There are many baked products that you could make at home, but because of time, effort, and quality issues, probably shouldn’t.
Fortunately, pita bread is not on that list. The dough is easy to make, and
much like the flour tortillas we did, the taste and texture of the freshly made
product is far superior to anything that comes with a twist tie.
The method is very straightforward, but I wanted to take a
moment to talk about production. As you’ll see in the clip, after you roll the
pita dough out, you’ll need to let it rest for 5 minutes before grilling. Since
each one takes about 5-6 minutes in the pan, while one is cooking, you’ll want
to roll the next, so it’s rested and ready to puff.
Speaking of “puff,” don’t be too upset if yours don’t go
full balloon. Sometimes they all puff, sometimes some, and sometimes none. This
is the way of the pita. But the good news is, even if they don’t fully puff,
you should still get some sort of internal pocket with which to stuff. Even if
you don’t, it’s okay…you’ll just call them “flatbread” instead! I hope you give
these a try soon. Enjoy!
full balloon. Sometimes they all puff, sometimes some, and sometimes none. This
is the way of the pita. But the good news is, even if they don’t fully puff,
you should still get some sort of internal pocket with which to stuff. Even if
you don’t, it’s okay…you’ll just call them “flatbread” instead! I hope you give
these a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 8 pita breads:
For the sponge
mix:
mix:
1 pkg dry active yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup warm water (about 90-100 degrees F.)
1 cup (4.5 oz by weight) all-purpose flour
Then:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 to 2 cups all-purpose flour, or until a soft, slightly sticky
dough forms (about 8-9 oz by weight)
dough forms (about 8-9 oz by weight)
*Let rise about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Form 8
small, round loaves, let rise 30 minutes. Roll out and let rest 5 minutes
before grilling.
small, round loaves, let rise 30 minutes. Roll out and let rest 5 minutes
before grilling.