Easy-Peasy Pocket Bread Recipe

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Lebanese Pocket Bread

This recipe makes 8 pocket breads

2 cups wholemeal flour

3 tsp dried yeast

1 tsp honey

1 cup lukewarm water

1 Tbsp oil (good olive oil)

½ tsp sea salt, sprinkled on top of bread not mixed into dough

Flour for rolling out
Butter or baking paper for tray

1) Put all the water, dried yeast, and honey into a large bowl.  Mix well. Do not add any salt to the mix yet.

2 & 3) Add oil, stir again.

4) Add flour.

5) Stir.

6) Then knead with your hands. This can take between 5 and 10 minutes. Dip your kneading hand into a bowl of cold water before you start and periodically throughout. This will help keep the dough from sticking to your hand. Form the dough into a rounded lump and let it rise for 20 – 30 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees C while the dough is rising.

7) I actually let it over-rise here. The dough is better if its surface is actually rounded not flat.

8) Now knead the dough for 3 or 4 minutes.  

9) Form it into a sausage shape.  Lay it on the floured bench and cut into 8 even-sized pieces. I made double recipe here so I’ve cut it into 16 pieces.  

10) Roll or shape each piece into a circle.  Make the top surface of the bread smooth^*   

11) Transfer to the buttered baking tray and let the pocket breads rise for about 15 minutes. Now it’s time to use the salt. Generously sprinkle salt evenly over each bread.  

12) Bake in the top half of a very hot oven (250 degrees C) for 5 minutes or until the breads puff up.  As soon as they’re slightly brown take them out and cool on a rack.

13) Done.  

14) Now all you have to do is clean up!  

15) Mouthwatering to eat straight away.

A couple of notes:

Sometimes pockets in the bread are not formed. However the bread is still very nice anyway. Three reasons why pockets may not have formed in your bread: 1) The bread is not totally smooth on the top surface but has some cracks in it* 2) Not enough salt on top 3) The oven is not hot enough.

Eat fresh from the oven for best taste! 

Recipe shared with permission from Karin Putner, nutrition consultant.

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