (I used half and half)
• 2 teaspoons salt

Stir together the yeast, sugar, and water in a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the olive oil and stir or beat in 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes to an hour, until bubbly.

If making the dough by hand: Add the salt and the remaining flour, a cup at a time, until you can scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

If making the dough in a standing mixer: Add 2 1/2 cups of flour and the salt and beat with a paddle attachment. Change to the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, then turn to coat once. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Lightly dust a baking sheet with flour or semolina. Also, place a large kitchen towel on your work surface and dust with flour. Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape the pieces into balls and place on the baking sheet. Cover lightly with lightly oiled plastic (this keeps the dough from drying out while you work).

Take 1 ball at a time, flatten it on a lightly floured work surface, and roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin until its about 1/4 inch thick and 6 inches in diameter. Transfer to the floured towel or sheet and sprinkle lightly with flour. Repeat with the remaining pieces, laying the rolled out pieces on the floured towel. Cover them with another towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place a baking stone or a baking sheet on the rack set at the lowest level and heat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Bake 2 breads at a time on the baking sheet, place the breads 1 inch apart (you might only be able to fit one at a time on a baking stone). Bake 5 to 7 minutes, until the breads puff. Transfer to a wire rack and cover with a towel so the breads remain soft. For longer storage, place in plastic zip-lock bags.

Yield: Eight 6-7 inch breads.

Like any homemade bread, they only are good for 2 days or so before they start to dry out, so they are best eaten warm from the oven or the day they are baked. Bread making is truly a labor of love, because it does take time and patience (you can’t rush the yeast), but presenting others with homemade bread is a much-appreciated gesture (it’s also extremely nutritious, think of all the preservatives you are avoiding!).

A cure for old bread (I haven’t tried this with pita bread, though) is to make croutons! They are excellent for topping soups, salads, and even pasta dishes.

Croutons

• 1/3 loaf of bread, cut and cubed into 1 inch pieces (about 3 big handfuls of bread cubes)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter with the olive oil. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the bread cubes and thyme, toss till all the bread cubes are coated with the butter and oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper if desired (a little!). Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the bread cubes in an even layer on the sheet. Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown on the edges.