Monday Night Dinner

Dinner 
Sabich Sandwich
– roasted eggplant
– sliced tomatoes & cucumber
– tahini sauce
– hummus
– hard boiled eggs

Salad
Dried Fruit Medley
Watermelon

When we were talking birthday dinners, the birthday girl said she was thinking sandwich and immediately I started hoping she meant this sandwich.  I was briefly disappointed when she opted for tacos (although, only very very briefly), and then realized that I plan the menus for Dinner, if I want to have sabich I can make sabich.  Then I briefly lost my mind and decided that if I was going to do this thing I was going to do this thing and make pita bread.  Sometime on Monday night after I’d had the oven on for over an hour in 90+ weather I pondered exactly what was wrong with me, but the pita was amazing so there’s that?

Sabich Sandwich
– roasted eggplant
– sliced tomatoes & cucumber
– tahini sauce
– hummus
– hard boiled eggs

Recipe(s) previously given:  Reinventing the Wheel

Pita Bread
(makes 12)

16 oz all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients. With the paddle attachment, mix on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid) just until all the flour is moistened, about 20 seconds. Change to the dough hook, raise the speed to medium (#4 KitchenAid), and knead for 10 minutes. The dough should clean the bowl and be very soft and smooth and just a little sticky to the touch. Add a little flour or water if necessary.

Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 2-quart or larger dough-rising container or bowl, lightly greased with cooking spray or oil. Press the dough down and lightly spray or oil the top of it. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. With a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be. Refrigerate the dough overnight (or up to 3 days), checking every hour for the first 4 hours and pressing it down if it starts to rise.

Preheat the oven to 475°F one hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone, cast-iron skillet, or baking sheet on it before preheating.

Cut the dough into 12 pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the rest covered with a damp cloth. On a lightly floured counter, with lightly floured hands, shape each piece into a ball and then flatten it into a disk. Cover the dough with oiled plastic and allow it to rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Roll each disk into a circle a little under 1/4 inch thick. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes before baking.  Spritz with water & allow to rest for a further 2-3 minutes.

Quickly place 3-4 pieces of dough directly on the baking sheet, and bake for 3 minutes. The pita should be completely puffed but not beginning to brown.

The pitas can be reheated for about 30 seconds in a hot oven before serving.