Ingredients

• 8 cups unbleached flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 Package Dry Yeast, Or 1 Cake Yeast
• 2 1/2 Cups Warm Water - 40 to 46 Celsius

Method

1. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir to dissolve. (If using yeast cake, use slightly cooler water).

2. Allow yeast mixture to sit until foamy. Stir the yeast mixture into the flour mixture. Mix thoroughly with clean hands. Knead in the bowl, adding more flour or water if necessary. The dough should be smooth and firm, but not stiff.

3. Brush the top of the dough with soft butter or vegetable oil and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, then punch down and turn the dough out onto a floured surface.

4. Place a baking stone or heavy baking sheet into the oven, on the lowest rack. Preheat the oven to 230 Celsius. for 30 to 45 minutes.

5. Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Shape the pieces into balls and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. When the oven has preheated sufficiently to heat the stone, then begin rolling the pieces of dough. Take 1 or 2 balls of dough at a time and roll or pat to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Make certain that there are no creases in the dough, or it will not rise properly in the oven.

6. Now with a floured wooden peel, or your hands, slide the shaped loaves onto the stone. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tops are browned and puffy. Repeat for the remaining balls of dough.

7. If the loaves tend to burn on the bottom before the tops are browned, bake only until done, then brown under the broiler.

NOTES : Makes 12 small loaves. They are best served warm, although the loaves keep well and are easily reheated.

makes two large loaves)

Ingredients

• Sponge
  • 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• Dough
  • 3 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon lukewarm water
• Glaze
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Topping
  • Nigella seeds and/or sesame seeds

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water and let stand in a warm place for 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in the flour, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 30 minutes.

2. To finish the dough, put the flour in a large bowl, made a well in the center, and put in the sponge, salt, olive oil, and lukewarm water. Gradually work in the flour to make a soft and sticky dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 15 minutes. The dough will be very sticky at first, but as you knead, it will gradually cease to stick to your hands. You should have a damp and very springy dough that will offer no resistance to kneading.

3. Put the dough in a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 1 hour, until well swollen. You can refrigerate the dough at this point until you are ready to use it.

4. To shape the pide, divide the dough into 2 pieces and shape each into a ball. Cover with a towel and let rest 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 290 Celsius degrees, and heat the quarry tiles 30 minutes before baking.

6. Flatten one piece of dough slightly. Wet your hands, press and enlarge the dough outward into a circle. Stretch out the circle, pressing hard, particularly with the sides of your hands. When the dough is stretched to a 10-inch circle, paint it generously with egg. Using the sides of your hands, mark a border 2 inch wide all around the edge.

7. Dip your fingertip in egg; holding your hands above the circle, 4 fingertips pointing down, mark 4 horizontal rows of indentations parallel to each other with your fingertips, staying within the border. Rotate the circle halfway (180 degrees) and mark 4 rows of indentations parallel to each other and perpendicular to the previous rows. Let your fingertips go down deep, stopping short of piercing the dough.

8. Sprinkle a wooden paddle with some flour. Lift the pide, holding it at both ends, and stretch it into an oval shape while placing it over the paddle. How it should measure approximately 9 by 15 inches. Make sure it is well brushed with egg and sprinkle it with some nigella seeds or sesame seeds. Slide it gently onto the hot tiles and bake 6 to 8 minutes. As it comes out of the oven, keep it in the folds of a towel. Repeat with the remaining dough. Pide will be at its best fresh from the oven, but can be reheated in foil if necessary.