Directions: |
Directions:1. Make Sponge. In a large mixing bowl: add lukewarm water and stir in yeast and sugar until dissolved. Add ½ c flour and whisk together. Set mixing bowl in a warm place uncovered to form a loose sponge. Allow about 15 minutes for the mixture to bubble.
2. Form the Pita Dough. To sponge mixture: Now add salt, olive oil and almost all the remaining flour (keep about ½ c flour to the side for later). Stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass (at this point, the dough has little to no gluten development and just looks like a sticky mess-you can easily pull bits off.)
Dust with a little flour, then knead the mixture inside the bowl for about a minute to incorporate any stray bits.
3. Knead the Dough. Dust a clean working surface with just a little bit of flour. Knead lightly fora couple minutes or until smooth. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes then knead againfor a couple more minutes. The dough should bea little moist. You can help it with a little dusting of flour, but be careful not to add to much flour.
4. Let the Dough Rise. Clean the mixing bowl and coat it lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Put the dough back in the bowl, turning it to coat the entirety with olive oil.
Cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap then lay a kitchen towel over it. Put the bowl in a warm place. Leave it alone for an hour or until the dough is doubled in size.
5. Divide the Dough. Punch down the dough and place it on a clean work surface. Divide the dough into 7-8 equal pieces and shape them into balls. Cover with a towel and leave them to rest for 10 minutes.
6. Shape the Pitas. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the the pieces into an 8-9in wide circle.
It helps to lift & turn the dough frequently as you roll out the dough so it doesn't stick to the counter. (If dough starts to stick, sprinkle a little flour on the work surface). If dough starts to spring back as you roll it, set it aside to rest for a few minutes then continue rolling.
7. To Bake Pita in the Oven. Heat the oven to 475ºF and place a heavy-duty baking pan or large cast iron skillet on the middle rack to heat.
Working in batches, place the rolled out pitas directly on the hot baking sheet. Bake for 2 minutes on one side. Using a pair of tongs, carefully turn pita over to bake for another minute. The pita will puff nicely and should be ready.
Remove from the oven and cover with a clean towel while you bake the remaining pitas.
8. To Cook Pita on Stovetop. Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. (Test the skillet by adding a couple drops of water to the pan. The skillet is ready when the beads of water sizzle immediately.)
Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil & wipe off any extra. Working with one pita at at time, lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 30 seconds, until bubbles start to form.
Using a spatula, flip the pita over and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side (until large toasted spots appear on the underside). The pita is ready when puffs up, forming a pocket. Keep baked pita covered with a clean towel while you cook the rest. |
This recipe for Pita Bread is from