LC Pita Bread Experiment

Kevinpa · 10-19-2007, 08:09 AM

I had a clean kitchen this morning and some time on my hands so I picked a pending project that I have been wanting to try from my long list.

I had a batch of LC Carbalose cake and cookie flour mix pre-mixed so I chose it for this experiment to make LC Pita Bread.

In case you have not seen the recipe, it is the same as the LC cake and cookie flour mix that I have been using but instead of using carbquik I use Cabalose in its place.

The following is the recipe for the flour mix.

1 cup LC Cabalose cake or cookie flour mix (12 carbs)

1/2 cup carbalose
1/4 cup wheat protein isolate 5000
1 Tbs wheat protein isolate 8000
1/8 cup almond flour
1 Tbs resistant wheat starch 75
1 tsp not/Sugar

I have had some difficulties in the past using this mix in yeast application with my bread recipe because of rising issues so I decided to treat it as I would an all purpose flour and went with a basic pita bread recipe.

2 cups of the above LC Carbalose cake and cookie flour mix
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

In a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients well.
In an electric mixing bowl combine water and oil.
Add flour and mix with paddle attachment until a sticky dough forms.
Replace paddle with the dough hook and knead with hook for 10 minutes until you have a soft non-sticky dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. If you dough is too wet you may have to add a small amount more of flour mix to stiffen it up.
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into 8 equal pieces and form into balls as you would if you were making buns and let rise in a draft free place for 1 hour.

When they have doubled in size, take the raised dough and flatten between lightly floured parchment and roll the dough out to a 6 inch circle.
Place circles on a lighly grease cookie sheetand bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10-12 min and light golden brown.

OK, I followed the above thru the rise and when I got to that point the buns had risen so nicely that I also wanted to see what they would turn out like as buns also.
So I decided to bake 6 of the 8 as buns and the other 2 as pita bread.

I was amazed at the taste and texture of both the buns and the pitas.
Light airy buns with a super chewy crust and the pitas were perfect.
I might add that there was absolutly no off taste to either of them.

Here are some pictures. At 3 carbs each I think I have a winner here.

Dottie · 10-19-2007, 08:41 AM

Wow -nice!
even if it does use odd-ball ingredients

stephdray · 10-19-2007, 08:48 AM

Some dumb questions here.

How do these buns stack up, in your mind, compared to the Carbalose #4 basic recipe from "Just another White Bread" or the whole wheat variety you've been making with King Arthurt's white whole wheat?

Also, how did you get the hole in the middle of the pita like that? Did the dough just naturally separate? I guess I'm asking how it turned out that way instead of turning into a pizza crust!

(P.S. Kevin, I tried some winter squash last night for the first time at your encouragement, and I was totally wowed. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, but I assure you, my picky husband who hates most of my low carb concoctions is going to thank you more!)

Kevinpa · 10-19-2007, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephdray

Some dumb questions here.

How do these buns stack up, in your mind, compared to the Carbalose #4 basic recipe from "Just another White Bread" or the whole wheat variety you've been making with King Arthurt's white whole wheat?

Also, how did you get the hole in the middle of the pita like that? Did the dough just naturally separate? I guess I'm asking how it turned out that way instead of turning into a pizza crust!

(P.S. Kevin, I tried some winter squash last night for the first time at your encouragement, and I was totally wowed. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, but I assure you, my picky husband who hates most of my low carb concoctions is going to thank you more!)

Steph, these buns remind me of a french roll. Light airy inside with a chewey crust. The other 2 are a heavier bread. I don't think can compare them as to which I like better because I like them different....if that make sense.

As for the pita bread, the dough does the naturally in that once it has risen, you are rolling out the air so you have 2 layers and when they bake they seperate.

CreekWatcher · 10-19-2007, 12:40 PM

That's really interesting, Kevin. I have two questions:

1) by "off tastes," are you including the off taste of WPI, for those like me who normally don't like a lot of it?

