The Secret Technique That Makes Egyptian Pita Perfect

[@Livoirienyvoitrien]

أنا من المانيا وخبزنا جيد. ولكن الخبز المصري أنا أحبه كثيرا. مخبوز بالحب من أيد صديقتي مصرية هو هدية السماء❣️

[@frackjohn]

@@Livoirienyvoitrien ترجمة جيدة شكرا على جهدك لكتابة تعليق بالعربية

[@Livoirienyvoitrien]

@@frackjohn أحب العربي. للأسف ما وقت كافي لي لتحسين مستواي. شكرا جزيلا لك لكلام الجميلة❣️

[@hasnaashaalan9083]

This video is next level and the cultural, political and emotional meaning of bread to us Egyptians at the end is just the cherry on top . Wonderful job!

[@osamsal]

You're a legend! From one Egyptian missing Eish Baladinto another, you've given us all a gift that will have us thank you for eternity.

[@randomness8819]

same im like finally the real recipe!!!!!

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you! It's all Salma, she's the one who figured it all out!

[@TraderGoo]

My man lost a good bit of weight well done, looking forward to trying this recipe

[@frothywalrus]

right? homie becoming a dreamboat

[@xZOOMARx]

I disagree, he’s always been a dreamboat

[@sadssddsd2926]

ozmpic ? or old fashioned excercise?

[@biddyboo8]

​@@sadssddsd2926 doesn't matter

[@sadssddsd2926]

@@biddyboo8 everything matters. details make the world make more sense..he's a public personality, who makes FOOD , so his fans deserve details if they mean better health while enjoying food. details MATTER

[@AhmedSalah-vy8vn]

For all the people here, Egypt had a 207 types of bread for almost evey major city.

[@AhmadAmr98]

I'm Egyptian and I never knew that. Can you give a few examples?

[@Uhoh11111]

​@@AhmadAmr98I can't name all of them but I visited upper egypt before and found their bread to be much thinner and more puffed up, there's also the bread of halaib and shalateen and many small villages have their own different traditional cultures

[@mull529]

I visited Egypt 7 years ago. The bread was a highlight. Just amazing. Thank you for the memory.

[@MiddleEats]

Our pleasure!

[@trident1125]

This is by far the best recipe of the channel, and I've been watching for years

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you. It's the one we're proudest to show off too!

[@sherifyacoub6862]

The research, production, and editing are outstanding, and the recipe looks absolutely fantastic. I've been trying to master eish baladi for years, and this has inspired me to push my limits with a much higher hydration dough than I ever thought I could handle. I can’t wait to give it a try-thank you for sharing!

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you! I hope this recipe is a good basis for others to expand on going forward. It may be that a combination of different flours in the different stages achieves an even higher hydration ratio. Time will tell how people take this even further

[@GuiHarrison]

The care you guys have poured into this video is palpable. I got goosebumps and a bit emotional by the end.

[@hebabasheer6242]

I am Egyptian and I learned a lot from your videos عيش حريه عداله اجتماعيه ✊🏼

[@qsxsqsxs]

I'm from Egypt but I live abroad now and I've been looking for a way to make Eish Baladi at home! Thank you so much :)

[@abdulrahmanali1246]

Looking in great shape bro, keep up the amazing work and recipes. Really helps me deal with nostalgia and homesickness as a student abroad

[@AhmedEtman79]

This video is a masterpiece! Probably your best yet! Kudos to Salma for fine tuning it to match the authentic bakery recipe as close as possible. This looks like the real deal. I can only imagine the heavnly smell in your home as you were baking these round pieces of heaven. And great production work showing all the real places in Egypt making it. Thank you both.

[@sal_alaa]

You have cracked the code to life’s greatest pleasure and made it accessible for all. THANK YOU.

