For the Love of Bread

Both Palestinian and Chamorro cultures love a good bread whether it's a simple no-yeast flat bread or a bread that forms a pocket that you could stuff with anything you can imagine.

In Chamorro cuisine, there is only one type of bread. The recipe mostly likely came from the Spanish since wheat was not grown in this tropical paradise. It resembles a tortilla and is more of a flatbread. The recipe has gone through modifications over the generations. There are two types of flavors for this flat bread called "Tatiyas". The traditional recipe uses corn flour and the more sweet, contemporary recipe uses all-purpose flour and coconut milk. I prefer the sweeter, softer recipe of this flatbread so I will share my recipe down below.

Ingredients:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

2-3 tablespoons sugar (depends on how sweet you want it)

4-6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 cups of coconut milk

1 cup of thinly sliced young coconut meat, optional

Process:

1. Combine flour, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl then add the butter and mix until dough resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Next, add the coconut milk and mix it in either by hand or with a spoon. Add the coconut meat and mix well. If the dough is too dry, add more coconut milk. If the dough is too wet, add flour.

3. Next, turn the dough out on a flat, floured surface. Knead the dough until it is soft and pliable. The dough should not be too sticky and wet.

4. Roll it into a ball and divide it into six parts.

5. On the stove, heat up a pan on medium heat. As soon as it is hot enough, lower the heat to medium low.

6. Next, take one part of the dough, add flour and roll into a ball. Next, with a rolling pin, place the sough onto a floured surface and roll it out until 1/2 inch thick into a round disc.

7. Take a fork and poke holes all around the flattened dough. This allows the heat to go through and cook it evenly. It also prevents air pockets from forming.

8. Place the dough onto the frying pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.

9. Repeat steps 6 thru 8 for the remaining pieces of dough.

You may eat the tatiyas on its own or eat it with barbecued meat, or with another Chamorro dish called chicken kelaguen. The sweet taste of the coconut milk balances out the saltiness and tanginess of any dish.

In Palestinian cuisine, there are many breads that are made and used for various types of dishes. The staple bread that is well-renowned is pita bread. It is a bread that when baked forms a pocket that you could use to stuff whatever you heart desires. It is also used to dip into foods like hummus or eaten in pieces during a meal.

The recipe I am sharing with you is what I was taught. There are many variations to this recipe but the ingredients and basic process are all the same. I learned how to use my hands only and have never used a machine to do the mixing or the kneading. If you are familiar with using a mixer then you can definitely use it. Doing this by hand is labor intensive.

Ingredients:

3 cups of mixed flour, 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 packet of active yeast

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 to 2 cups warm water, 110 degrees

1/3 cup of olive oil

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven and use it as a surface to bake the pita.

2. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

3. Add the water and begin mixing with your hands until all ingredients are incorporated.

4. Next, add the olive oil and mix thoroughly. The dough will begin to pull away from the bowl and your hands.

5. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour. If it is too dry, add a little more water.

6. Once the dough is mixed, turn it out onto a flat, floured surface and begin kneading the dough. Add more flour if the dough is sticky.

7. Once the dough, feels soft and elastic. Roll it into a large ball and let it rest and cover with a hand towel.

8. Next, take two large kitchen towels or cloths, place it on the the table and counter.

9. Uncover the dough and slice it lengthwise, creating thick strips of dough. Take one strip and slice smaller pieces from it and cover the rest of the dough.

10. Take a small price of dough and with a flat palm and loosely cupped other hand, roll the dough into a tight, small ball. Place the ball in between the kitchen towels/cloths to let it rise as you continue to roll the rest of the dough into balls.

11. Once you have rolled the last ball, take the first ball of dough you rolled from underneath the cloth. The dough should have risen a bit.

12. Next, take the ball of dough and place it on a floured surface and dust it with flour then roll out the dough into a flat circle until 1 inch thick.

13. Place the flattened dough in between the cloths and roll the next ball until all the balls of dough are rolled out.

14. Next, take a baking sheet and place three pieces of flattened dough on it making sure they do not touch. Place the baking sheet in the oven and make sure the oven light is on so you can monitor the pita. As the air pocket forms, wait a minute or so before turning the pita around so that it cooks evenly. If you are using a pizza stone, place the dough on it and wait until the pocket forms before turning it around.

15. Once you turn the pita around, you wait another 2-3 minutes before taking it out. Continue baking the rest of the dough.

When pita is fresh and out of the oven, it is like nothing else in the world. I usually take the first pita and cut it open and stuff the pocket with butter. It just melts so quickly because of the hot air inside the pocket. It is so scrumptious that I usually don't remember eating it and I'm ready for another one.

Pita bread can be eaten with literally almost anything. As kids, we use to stuff pita bread with our favorite ice cream to make our version of an ice cream sandwich. We even used it to make a cinnamon pita crunch! (Pita cut in half horizontally with butter, cinnamon, and sugar and toasted until super crunchy.) My parents did not buy processed food like cookies or chips so pita was our medium to create snacks. I enjoy making pita so much and it is truly delicious.