This Middle Eastern bread dough (Arabic bread dough) is a quick, easy, and versatile all-purpose dough – perfect for pizza, calzone, fatayer, manakish, lahmebajen, etc. All you need is a few ingredients for the base to tons of Middle Eastern bread and pastry recipes!
Basic Lebanese Bread Dough
Khubis Talameh
Yield: 6 loaves
Materials
- 1 pkg active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tsp white sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp shortening
Instructions
- Mix yeast and sugar in ½ cup warm water. Let rest for 10 minutes until mixture bubbles.
- Place flour and salt in a large bowl, pushing flour to one side. Pour remaining 1½ cups warm water, oil and yeast mixture into empty side of bowl.
- Knead flour into water until well blended and dough is smooth (add extra water or flour if needed).
- Brush sides of bowl with 1 Tbsp. oil and roll dough in oil so entire surface is covered. (Prevents sticking and cracking)
- Cover with plastic wrap and towel and let rest in a warm place (ie. oven at low temp) for approximately 1½ hours, until double in size.
- Divide dough into grapefruit-size balls.
- Roll lightly in flour, cover with plastic wrap and tea towel and let rest on table for 30 minutes.
- Pat with finger tips into 8" rounds of ½" thickness
- Place on cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for approximately 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. If tops do not brown, place under broiler for 1-2 minutes.
- Brush tops with cool water to keep soft.
