nextgap.com

This is a review I made of the KitchenAid mixer. It’s a 475 watt nice machine with plenty of motor power.

I’ve made a comparison of the smaller 300W KitchenAid, VS big brother the HD (which I work on in this video) VS the Cuisinart .

The KitchenAid HD , which in my opinion, is a considerable better mixer than the two mentioned above, has passed the ultimate test which is mixing and kneading a large amount of bread dough. It done it without a moan. It has a large base, torquey motor and ALL metal gear, it’s very easy to use and it even looks good. It has also quite a few improvements over the past models.

Compare prices of the KitchenAid HD 475 watts

My good pita bread recipe:

For a pita you got to have a pizza stone or a baking oven brick (the same thing, different name).
A stone absorbs moist from the bottom, but most important, it stores lots of heat and radiates it on to the pita. This is a must if you want to “close” the dough fast, what makes a good tiny bit crunchy outside, with a moist and tender inside, a base for any good tasty bread or pizza.
This recipe is the real thing, and far better than the crap (sorry, but it is crap) they try to sell you at the supermarket.

Ingredients for about 14 pitas –

• 1 kg of good unbleached bread flour (king Arthur or other premium brand)
• 40 gr of fresh yeast OR 15 gr of dry yeast (regular strength please, not the fast rising)
• teaspoon salt
• teaspoon sugar
• about 550 ml of room temp tap water (put 80% and see how the dough feels)

1. preheat oven to 500F or more (this is the minimum temperatures for a pita otherwise you won’t get the pocket)
2. Mix all ingredients in the mixer – slow speed for a 5 minutes
3. Stop mixing, let dough rest for a few minutes.
4. Continue mixing at a low-medium speed for a few minutes
5. dough should be moist to touch, and soft. Can be just a tiny bit sticky, that’s fine. If dry, add a bit of water.
6. let rest covered for a few minutes
7. with hand tear small pieces (golf ball size or ping-pong size :P) and put aside in an order you can remember.
8. when you’re finished, take the first piece you’ve made, and with one hand in a circular motion, knead it into a ball. (click and see how I do it– video will open in a new window)
9. again, put each ball on a floured surface so it won’t stick, in an order you can remember
10. when you’re done making balls, take the first ball you’ve made, put it on a floured surface , and flatten it a bit with your hand, and with a rolling pin start rolling it from the center outwards a few times in all directions. Flip it over and roll out again until you have a 6 in (15 cm diameter) pita.
11. Flour generously the top of the pita, pick it up gently and put it floured side down on a baking sheet
12. let a pita rise for 30 minutes
13. put strait on the brick. Start with one or two pitas. If you feel confident throw in 4, but do it quick so the oven won’t loose temp.
14. wait until it puffs, something like 3-4 minutes, you can take a peek to see if the bottom is a bit golden. If so, take it out and put on a dry towel.

Usually it is not advised to open the oven during baking, but to learn your oven temperatures and approximate baking time for a pita, you can take a peek when making your first batch. Take caution, it’s HOT.

Another comment – if you use turbo baking (with a fan) , turn it OFF when opening the oven door, so temp doesn’t drop drastically.

Tip – let pitas cool (30 minutes) and you made more than you can eat…. you can freeze them for even a month or more. Make sure you put them in an air tight bag or plastic container. When stored good, even a defrosted pita is delicious.

You can see a comparison chart of the various and most popular stand mixers here:
http://stand-mixers-reviews.com/