2) do you think this would be good for pizza, if toppings were put on before baking?

(By the way, thank you for the cookie and cake mix; have used it for a couple of those kinds of applications and have had no problem with the "high" WPI content in those cases.)

rexsreine · 10-19-2007, 12:46 PM

These are GORGEOUS, Kevin!!! I need to make some yeast bread and this will be it.
Thanks for all your hard work, diligence, and SHARING!

Ginny

Tater Head · 10-19-2007, 01:05 PM

That's pretty cool

CarolynF · 10-19-2007, 01:23 PM

Kevin, Kevin, Kevin..You are amazing..

I DID make up your cookie/cake mix and made an apple cake..I cooked it too long and it was a bit dry, but the taste was fabulous!!!!! I did the Carbalose version..nom, nom, nom.

Kevinpa · 10-19-2007, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CreekWatcher

1) by "off tastes," are you including the off taste of WPI, for those like me who normally don't like a lot of it?

2) do you think this would be good for pizza, if toppings were put on before baking?

I would be very very surprised if anybody had an exception to the taste of these buns....wpi or otherwise.

I am guessing it would make a good pizza. I have continuing plans for this experiment and making a pizza with it is one of them.

CreekWatcher · 10-19-2007, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevinpa

I would be very very surprised if anybody had an exception to the taste of these buns....wpi or otherwise.

I am guessing it would make a good pizza. I have continuing plans for this experiment and making a pizza with it is one of them.

Thanks Kevin!

Kevinpa · 10-20-2007, 02:32 AM

I left the pitas sitting out on the counter overnight as a test. As I thought, they were as hard and crispy as a taco shell. I was surprised at how many pita chips I got. I think I will try making some of these flavored specifically to use for chips.

magnamater · 10-20-2007, 06:33 AM

Yum! Gyro's are a coming!

Like that you used your pastry flour for these. . .carbalose version.

Thanks, Kevin!

magnamater · 10-20-2007, 06:37 AM

The crisps/chips look promising too! (it's knoshing time of the year. . .)

So will you season the pita chips after they are broken up. . .with a spray of olive oil? or incorporate into the dough?

Kevinpa · 10-20-2007, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by magnamater

The crisps/chips look promising too! (it's knoshing time of the year. . .)

So will you season the pita chips after they are broken up. . .with a spray of olive oil? or incorporate into the dough?

I tried seasoning the ones I have and it didn't work very well so i will try seasoning the dough.

lisabinil · 10-20-2007, 10:44 AM

I made these last night and they are great-very light and airy as Kevin said. I don't know if these would hold up to sauce and toppings for pizza though-they would have to be a denser texture.

Tweaker Geek · 10-20-2007, 02:28 PM

Very impressive Kevin! You never cease to amaze me!

Yummy's_Girl · 10-20-2007, 04:58 PM

Wow, these look great!

lisabinil · 10-21-2007, 07:18 AM

Very good the next day also. They firm up a bit more as they dry out a little and I think I will make a mini sammich for lunch. Thanks Kevin!

CreekWatcher · 10-23-2007, 10:03 AM

This is a remarkable recipe--it would be if it had 6 or 7 grams an ounce, let alone for bread that has about 2. The rolls are sort of Kaiser-like, in both taste and appearance...thought at first that the rise was too much strait up, that they didn't "spread" enough, but have found that the top of the sandwhich bun scrunches beautifully when you press it down with your fingers. The Pita bread is crisper and not as puffy/soft as (what I take to be) traditional--yet in spite of being slightly cracker-like, it's still very pita-like, and very good.

Kevinpa · 10-24-2007, 10:44 AM

I made another batch of these buns today and they turned out perfectly the same. If you are a fan of bakery chewy buns I encourage you to try these.

rexsreine · 10-24-2007, 03:07 PM

These are SO pretty I can hardly wait to try them. But we have grand kiddies coming over this afternoon and we're leaving on an early weekend jaunt. Next week for sure... Thanks for sharing again, Kevin.