[@asoli_dev]

This is, hands down, the absolute best recipe for Egyptian bread on the internet. I have experimented with various ways in the past and I even have my own video on Instagram but it doesn’t come even close to yours. I’m impressed by the technical depth as well, very few can effectively communicate food/baking science like that. ❤

[@MiddleEats]

Thanks Ahmed! I remember your experiments on Instagram, they coincided with us starting testing and we've been going at it since. So glad you found this helpful and I hope you enjoy so much eish going forwards!

[@omid-nasi]

I just made pita recently and have been scouring the internet for the right method. Thank you for making this!

[@radwamoussa762]

You have no idea how much you flattered me with this video. Just moved to Virginia from NYC, no 3iesh balady here to go with my homemade falafel bro😅 I’ll make it now

[@mikeallen1270]

Thank you! Finally someone made the video I wish I have made. I’ve been experimenting with making Egyptian Baladi bread for almost 2 years, and you guys came to the same conclusions I came to few months ago when I finally mastered it. It’s THE definition of high moisture dough. There is no other dough I’m aware of that is 100-120% hydration. I traveled to an Egyptian village and sat at the hands of an Egyptian peasant (Fallaha) to learn from her the technique of “Takrees el eish” (how to divide the semi liquid dough into equal sized balls; no rolling whatsoever!). Making Egyptian Baladi bread is not a forgiving process. Slip at any point and you will get less than optimal result, if not entirely ruin it. Be careful with salt. It kills the yeast and compromises the gluten structure. I think the recipe here calls for too much compared to mine. But then I don’t know the salinity level of your salt vs mine. So it’s better to be careful than sorry. Also I use much less sugar for the same amount of dough. The timing between stages is a little bit over extended here, which gives better results, granted. But bakeries in Egypt use much less time with equally good results. Heat is very very important. I tried baking the same dough at different ovens (electric vs gas, large vs small, middle rack vs bottom) using different platforms (porcelain vs clay vs pizza stone vs cast iron vs steel mesh), and I found that using a preheated smooth surface like porcelain in an oven that distributes heat from all sides and on top of the dough gives the best results as far as uniform cooking and puffing. That said, if temperature is anything less than 450 F, you won’t get a good result. It seems that 450 F is the absolute minimum. Hotter is better. Bigger size ovens are good for bigger batches. Smaller ovens (counter tops) give fantastic results at highest setting as you bake the bread one disk at a time. Bran is essential and irreplaceable. Technique is king. High moisture is key. Enjoy the process. It will certainly take some trials and errors. I don’t expect anyone to get a perfect result the first time. But following this video to a T (with the exception of adding too much salt and sugar) is going to cut your journey short by leaps and bounds. Cheers.🥂

[@emanelmoghazy7392]

You are amazing very specific , included all the details and the tricks for the recipe it’s the only Chanel on KZbin for the Egyptian bread that is right , I love all your recipes I tried a lot , falafel , tahini, white sauce and many more they all came out perfect and from the first time thank you so much for all your efforts and a special thanks for your professionalism

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you so much! Documenting our food in the way it deserves to be portrayed so others can enjoy it at its best is what drives us!

[@NOHAELEBIARI]

When you said eish means life I found tears in my eyes. This bread makes me emotional how weird is that!

[@AyasPaperCrafts]

Thanks!

[@AyasPaperCrafts]

This bread brings back so many good memories 😭.

[@jmchau]

watching the bread puff is so satisfying.

[@KnightMD]

This is officially the best "pita" video and the ONLY pita video anyone needs, forever. Amazingly well done video and very detailed. Really, I'm very impressed with everything here. The only objection I have is using poolish instead of sourdough, but otherwise, more than good enough. Thank you so much for this.

[@andreamoitinho4895]

Thanks for the recipe! I spent three weeks in Egypt and I was craving this bread.

