HOMEMADE PITA BREAD
When one
thinks of the cuisine of the Middle East or the Mediterranean, one always
thinks of the humble pita. This is a simple, easy and effortless recipe for
pita bread, also called pocket bread.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 425 g all-purpose flour (15 oz)
- 25 g fresh yeast (about 1 tbsp instant yeast)
- 3 dl lukewarm water ( 1 1/4 cups)
Instructions
First, In a
large bowl, dissolve fresh yeast in warm water.
Then, Add
the sugar and the oil. Stir to mix.
Add the
flour and salt. Knead all in a beautiful and smooth dough. This kneading time
takes about 5 to 10 minutes. You can advantageously use a stand mixer.
Cover the
bowl with a clean towel and set aside for about 40 minutes.
Divide the
dough into 8 pieces and roll them into smooth balls.
Allow the
balls to rise for about 10 minutes while the oven preheats to 250 ° C (480 °
F). If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven too. Otherwise, a normal
oven plate is sufficient.
It's a good
idea to bake the pita breads in pairs. In this way, it is easier to keep the
temperature high in the oven. The high temperature is important.
Use the back
of a dish to flatten two balls evenly. The thickness should be about 1/2 cm
(1/5 inch). It is important that the bread is flat and has no pockets of air
that are obviously trapped inside (from the moment the bread is lifted). It's a
good idea to finish rolling the bread gently with a rolling pin - to let the
air out.
Gently,
transfer two pita loaves to the hot stone inside the oven. Make sure the side
of the bread, which was facing your kitchen table while fattening it, is now
facing upward, away from the hot stone. In this way, the wettest part of the
bread faces the hot stone. It's a little trick to make sure the bread swells
well.
If you do
not have a cooking stone, use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make
sure it is very hot.
Cook the
bread for about 5-6 minutes. The pita bread should rise, become swollen and
create a pocket of air inside.
Let the
bread cool a little before serving.
Happy
Cooking Time.