Ginny

Kevinpa · 10-26-2007, 07:09 AM

Just for kicks and giggles, I made this recipe this morning using my Carbquik cake and cookie flour mix. The results, I must say, were a bit of a surprise. Although the rise was not as high, they made it to at least 7/8 of the carbalose version and by no means lacking in that catagory. Unlike the carbalose buns which had a chewy crust, these reminded me more of a soft hamburger bun. The inside was very light and airy and had no off taste what so ever. In short, I'm impressed.
I had to add an extra 1/4 flour mix (bringing it to 2 1/4 cup) to the knead process to get the dough to the texture that I thought it should be, but that still brought them in at 2.5 carbs each. I will be curious to see how both of these versions work as a loaf of bread.

Tweaker Geek · 10-26-2007, 03:13 PM

Ok, I'm making these tomorrow!! I was going to make bread, and maybe I still will, but man these buns look good!

Everything else stays the same, just increase the flour mix to 2 1/4 cups, right?

Kevinpa · 10-27-2007, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tweaker Geek

Everything else stays the same, just increase the flour mix to 2 1/4 cups, right?

Yes Tweaker, sorry I didn't see this yesterday.

Tweaker Geek · 10-27-2007, 05:51 PM

Kevin - I made the buns today with the C-Q cake/cookie flour blend. They didn't rise as much as I had expected but the taste, texture and crust were spot-on for the best LC bun yet. Your are my hero!

I had a turkey and cheese sandwich with mayo and a ramekin of cauliflower bisque for dinner - it was a great meal - this bun made all the difference in the world!

You state instant yeast in the recipe. That would be the only thing that I might question as the rise went. I take it any yeast that isn't a yeast cake is instant yeast, right? I used the yeast in the jar today. I've had excellent results with the rapid rise in some of your other recipes but didn't use it today, do you think that may have been a better option?

One other thing, I brushed the tops of the buns with an egg white wash before baking, they were golden brown, beautiful!

Kevinpa · 10-27-2007, 06:24 PM

Instant yeast is the name they give to none proofing yeast that is added directly into the flour. It is very similar if not the same as rapid rise yeast.

I have a question for you tweak. Do you use a mixer when making the dough and if so did you time the kneading with the bread hook and let the dough knead the full 10 minutes?

Tweaker Geek · 10-27-2007, 08:16 PM

The yeast in the jar can be added with the flour, which is what I did; however, I just looked at the directions on the jar (never did that before!

) and it does say to bring the measured yeast to room temperature before adding, which, of course, I didn't!

I do my dough in the bread machine Kevin, on the dough only cycle which is 30 minutes total, it starts out slow - kind of a blending together process - and then kneads the dough, the knead may be 15-20 mins. in the machine.

Kevinpa · 10-27-2007, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tweaker Geek

They didn't rise as much as I had expected

The yeast in the jar can be added with the flour, which is what I did; however, I just looked at the directions on the jar (never did that before!

) and it does say to bring the measured yeast to room temperature before adding, which, of course, I didn't!

I do my dough in the bread machine Kevin, on the dough only cycle which is 30 minutes total, it starts out slow - kind of a blending together process - and then kneads the dough, the knead may be 15-20 mins. in the machine.

Rather than the temperature of the yeast, I am thinking that it may be the difference in the knead time that may be the difference in the rise. The next time I make these I am going to let the knead go 5 to 10 minutes longer to see what if any difference that makes in the rise.

lisabinil · 10-28-2007, 02:59 PM

I just made a batch in my breadmaker this time and will post back how it turns out-knead time was approximately 1/2 hour. I was also thinking of making lc monkey bread with this recipe.

lisabinil · 10-28-2007, 07:50 PM

Rolls turned out beautifully after making them in the dough cycle on my bread machine.

