Egypt Baladi Aish and Tahina (Pita Bread and Sesame sauce)

Step 1

In a bowl sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir to dissolve.

Step 2

Stir in 1 1/2 cups of flour a little at a time and stir about 1 minute

Step 3

This mixture is called sponge. Let it rest for a minimum of 10 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Step 4

(this is a good time to make your tahina sauce - instructions below.)

Step 5

Sprinkle salt over the sponge and stir in oil

Step 6

Add in more flour a little at a time until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a slightly floured surface and knead 8-10 minutes until smooth & elastic.

Step 7

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and place in a warm place to rise (about 1 and 1/2 hours).

Step 8

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide it in half. Divide each half into 4 equal pieces and flatten each piece into a circle less than an 1/4 inch thick.

Step 9

While you allow the circles to rise again (covered), preheat your oven to the highest setting.

Step 10

On a pizza stone (preferred) or baking tray in the middle rack, place as many dough rounds as you can comfortably fit on it (leave a few inches space between each round).

Step 11

Bake for a few minutes until the bread has puffed up like a balloon.

Step 12

Serve warm with Tahina, YUM!

Step 13

Mix all ingredients with a whisk until smooth.