Pita Bread

Hungry for more? This recipe was featured in a podcast episode!

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This simple bread recipe makes a light and fluffy homemade pita that is so good, you'll never want to eat store-bought pitas again. I'm not sure if we should apologize or say you're welcome. Just try them. They're delightful.

Prep Time: 2 hr

Cook time: 40 min

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup flour

• 1 tsp dry active yeast

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup warm water

Directions

Make the dough

1. Stir the yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup warm water and let sit for 10 min. It should bubble and rise slightly. If it doesn't, your yeast may be expired and you'll need to begin again with new yeast.

2. In your mixing bowl fitted with a hook attachment, combine flour, salt, the remaining 1/2 cup warm water and the proofed yeast mixture. Run the mixer at low-medium speed for about 10 min until your dough is elastic and smooth. You can also knead by hand if you prefer.

3. Oil the bowl and the dough with 1 tbsp of oil, cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm (not above 100F), draft-free place for 1 or 2 hrs. The dough should roughly double in size.

Form and bake your pitas

1. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 pieces (quickly weighing them will help you end up with equal sized pitas).

2. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten into a disc and roll with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thickness. Flour your surface as needed but try not to use too much.

3. Allow your discs to proof for about 30 min.

4. Meanwhile, place a baking stone or an upside-down cast iron skillet on the middle rack, and preheat your oven to 500F (or as hot as it goes).

5. One at a time, place your pitas on the stone or pan and watch them puff up! This takes about 3 min.

6. Carefully remove the pita using a flat spatula, and repeat with all 8.

7. Once cooled, you may be able to slide a sharp serrated knife and cut a pocket in your pita. If not, don't worry! You can make a pretty tasty pita sandwich by folding it like a taco.

We found this amazing recipe on letthebakingbegin.com