10-19-2007, 08:09 AM	#1
Kevinpa Guest Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 5,575 Gallery: Kevinpa Stats: 230/160/165 WOE: Low Carb Maintenance Start Date: May 2005	LC Pita Bread Experiment I had a clean kitchen this morning and some time on my hands so I picked a pending project that I have been wanting to try from my long list. I had a batch of LC Carbalose cake and cookie flour mix pre-mixed so I chose it for this experiment to make LC Pita Bread. In case you have not seen the recipe, it is the same as the LC cake and cookie flour mix that I have been using but instead of using carbquik I use Cabalose in its place. The following is the recipe for the flour mix. 1 cup LC Cabalose cake or cookie flour mix (12 carbs) 1/2 cup carbalose 1/4 cup wheat protein isolate 5000 1 Tbs wheat protein isolate 8000 1/8 cup almond flour 1 Tbs resistant wheat starch 75 1 tsp not/Sugar I have had some difficulties in the past using this mix in yeast application with my bread recipe because of rising issues so I decided to treat it as I would an all purpose flour and went with a basic pita bread recipe. 2 cups of the above LC Carbalose cake and cookie flour mix 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp sugar 2 tsp instant yeast 3/4 cup warm water 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil In a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients well. In an electric mixing bowl combine water and oil. Add flour and mix with paddle attachment until a sticky dough forms. Replace paddle with the dough hook and knead with hook for 10 minutes until you have a soft non-sticky dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. If you dough is too wet you may have to add a small amount more of flour mix to stiffen it up. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into 8 equal pieces and form into balls as you would if you were making buns and let rise in a draft free place for 1 hour. When they have doubled in size, take the raised dough and flatten between lightly floured parchment and roll the dough out to a 6 inch circle. Place circles on a lighly grease cookie sheetand bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10-12 min and light golden brown. OK, I followed the above thru the rise and when I got to that point the buns had risen so nicely that I also wanted to see what they would turn out like as buns also. So I decided to bake 6 of the 8 as buns and the other 2 as pita bread. I was amazed at the taste and texture of both the buns and the pitas. Light airy buns with a super chewy crust and the pitas were perfect. I might add that there was absolutly no off taste to either of them. Here are some pictures. At 3 carbs each I think I have a winner here.

10-27-2007, 05:51 PM	#25
Tweaker Geek Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: USA Posts: 2,702 Gallery: Tweaker Geek	Kevin - I made the buns today with the C-Q cake/cookie flour blend. They didn't rise as much as I had expected but the taste, texture and crust were spot-on for the best LC bun yet. Your are my hero! I had a turkey and cheese sandwich with mayo and a ramekin of cauliflower bisque for dinner - it was a great meal - this bun made all the difference in the world! You state instant yeast in the recipe. That would be the only thing that I might question as the rise went. I take it any yeast that isn't a yeast cake is instant yeast, right? I used the yeast in the jar today. I've had excellent results with the rapid rise in some of your other recipes but didn't use it today, do you think that may have been a better option? One other thing, I brushed the tops of the buns with an egg white wash before baking, they were golden brown, beautiful! __________________ HAPPY TO BE A LOW-CARBER! Last edited by Tweaker Geek; 10-27-2007 at 05:56 PM..

10-27-2007, 08:16 PM	#27
Tweaker Geek Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: USA Posts: 2,702 Gallery: Tweaker Geek	The yeast in the jar can be added with the flour, which is what I did; however, I just looked at the directions on the jar (never did that before!) and it does say to bring the measured yeast to room temperature before adding, which, of course, I didn't! I do my dough in the bread machine Kevin, on the dough only cycle which is 30 minutes total, it starts out slow - kind of a blending together process - and then kneads the dough, the knead may be 15-20 mins. in the machine.

