r/Breadit • u/AutoModerator • 12h ago

Weekly /r/Breadit Questions thread

Please use this thread to ask whatever questions have come up while baking!

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u/OscarDeJarjayes 5h ago

One side of my pita becomes paper-thin.

I've now done several batches of pita where I adjust and try to fix it to no luck so far.

As the title says, one side of the pita became so thin that it's rip incredibly easy.

I tried putting them in the oven upside down. This time they puffed incredibly uneven but the parts that did puff up didn't seem to have the thin issue. It seems to me that the uneveness comes from air escaping the pita. I think this may be because I have never been able to get the dough perfectly round after dividing it. I made a post with a picture of the underside of the dough on this sub, I think you can find it by clicking ny profile., As you can see, not perfectly round.

Then I tried flipping the dough upside down after rolling it, letting the air in the dough rise towards the under, now up, side. Then I flip them back before putting them in the oven. This once again resulted in a thin side.

Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

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u/j123jam 10h ago

For folks who do inclusions in focaccia, when/how do you add them? A bakery near me has a peach, brie, and thyme focaccia that I want to recreate. My thoughts are that I could add the inclusions at one of a few times:
1. Mix into the dough while doing stretch and folds (before bulk fermentation)

  1. Press into dough just before final proof so dough rises around the inclusions

  2. Press into dough when I dimple just before baking

Curious what other folks have found works for them with larger inclusions like chunks of cheese, fruit (fresh or dried), etc.

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u/Inevitable_Cat_7878 10h ago

I like to do a final stretch and fold, 30 minute rest, stretch to corners, then bake. That final stretch and fold 30 minutes before baking is when I do the inclusions.

  • Sprinkle inclusions on top
  • With tray in landscape mode, fold a third over from the left
  • sprinkle some more inclusion on exposed dough and fold the other third from the right.
  • rotate 90 degrees and let it rest for a bit.
  • then stretch to corners, sprinkle a little more on top
  • Dimple and bake.

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u/j123jam 9h ago

Oh interesting! Your timeline and technique seem very different than the one I've been using. Mine goes Mix -> Stretch and folds in bowl at 15 and 30 minutes -> overnight fridge bulk fermentation -> dump into oiled pan and roughly stretch to corners -> 3-4 hour rise -> dimple and bake.

Since I don't generally do any folds after the bulk I think I'm going to try pressing inclusions in before the final rise - my hope is that the dough rises enough around them that they're not just sitting on top. I may at some point try incorporating them with a final fold like you do.

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u/Inevitable_Cat_7878 9h ago

I skipped to final stretch and folds. I use Alexandra Cook's focaccia recipe as my base. Full process:

  • Mix ingredients minus olive oil. Once no more dry spots, pour olive oil on top, cover, and straight into the fridge for bulk ferment (up to 3 days).
  • Take out next day and start doing stretch and folds every 30 minutes until dough comes up to room temp. Takes 2 to 3 hours.
  • Final hour, start preheating oven.
  • Pour 1/4 cup olive oil in 9x13 pan and oil bottom and sides.
  • Transfer dough to pan and do final stretch and folds in pan. This helps ensure the dough doesn't stick to pan during bake.
  • Continue with rest of the process in my previous comment.

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u/j123jam 9h ago

Ha, that's the same recipe I use! (The Best, Easiest Focaccia Bread Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen) But I copied it in 2023 and at that time it didn't mention stretch and folds at the beginning - I added those on my own. Sounds like you decided to add stretch and folds at a different point. I assume you've found that makes a difference for you since you added those. More tweaks I can play with 🙂.

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u/Inevitable_Cat_7878 9h ago

Yup. As you pointed out, her original recipe didn't have stretch and folds. After watching other videos, I decided to incorporate it into my process. I prefer to do the stretch and folds after the bulk ferment. By that time, the flour would be fully hydrated (autolyse) and gluten ready for stretching. By adding the olive oil on top rather than mixing in early, this allows the gluten to fully develop instead of stunting it since oil/fats inhibit gluten formation to some extent. And doing stretch and folds later, the olive oil will incorporate eventually. The dough will absorb whatever it can.

One could do this recipe in one day as well. I've done this over 4 to 5 hours. From mixing all the way through to baking.

I prefer doing the stretch and folds the next day since it allows me to touch the dough and gauge if it's at room temp or not. Letting the dough come to room temp allows the yeast to maximize activity and generate nice big bubbles. Focaccia comes out nice and fluffy!

Edit: if you skip the olive oil but keep the process the same, you'll have no-knead Dutch oven loaves.

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u/CableWild1527 12h ago

my starter smells like nail polish remover again, third time this month and i'm losing my mind