Pita Bread is one of the few things I always have in my freezer. And I’m not talking about store – bought ones. It’s so easy to prepare a meal in ten minutes using this magical bread.
Pita bread is very popular in the Middle East. The first time I was introduced to this goodness was in Israel, many years ago. This bread is very handy when you have a hungry husband and kids, and you don’t have a lot of time to cook a fool meal. It’s a very soft and fluffy bread with a surprised packed inside. It can be stuffed with so many different things: scramble eggs, salad, omelets, shakshouka, any kind of meat, vegetables, falafel and much more.
If you never tried to make pita bread before, don’t worry, it is a very easy process. The secret to making a perfect pita bread is fresh east, high temperature in the oven and a little bit of passion.
Most pitas are baked at a high temperature (450-500 degree F), causing the flattened rounds of dough to puff up dramatically. When removed from the oven, the layers of baked dough remain separated inside the deflated pita, which allows the bread to be opened to form a packet.
So let’s begin…
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons active yeast
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ cups warm water
4 cups all-purpose flour
Step 1
In a big bowl mix together ½ cup of warm water, yeast, sugar and set aside for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
Step 2
When the mixture is frothed, add salt, olive oil, the rest of the warm water and stir. Sift flour and add 3 cups to the yeast mixture, then slowly add the rest of the flour until the dough riches the right consistency. Mix all together with wooden spoon and then by hand.
Step 3
Knead the dough on a floured surface until it’s soft, smooth and springy.
Step 4
Lightly oil the surface of a clean bowl and put the dough in the bowl. Cover with shrink wrap and let rise for about an hour and a half at room temperature.
Step 5
Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl to your work surface and deflate the dough gently.
Step 6
Divide the dough into 8 portions and shape each portion into a ball.
Step 7
Lightly flour your work surface and roll each ball into ¼ inch thick round circles. Cover with a clean towel and let rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F and adjust oven rack to lowest position.
Step 8
Place two rounds on greased baking sheet (or use a parchment paper) and bake pitas for 3 minutes on one side, then flip them and bake for 3 more minutes, or until lightly brown.
This is what the pitas look like right after I remove them:
Step 9
Bake all the pita breads this way. Let cool for a few minutes.
Notes:
Pita bread is best eaten right away, but it can also be frozen in a plastic bag.
Warm a single frozen pita in the microwave on a paper towel for 1 minute and you will get fresh pita ready to eat.
You can prepare the dough by hand or you can knead the dough in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
You can double this recipe to get more delicious pita breads.
- 2 teaspoons active yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- In a big bowl mix together ½ cup of warm water, yeast, sugar and set aside for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
- When the mixture is frothed, add salt, olive oil, the rest of the warm water and stir. Sift flour and add 3 cups to the yeast mixture, then slowly add the rest of the flour until the dough riches the right consistency. Mix all together with wooden spoon and then by hand.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface until it’s soft, smooth and springy.
- Lightly oil the surface of a clean bowl and put the dough in the bowl. Cover with shrink wrap and let rise for about an hour and a half at room temperature.
- Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl to your work surface and deflate the dough gently.
- Divide the dough into 8 portions and shape each portion into a ball.
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll each ball into ¼ inch thick round circles. Cover with a clean towel and let rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F and adjust oven rack to lowest position.
- Place two rounds on greased baking sheet (or use a parchment paper) and bake pitas for 3 minutes on one side, then flip them and bake for 3 more minutes, or until lightly brown.
- Bake all the pita breads this way. Let cool for a few minutes.
- Pita bread is best eaten right away, but it can also be frozen in a plastic bag.
- Warm a single frozen pita in the microwave on a paper towel for 1 minute and you will get fresh pita ready to eat.
- You can prepare the dough by hand or you can knead the dough in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- You can double this recipe to get more delicious pita breads.
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