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10-19-2007, 08:41 AM	#2
Dottie Administrator Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: S.E. Texas Gulf Coast Posts: 68,548 Gallery: Dottie WOE: JUDDD calorie cycling plan	Wow -nice! even if it does use odd-ball ingredients

10-19-2007, 08:48 AM	#3
stephdray Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Baltimore Posts: 1,118 Gallery: stephdray Stats: 290/249/250 WOE: Moderate Carb JUDDD (Lost first 4 lbs on WW) Start Date: 7/4/2012 -- 41 lbs lost total	Some dumb questions here. How do these buns stack up, in your mind, compared to the Carbalose #4 basic recipe from "Just another White Bread" or the whole wheat variety you've been making with King Arthurt's white whole wheat? Also, how did you get the hole in the middle of the pita like that? Did the dough just naturally separate? I guess I'm asking how it turned out that way instead of turning into a pizza crust! (P.S. Kevin, I tried some winter squash last night for the first time at your encouragement, and I was totally wowed. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, but I assure you, my picky husband who hates most of my low carb concoctions is going to thank you more!)

10-19-2007, 12:40 PM	#5
CreekWatcher Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 1,116 Gallery: CreekWatcher	That's really interesting, Kevin. I have two questions: 1) by "off tastes," are you including the off taste of WPI, for those like me who normally don't like a lot of it? 2) do you think this would be good for pizza, if toppings were put on before baking? (By the way, thank you for the cookie and cake mix; have used it for a couple of those kinds of applications and have had no problem with the "high" WPI content in those cases.)

10-19-2007, 12:46 PM	#6
rexsreine Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Scottsdale,AZ Posts: 714 Gallery: rexsreine WOE: low carb	These are GORGEOUS, Kevin!!! I need to make some yeast bread and this will be it. Thanks for all your hard work, diligence, and SHARING! Ginny

10-19-2007, 01:05 PM	#7
Tater Head Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 3,927 Gallery: Tater Head Stats: start weight 200/196.5 /goal 150 WOE: Protein Power	That's pretty cool

10-19-2007, 01:23 PM	#8
CarolynF Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Kansas Posts: 36,825 Gallery: CarolynF Stats: 195/141/139 WOE: Eat Fat, Get Thin Start Date: January 2001	Kevin, Kevin, Kevin..You are amazing.. I DID make up your cookie/cake mix and made an apple cake..I cooked it too long and it was a bit dry, but the taste was fabulous!!!!! I did the Carbalose version..nom, nom, nom.

10-20-2007, 06:33 AM	#12
magnamater Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 3,063 Gallery: magnamater	Yum! Gyro's are a coming! Like that you used your pastry flour for these. . .carbalose version. Thanks, Kevin!

10-20-2007, 06:37 AM	#13
magnamater Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 3,063 Gallery: magnamater	The crisps/chips look promising too! (it's knoshing time of the year. . .) So will you season the pita chips after they are broken up. . .with a spray of olive oil? or incorporate into the dough?

10-20-2007, 10:44 AM	#15
lisabinil Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: suburbs of Chicago Posts: 18,027 Gallery: lisabinil Stats: 287/Restart 206/177/160 5'6" WOE: Healthy Carb for Optimum Health Start Date: 2/4/10	I made these last night and they are great-very light and airy as Kevin said. I don't know if these would hold up to sauce and toppings for pizza though-they would have to be a denser texture.

10-20-2007, 02:28 PM	#16
Tweaker Geek Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: USA Posts: 2,702 Gallery: Tweaker Geek	Very impressive Kevin! You never cease to amaze me!

10-20-2007, 04:58 PM	#17
Yummy's_Girl Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,923 Gallery: Yummy's_Girl Stats: 168/134/130-135 WOE: A way of my own Start Date: June 2006	Wow, these look great!

