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I was making baked pita chips as a healthy snack. What I do is mix olive oil and a dried herb seasoning blend, spread that on the pita bread, cut it into triangles and put them in the oven at 400 F for 7 min (I got the temperature and the time from an online recipe).

What always happens is that the herb blend gets burnt black and the chips get done perfectly. I tried reducing the time in the oven, but that just results in chewy rather than crispy chips.

I thought I could add the herb blend after the chips get done by sprinkling it on the chips, but it always falls off when I store it.

How can I get the pita bread to become crispy while not burning the herbs?My instinct would be to reduce the temperature of the oven, and bake for longer, but by how much?

Also, I had the oven on the 'Bake' setting instead of 'Broil' would that make a difference?

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  • Does your pita bread split easily, so that you can get the herbs inside?
    – Cascabel ♦
    Commented Jun 17, 2012 at 2:58
  • Also, where in the oven are you putting the chips? Perhaps too close to the top?
    – Cascabel ♦
    Commented Jun 17, 2012 at 3:02
  • @Jefromi: The bread does split easily, but I use the top and the bottom as separate pieces so that the chips come out thinner and crunchier. My oven just has two racks, so maybe i should try to put it in the lower one, I'll try that and get back to you..
    – Dharini Chandrasekaran
    Commented Jun 17, 2012 at 3:14
  • And it doesn't fall off if you sprinkle it before baking? This surprises me, as oil is anti-stick. On the other hand, burnt stuff has the tendency to stick - maybe every method for not burning it will result in falling off. The solution you need is probably not a "how to not burn", but "how to glue them".
    – rumtscho ♦
    Commented Jun 17, 2012 at 11:21
  • @rumtscho: Either solution will work :)
    – Dharini Chandrasekaran
    Commented Jun 17, 2012 at 15:20

2 Answers 2

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Add the flavouring later in the cooking process

e.g. For a 7 minute cook; at the 4 minute mark, remove from oven, brush/spray with oil and sprinkle on flavouring (herbs etc), and quickly return to oven to finish cooking

Experiment with the time point, you are trying to crisp the bread, and bake on oil/herb mix

Commercially each flavouring is applied at it's own time point. Salts early, soft herbs and spices later

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I would recommend immersing the herb blend in olive oil for some time, then brushing it on to the chips. If you saturate the herbs it should protect them from burning in the seven minutes they are baking. The oil will soak into the chips as you air dry them, leaving the herbs and any remaining oil on the surface in hardened oil.

Making pizzas, we frequently herb the crust for fifteen to twenty minute bakes and have not encountered any burning issues at 425'f; for this application we either brush the crust with oil then shake on the herbs, or use infused olive oils.

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