Khoubiz (Lebanese flatbread)

I have been CRAVING Fattoush salad for the longest time! The thing is: I had no flatbread at hand… No matter, though! I took matters in my own hands to make it happen.

Here's how I made my own Lebanese flatbread!

PS: keep an eye on here, the Fattoush salad recipe might follow very soon!



INGREDIENTS (4 loaves):
- 3 cups AP flour
- 1/2 pack of active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 500F with a baking sheet or pizza stone in it
- reserve 1 cup of flour to use later and put the remaining 2 cups in a bowl

- dissolve the yeast in a little bit of the warm water, then add the remaining water, salt and sugar

-pour in the center of the 2 cups of flour and mix a little bit of flour in to thicken the liquid. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm spot for about 10-15 minutes until frothy and bubbly

- when the yeast mixture is bubbly, start mixing the rest of the flour and the olive oil in using a dough hook attachment in a standing mixer for about 5-6 minutes, or good ol' elbow grease for 15 minutes

- the dough should now be soft and slightly sticky. Place it on a floured surface and knead for another 10 minutes until the dough is soft, springy and smooth.

- put a splash of olive oil in a bow and place the dough in the bowl, making sure to cover it in oil. let rest covered in film in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size

- deflate the risen dough with your fist and put on a floured surface. Flour your hands so the dough won't stick and knead for another minute or so, then split into 4 equal sized balls

- roll out the balls into thin discs (maybe 1/4 inch?), cover with a cloth and let rest for another 20 minutes

- bake the flat breads one at a time, as they will puff up and take more space as they bake: put a floured disc directly on the baking sheet (I used a pizza stone) and bake for 4-5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining discs

- these breads are delicious on their own, dipped in olive oil and salt as a snack, and perfect with hummus, artichoke dip or used as a pita pocket for lamb skewers!
- enjoy :)

Semolina pasta dough

There's nothing better than homemade fresh pasta.

You can use this recipe for any kind of pasta you want: long (spaghetti, tagliatelle), short (penne, macaroni), flat (lasagna) or even filled (ravioli, tortellini), you name it!

Very simple, two ingredients (three if you count the pinch of salt), 5 minutes mixing, 1 hour rest and however long it takes you to shape the pasta :D

INGREDIENTS:
- 5 eggs
- 500g semolina flour
- a pinch of salt


RECIPE:
- break your eggs in the center of the semolina and salt in a bowl.

- mix with a spoon to start and your fingers when it's not too tacky anymore.
- knead the dough for a few minutes and shape into a ball.
Note: if it's still too tacky, add a little semolina (or AP flour) to dry it.

- wrap the dough in film and cool in the fridge for 1 hour.

- shape the cold ball into a log and cut in smaller pieces (I cut a log that big into four equal pieces).

- roll the dough into a pasta machine until the sheet is the thickness you want.

- Have fun with your freshly pressed pasta! They will cook in merely a few minutes in salted boiling water.