10-21-2007, 07:18 AM	#18
lisabinil Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: suburbs of Chicago Posts: 18,027 Gallery: lisabinil Stats: 287/Restart 206/177/160 5'6" WOE: Healthy Carb for Optimum Health Start Date: 2/4/10	Very good the next day also. They firm up a bit more as they dry out a little and I think I will make a mini sammich for lunch. Thanks Kevin!

10-23-2007, 10:03 AM	#19
CreekWatcher Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 1,116 Gallery: CreekWatcher	This is a remarkable recipe--it would be if it had 6 or 7 grams an ounce, let alone for bread that has about 2. The rolls are sort of Kaiser-like, in both taste and appearance...thought at first that the rise was too much strait up, that they didn't "spread" enough, but have found that the top of the sandwhich bun scrunches beautifully when you press it down with your fingers. The Pita bread is crisper and not as puffy/soft as (what I take to be) traditional--yet in spite of being slightly cracker-like, it's still very pita-like, and very good.

10-24-2007, 10:44 AM	#20
Kevinpa Guest Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 5,575 Gallery: Kevinpa Stats: 230/160/165 WOE: Low Carb Maintenance Start Date: May 2005	I made another batch of these buns today and they turned out perfectly the same. If you are a fan of bakery chewy buns I encourage you to try these.

10-24-2007, 03:07 PM	#21
rexsreine Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Scottsdale,AZ Posts: 714 Gallery: rexsreine WOE: low carb	These are SO pretty I can hardly wait to try them. But we have grand kiddies coming over this afternoon and we're leaving on an early weekend jaunt. Next week for sure... Thanks for sharing again, Kevin. Ginny

10-26-2007, 07:09 AM	#22
Kevinpa Guest Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 5,575 Gallery: Kevinpa Stats: 230/160/165 WOE: Low Carb Maintenance Start Date: May 2005	Just for kicks and giggles, I made this recipe this morning using my Carbquik cake and cookie flour mix. The results, I must say, were a bit of a surprise. Although the rise was not as high, they made it to at least 7/8 of the carbalose version and by no means lacking in that catagory. Unlike the carbalose buns which had a chewy crust, these reminded me more of a soft hamburger bun. The inside was very light and airy and had no off taste what so ever. In short, I'm impressed. I had to add an extra 1/4 flour mix (bringing it to 2 1/4 cup) to the knead process to get the dough to the texture that I thought it should be, but that still brought them in at 2.5 carbs each. I will be curious to see how both of these versions work as a loaf of bread.

10-26-2007, 03:13 PM	#23
Tweaker Geek Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: USA Posts: 2,702 Gallery: Tweaker Geek	Ok, I'm making these tomorrow!! I was going to make bread, and maybe I still will, but man these buns look good! Everything else stays the same, just increase the flour mix to 2 1/4 cups, right?

10-27-2007, 06:24 PM	#26
Kevinpa Guest Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 5,575 Gallery: Kevinpa Stats: 230/160/165 WOE: Low Carb Maintenance Start Date: May 2005	Instant yeast is the name they give to none proofing yeast that is added directly into the flour. It is very similar if not the same as rapid rise yeast. I have a question for you tweak. Do you use a mixer when making the dough and if so did you time the kneading with the bread hook and let the dough knead the full 10 minutes?

10-28-2007, 02:59 PM	#29
lisabinil Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: suburbs of Chicago Posts: 18,027 Gallery: lisabinil Stats: 287/Restart 206/177/160 5'6" WOE: Healthy Carb for Optimum Health Start Date: 2/4/10	I just made a batch in my breadmaker this time and will post back how it turns out-knead time was approximately 1/2 hour. I was also thinking of making lc monkey bread with this recipe.

10-28-2007, 07:50 PM	#30
lisabinil Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: suburbs of Chicago Posts: 18,027 Gallery: lisabinil Stats: 287/Restart 206/177/160 5'6" WOE: Healthy Carb for Optimum Health Start Date: 2/4/10	Rolls turned out beautifully after making them in the dough cycle on my bread machine.