Here is the recipe I normally use: Eggplant Parmigiana 2 medium eggplants (select ones that are long and somewhat narrow) Kosher salt Flour, for coating 2 eggs 2 tbsp water 1-1/2 cups Panko or dry breadcrumbs 1/4 tsp cayenne Avocado or grape seed oil, for deep frying 1 pound Mozzarella 1/4 pound sharp Provolone 1/4 pound Parmesan cheese Sauce: 1-1/2 cups (12 oz.) Marinara (tomato) sauce 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 3-4 cloves garlic, minced (optional) Directions: Slice the eggplant into 1/2â thick rounds and place in a large bowl with a large amount of salt, enough to coat all cut sides. You can toss the slices in the bowl if it has a cover to get the salt more evenly distributed. Then place the slices in a colander or other large pan (such as a steaming basket) with the slices vertical, and allow it to drain for one hour. Remove the slices from the colander and wipe off the excess salt with a brush or towel, and dry the pieces with a clean towel if they are very damp. Note: Do not leave overnight! While the eggplant is draining, add the basil, olive oil, and garlic to the tomato sauce for extra flavor. It is not necessary to cook the sauce at this point. Prepare the mozzarella by cutting it into fairly thin slices, and grate the Provolone and Parmesan. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 375ð and have a platter ready with paper towels for draining. Place about a cup of flour in a bowl for dipping, and mix the breadcrumbs with the cayenne in another bowl. Blend the eggs with the 2 tbsp water in a third bowl, and place the bowls in a row for coating. Prepare each slice by first lightly coating it with flour (shake off excess flour), dipping in egg, and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. Deep-fry each slice in the oil until lightly golden on both sides (approx. 3 minutes per side) and then drain on paper towels. When all the slices have been fried, get an 8âÂÂx13â (or equivalent) glass or ceramic baking dish and brush olive oil on the bottom and sides to prevent sticking. Spread a very thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, and then place a layer of eggplant over that. Put a small amount of tomato sauce over each slice and then a slice of mozzarella over each piece, and sprinkle a bit of Provolone and Parmesan over that layer. Repeat this process until the baking dish is full, but do not overfill. The final layer will be tomato sauce with no cheese. I prefer to have all the cheese between the layers of eggplant, but you can put some on top as well. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil and bake at 375ð for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Pinot Noir or Chiati is good with this dish. I serve it with a side dish of pasta plus bread. I have another version that I make using okra instead of eggplant, but you can definitely use zucchini instead of eggplant, but eggplant is my...

OK, so if I wanted to make it without using a bread machine (I don't have one). Tell me if this sounds right. Mix dry ingredients. Pour in yeast and water. Knead for 5 minutes in stand mixer. Put in greased bowl. Let it rise until doubled in size. Punch it down and shape it into a loaf pan. Let it rise until it's crowing over the top of the pan? I have some rye sitting in the freezer that I used for a sourdough starter so I guess I could grind a 1/2 cup of that for rye flour.

I've checked other cookbooks I have for pita recipes (I really don't have that many cookbooks), and most of them did not have a recipe for it at all, and I checked my Greek Cooking in an American Kitchen 1982 (flatbread recipe only, similar to Armenian bread), Lebanese Cooking 1992 by Susan Ward, The Mediterranean Kitchen 1989 by Joyce Goldstein, The Complete Bread Book - 1983 (not so complete after all, and it is Kevin's), The New York Times Cookbook 1990 (this was a gift), and none of these had a recipe for making pita bread. Then I checked Sunset's Easy Basics for International Cooking 1984 and finally found one. I'm getting the idea that these cookbook authors expect you to buy pita bread rather than make it, but as you can see, they are all fairly old. I'm not big on collecting cookbooks, and the newest ones I have are all Japanese. Anyway, the Sunset book says to use a baking sheet, but it also says to use the lowest rack in the oven and bake at 475° for five minutes or until pockets form and the bottoms are brown. Then you are supposed to change the heat to broil, flip the bread, and broil it 4" below the heat for about 1 minute. I can only broil in my toaster oven, and so this might be a problem. I have pizza stones, and I put the baking sheets on the stones when baking, but I may have to try another method. At this point, I might try this recipe next. This recipe says to use a cast iron skillet, and so I might try it instead. I have several iron skillets plus an iron comal, a cast iron grill, and a 15" diameter iron pizza pan, and so iron might be the best way for me to go. Pati cooks her tortillas on cast iron and gets them too puff up, and so this may be a better method. I think most cookbooks (especially old ones) expect you to buy pita bread, but it cannot be that difficult to make, and I always have the ingredients on hand, plus the time to do it. I buy pita bread at a Syrian market, but I know that whatever I buy at a market is probably a few days old, although the Syrian market should have the freshest pita. For me, it is more of an ordeal to go to the market to buy it than to make it, once I get the procedure down. This Youtube video looks helpful, and at least it is in English: This one looked good at the beginning, but I did not like the finish or the large diameter: I like the Italian video because he uses semolina flour as I do, and I have no trouble understanding Italian. However, he baked his in the oven, and I want to use cast iron on the cooktop. Evidently you can only do one video per post, and so I had to delete two of them.

I'm a big user of a bread machine for bread, however, I always just use the dough cycle, and then pop the dough out and knead it at least once real good on my own before the last rise. I don't think that the bread machine can do quite the best job of developing the gluten structure that hand kneading can, if you do it right. That's what gives bread flavor and texture, the interplay between the yeast and the ingredients. Also, a longer rise develops flavor too. I'm always in search of better flavor and texture in my breads, so that's why I am saying these things, I've researched it and tried it out IRL. I also agree that flour quality makes a huge difference. I mail order special flours from Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur and store them in the freezer. I also use recipes specifically designed for the bread machine. I have "The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook" by Rachel Hensperger, which is also a fun book. Lots of details about using it there, although she bakes in the machine. I also don't care for the hole left by the paddle and the shape of the machine baked bread, which is another reason I convert all the recipes to baking in the oven.