[@RS-ln3ns]

EGYPT IS AN INTERESTING COUNTRY, WITH A VERY IMPRESSIVE HISTORY. THE HISTORY OF ANCIENT EGYPT IS SO WELL KNOWN, ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THOSE EGYPTIAN PITTA BREADS LOOK VERY NICE AND I'M SURE, IT TASTES REALLY GOOD, AS WELL.

[@randomness8819]

Egyptian approved for sure! excellent video recipe instruction. perfect perfect [perfect all around!

[@vmoses1979]

Having lived in Egypt as a child eating aish I could never develop any fondness for the dry pita you find in western countries. It just doesn't compare. Nice recipe though somewhat complex and time consuming. I give props to the bakers in Egypt who churn aish out and make it look easy.

[@nl1011]

Obi, I have been trying to recreate this here in the UK for as long as I can remember, coincidence had that only yesterday after i got myself a pizza oven that I was successful! 400 to 450C temperature is crucial to the success of Eish. I can also sum it up to say that it is a napoletana pizza without the topping and instead o using semolina, we use bran, I think it must have found its way fom Egypt to Rome then they modified that to include topping and voa la napoletina pizza was bon! I think you did the Eish injustice when you call it "Egyptian Pita Bread", lets spread the word "Eish"!

[@MiddleEats]

Exactly! A neapolitan pizza crust all the way around. First time we cracked it was just after we'd made some pizzas and it was such a eureka moment. Glad it turned out so well for you

[@sal_alaa]

Yes!! Or at least “Baladi bread”

[@mirnastoryworld]

I agree, not Egyptian Pita but Egyptian Baladi Bread sounds right:)

[@Iamfsaly]

In Egypt, ‘Aish’ refers to bread, However, in the GCC countries and some other Arab regions, ‘Aish’ actually means rice. The word itself also has a deeper meaning in Arabic, it translates to ‘life’ or ‘livelihood’

[@waeleldanbouky6920]

you just made all that up and the word for rice is orz and Aish which is pronounced with a letter not found in western or English is ancient Egyptian for bread like most of our words in the Egyptian dialect that are not Arabic at all

[@Iamfsaly]

@ حبيبي كلمة العيش عربية و ليست انجليزية أو مصرية قديمة و المصريين يقولون عيش و يقصدون فيه الخبز، و العراقيين ر الخليجيين و اعتقد اليمن يقولون عيش و يقصدون فيه الرز، و مصر القديمة كان يطلقون على الخبز "عيش" ليست بالعربية ورباكن في لغتهم

[@waeleldanbouky6920]

@@Iamfsaly كلمت عيش انتشرت مؤخراً من مصر بسبب انتشار الافلام المصرية ، بطل تفتي و تخترع كلام فاضي

[@Iamfsaly]

@ يعني قصدك العرب لا يقولون عيش؟ وكذا عن دول الخليج يقولون عن الرز عيش، ولا أخذوها من الأفلام المصرية ههههه

[@roro977]

@@Iamfsaly هو انتو ف الخليج او العراق او اي دولة عربية بتزرعوا رز ... عشان تسموه اصلا عيش ولا الحاجه تانيه !!!!! اما احنا بقا ف الرز بتاعنا اسمه رز مصري و كلمة عيش كلمه فرعوني و متنساش ان الفراعنه هم اصل العرب لان السيدة هاجر هيا ام سيدنا اسماعيل يعني قبله مكنش فيه حاجه اسمها لغه عربيه ولا عرب اصلا ف اعتدل و انت بتتكلم

[@AliaaAmr-z6l]

This video made me appreciate the blessing pf having access to fresh عيش بلدي everyday Alhamdullah, it also made me realize how important this loaf of bread is to every Egyptian.

[@Kalernor]

Wow, I can't speak for the taste obviously, but this looks exactly like eish baladi made in Egypt. Extremely impressive, well done!

[@alexandersalamander]

Love the level of knowledge and excellent production. All the best.

[@whiskey-biscuit9388]

MY BROTHER THANK YOU! I SENT this to my american wife i can't wait to have this when i go to america nostalgia is about to hit me hard!

