Today's Bake...Pita Bread
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| Ingredients |
1 1/4th cup water, at 110-115 degrees F
2 1/4th tsp active dry yeast
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
3 cups all purpose flour
Combine 2 1/2 cups of the flour with the olive oil and salt. Set aside. Measure out 1 1/4th cup of water at the suggested temperature, and with a fork, whisk in the yeast. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
Pour water mixture into flour mixture and mix with hands until combined. This is a wet dough, I don’t knead yet, just combine. Let sit at room temperature in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, for at least an hour. Take 1/4th of the remaining flour and spread it out on the kneading surface. Pour dough out, and begin to knead until it becomes smooth and totally combined. Adding additional flour as needed…or kneaded!
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| First Shaping |
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| 8 even portions |
Shape out into a log, divide into 8 even sections, roll each section into a ball, let sit covered for 30 minutes.
Heat up a skillet over medium high heat. I choose to leave it dry, but you can add olive oil.
On a floured surface, and with a rolling pin, roll out each ball into approximately eight inch circle.
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| Thin, but not too thin! |
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| Roll Out! |
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| Puff! Time to flip! |
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| Perfectly toasted! |
Place the rolled out pita onto the hot skillet about 2 minutes on the first side. It will start to puff up like pancakes on the top, that is your indication to flip!
Cook the other side for about 1-2 minutes or until it’s browned. I like the pockets to be just burnt, but that’s my personal taste!
My adventures with pita bread started about a year ago. I found a recipe for gyros online and wanted to try to make it for my family. At first I bought a pack of pita bread at the grocery store, and while these tasted good, we couldn’t find one that could bend, but not break. So…I decided to see if I could make my own. Sure enough, I could and my husband and I were please to find these ones are soft, bendable, chewy and obtain a toasted flavor when cooked on the stove top in a dry pan. If you choose to use olive oil when toasting, just know you will have to reload a tsp between pitas, and you won’t achieve the dark brown spots on the bubble pockets. It could also come out a little crispy, which isn’t the goal. Think toasted and chewy!
I love this recipe because there are only four ingredients, it’s easy to prepare before dinner because of the quick proof time and the variety of ways I can use the leftover pitas!
I find this recipe can also be difficult because when rolling out and toasting the pitas, you have to stay close to the stove and babysit the cooking process. As a mom of two toddlers, I have to make sure my girls are occupied for at least 30 minutes so I can get this done uninterrupted…thank you Paw Patrol!
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| Check out my adorable assistant! |
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| Yum! |
Best served warm, and can be stored in a zipper baggie for about a week. They freeze nicely too!
I got the original recipe from the link below, but have made my own alterations as noted above. I prefer a wetter dough for this bake, so I add more water, and I have found the ideal temperature for water is between 110-115 for dissolving yeast.
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