[@sbaumgartner9848]

10 stars for showing us this recipe. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 it never dawned on me that you could ever recreate it. Like Egyptian tameya (falafel) I miss wish so much. I would never have thought it was made with just AP flour as the look and texture seems more like an earthy slightly sourdough whole wheat/ all purpose combination. Thx for the tip about blending up the bran.

[@bilalhijjawi8860]

I first tasted Egyptian bread in Kuwait and was surprised by how good it tasted compared to the commercial white pita bread I've been eating all my life.... I've always wondered how it's done, and now, somehow you came across my youtube feed and voila, the best video about how to make it. Thanks a million for posting this video.

[@lorddorker3703]

I feel like you just channeled my long lost Egyptian in me! By sharing with me what feels like a very authentic experience it's given me the desire to actually try making it.

[@Walaamousa655]

وااو ظهر لي ذلك الفيد بالصدفة و لما شاهدت العنوان و خاصة كلمة خبز مصري أكملت الفيد و شاهدت التعليقات و وجدت مصريين مغتربين معلقين أيضا سعيدة جدا بما شاهدت و قرأت رغم أنها وصفه من وصفات كثيرة لأنواع الخبز المصري ، انا كمان اضفت وصفة مشابه منذ عدة شهور على قناتى الصغيره شكرا على مجهودك

[@rontavakoli-JD-MBA]

I love every aspect of this. the high moisture, the crazy gluten structure inside...absolutely mouth watering. The inside of that pita looks mad. thank you so much. I suspect this will be my goto bread recipe. its hard to beat a good pita.

[@lisalisa1656]

Love ❤️ Egypt. Love Aish baladi. American Wife of an Egyptian for 20 years.

[@randomness8819]

ur one of us now! lol

[@edzmuda6870]

Finally - a use for that wheat bran that’s been taking up space in my pantry for years!!

[@MiddleEats]

Funnily the bag we got was like a massive pillow of bran. Thought about using it for that since it was taking up so much space

[@MuhammadDaif]

This recipe is legendary, I've been baking my own bread for years and by far this is the closest to Eish Balady :)) huge kudos ! I've substituted a 100 gm of the all purpose flour with a 100 gm whole wheat with pretty good results (doesn't puff up like the all purpose) but tastes pretty rich.

[@sammyt3514]

Started watching thinking I might be able to try this at home, but it’s so complex. I didn’t know that it needed that many steps. Great video all the same thanks for all your research and information.

[@pqrs_987]

i've had plenty of the Lebanese-style khubz before, and the so-called pita found in US supermarkets, but omg now i want to try this Egyptian bread, like right now!!!!! 🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤

[@Quiscalus777]

Wow, I'm sure a ton of work went into cracking the code on this. Congrats! It looks fantastic. صحتين وعافية

[@shoomboom]

yes yes yes I am obsessed with fresh Egyptian baladi bread! eating a fresh steaming hot super stretchy piece of it on my way back home from the bakery is a CORE childhood memory! especially on a cold wet winter morning ❤

[@nerdcave0]

Man I LOVE high hydration doughs but I've never seen or even thought to try high hydration with pitas. Definitely going to try this, thanks!

[@KryssAA]

I'm sure to make these next time the whole family come for a meal ! Thanks for break up all the secrets of this great bread.

[@koreyb]

for Christmas!

[@theverybestway]

تعيش يا عزيزي. شكراً على الدرس الجميل. Well done and be safe

[@darkshines81]

Oh the memories when we would make the bread with my grandma in Egypt ❤

[@millettemone6844]

Another great video! I loved watching how people are making pita in their country in authentic way! I once had a thin pizza-like bread baked in a communal village furnace in a remote village in Turkey. My Turkish friend bought it for me. It was really tasty with smell of burning wood. No modern kitchen can create that unless you have brick oven in the garden or something.

[@thegrynne]

Pioik, a terrific Egyptian bakery in Sydney Australia, makes eish baladi some weekends. I tried it for the first time last weekend - it was delicious! Chewy in places, slightly crispy and nutty in others. The wholegrain sourdough taste really packs it full of flavour.

[@abrslam]

I've been using your hummus recipe for ages, and I even promised my wife I'd make some this week. Last night we were talking about trying to make our own flat breads because "how hard can it be?". I think this week might be the week for flatbreads, and Eish baladi might be "it"!

[@threengcircus]

Never seen a 100+% hydration dough. Wow! I thought it was going to be a batter! Nice video!

[@cocvhecv]

Yeah, wow. Opens up a whole world of ideas

[@mahnoorsw0rld482]

*It's Very HeLpfuL thankxW!!!!!* 👌👌

[@Anesthesia069]

I like making these to eat with your fava/bread bean and tomato stew with the egg cracked on the top which you made a long time ago. I didn't know what they should be like, so it's great to have this video so I can try it out myself.

[@viniv20]

I allready know by how it looks and folds that it's exactly ( or very close ) to the ones my favorite local falafel spot makes it, and it's DIVINE !

[@Swelinde]

Thank you and Salma for putting in so much time to crack the recipe! All the extra info for why certain ingredients won't work or what to look out for are very much appreciated. Seeing as how the dough is so wet, could you freeze the bread instead? Would be nice if making a bigger batch.

[@fatmaghanem7765]

@@Swelinde if you mean freezing the bread after baking it, then yes you can, it freezes beautifully. Thats what we do in Egypt. And for reheating it, you can put in the microwave, but the absolute best result, is reheating in the oven under the griddle. Just a couple minutes for each side and it comes out like it was freshly made.

[@asya9507]

Amazing video! Love the scenes from Cairo bakeries and traditional home baking. You've encouraged me to try the shaggy dough again. I've been making pita with a dry dough. It comes out nice and everything, but when I bake it the bottom part is nice and pillowy but the top part is thin.

[@GuirgisNessim]

The amount of effort and attention to detail that have gone into making this video is commendable! Thank you so much ❤

[@linkinpark9281]

A masterclass in cultural and historical representation ❤

[@HB-gz3ci]

Amazing recipe, and yes, eish baladi is fundamentally distinct in taste than just white pita bread.

[@durand101]

This looks so good! I've never seen high hydration flat bread like this before so thanks for the recipe and for sharing the artisan videos too!

[@randomness8819]

Masha Allah brother youre looking great!!!

[@DestinyToParadise]

Mastering the art of Egyptian pita is all about the perfect balance of heat and patience. 🍞🔥✨

[@anwarallie]

I really enjoy your videos. Granted, I’m hungry as heck after watching them, but I enjoy it so much,! 😂

[@calbalu51]

Brilliant. Fantastic, detailed presentation. Cheers mate

[@wronger007]

Love your video, am Egyptian and i need to eat eish balady everyday, never thought it was that hard to make, you know we buy 10 pieces for a dollar here in Egypt 😂

[@shadyworld1]

As an Egyptian I approve that Approach for “Egyptian Flat Bread” ❤ Yeah, we have a lot of other Breads even our own Sour dough based which literally we gave to the world!

[@Moroccantasty]

! I have used the high hydration method before but never with Pita, I can’t wait to try it.

[@andreyrass1393]

I have been looking forward to this recipe for years since you first showed it being made during your travels. Looks like a massive pain but I am very excited to try it.

[@AlZahraa-l2b]

Bravo 👏 well done 👍🏻 I’m amazed by your persistence and the final product is pretty good.. there’s also something you missed about the bread not only the good flavor but also the best smell it has.. how beautiful to wake up in the morning on its smell

[@amirreda8544]

wow , that a great video not only tell how to make but give the whole lore of it awesome work that really sell me out

[@DiluviumEyesofThunder]

Finally! The perfect Pita video.

[@RahmaDiab]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this video and was genuinely proud of the bread results. Thanks for sharing :)

[@osirish8202]

Wow, I baked this with my sourdough starter, and it turned out great! I was rushed, too! This is the best baladi bread I've ever made. Thanks so much, Middle Eats!

[@MiddleEats]

Amazing! What percentage did you swap for starter. We tried 20% and decreased the water slightly. It tasted pretty much the same and was excellent in texture

[@osirish8202]

@MiddleEats, it was only 23% of the total flour! So delicious. I'm gonna try it again without the starter, just using your recipe, and see how they compare. Thanks again, I'm still shocked it was all about the high hydration.

[@sunshineseaandvitamind8620]

Can you explain 23% in simple terms for those of us who are mathematically challenged. ? Thanks!

[@patrickhumphreys4753]

Cheers Obi, top pita. I look forward to trying this method.

[@azizkosber5767]

Been trying to crack this recipe for the past two months! Thank you Salma and thanks for sharing :)

[@azizkosber5767]

Trickiest bit for me has been flattening the dough!

[@technologies4learning]

I love this channel so much. Keep up the wonderful work and thank you for the sharing your knowledge!

[@FearlessOldSoul]

im super amazed omg i cant wait to make this but its so much time to wait and work hahah i need to learn to empress my Egyptian partner. i loe this guy instruction so clear! thanks Habibi!

[@MiddleEats]

You've got this!! And if you want something easier to start with, we have a whole playlist of Egyptian recipes

[@AlZahraa-l2b]

I loved also your video about the stuffed cabbage it was really authentic

[@hend6421]

شكرا من أول لآخر دقيقة ❤

[@mahakawashti5087]

Many thanks very informative 🎉🎉🎉 i’m egyptian

[@bassmataher6902]

Wow first time to know that it was that hard to make, but you made it really easy and looks perfect at home… Great Job 🎉🎉

[@AhmadAboulFarag]

Thank you for this video. Best bread to have for your gut and tastes so good.

[@zulzxfadlide5050]

just beautiful,,a round of applaus to everyone

[@maysoliman6220]

Saving it for my next baking adventure Thank you

[@YasserAlaska]

Thank you so much for another amazing video.. I remember the taste of Egyptian bread like it was yesterday Unfortunately I’m a celiac now and can’t make this but will try to play with your recipe to get a gluten free version Thanks again Keep the great videos coming

[@izwiz1067]

You disappeared from my yt feed and I thought your channel had stopped! So happy that you're keeping going! It's lovely to see you. Looking forward to the next lot of recipes. 🤩

[@motibiran]

My god! Looking good, well done. Keep it up.

[@Fightandresist]

I am already in love- and I haven't even had it! Looks wonderful!

[@drpantalonio]

My goodness isn't it the best recipe ever! thank you!

[@ypnxzge-li6wn]

عاشت الايادي لا تحرمنا من وصفاتك

[@imenzarrouk1448]

I miss it soooo soooo much and will definitely try this technique

[@soulimanhamza4095]

عاش عاش فيديو جميل بينقل ثقافة وروح بلد مش مجرد وصفة خبز ..تحياتي

[@MishaHellas]

One of my fondest youthful memories was the Aish Baladi foul and salad sandwich. Pita bread doesn’t work! Now, with your recipe, I can make my own Aish! Many thanks!

[@irshadmohammed6539]

تبدو أكثر صحة بكثير ماشاء الله!

[@pineapplebetty4323]

Wonderful video! I made them today. I used khorasan flour so it took a bit more water but EVERYTHING was just as you said. Thank you, Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. New subscriber!! ❤

[@allonszenfantsjones]

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. I'm speechless 🤪

[@mickleblade]

Wow,that looks amazing!

[@robertbarnes9005]

Excellent job. Thank you for the work you put into this!