It's true, pita can be made at home! This is a great basic recipe that you can add any number of things to -- fresh herbs, dried herbs, garlic, etc. Also, using different flours or flour combinations will yield different textures and flavors. We encourage trying. The best part about this pita recipe is that its quick (well, not including all of the rising), easy, and uses so few ingredients that it makes for a perfect experimental baking recipe! Try it out, let us know what variations you come up with!
Basic Pita
3 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar or honey
1 packet active dry yeast
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups water, roughly at room temperature
2 tbsp olive oil, vegetable oil, butter, or shortening
1. Follow the instructions on the packet to active the yeast.
2. Mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar.
3. Add the olive oil and 1-1/4 cup water and stir together in a stand mixer using a dough hook (start low and work up to medium)* until the ingredients form a ball.
NOTE: The dough shouldn't stick to the sides of the bowl and there shouldn't be any extra flour in the bowl -- IF the dough is sticking to the bowl, add small amounts of flour until a ball has formed; IF there is flour in the bottom of the bowl, add a small stream of water, until the ball forms.
4. Once all of the ingredients form a ball, continue mixing until your dough has a little bit of stretch to it.
(notice how the dough looks like it has torn, keep mixing)
(notice how this dough is stretching a little without tearing,this is what you're going for)
5. When you are done kneading the dough you'll place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. First form the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl so that it gets a light coat of oil on all sides.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
7. When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases.
8. Divide the dough into 8 pieces (we managed to get 9 pieces... bonus!) and roll each piece into a ball.
9. Cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it'll be easier to shape.
10. While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you don't have a stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while you are preheating the oven, this will end up being your baking surface.**
11. After the dough has relaxed, sprinkle a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the dough balls on it. Sprinkle some flour on top and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5-10 minutes before trying again.
12. Open the oven and place as many rolled pitas as you can fit on the hot baking surface. They should be baked through and puffy in about 3 minutes. If you want your pitas to be crispy and brown you can bake them for an additional 3-5 minutes.
13. Remove pita from oven and you are ready to go! Serve them with your favorite spread or dip, or cut them in half for sandwich pockets, or just eat them as is. Very tasty and your guests will be VERY impressed that you made them from scatch!
Mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and 1 1/4 cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon. All of the ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.
Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a floured work surface, such as a cutting board, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes, until it stretches, and doesn't tear (see above pictures).
** If you don't want to heat up your oven for the pita, we experimented and found that the pita can also be made in a pan, on top of the stove. Pre-heat your pan, and place a flattened dough round into it. Cover and 'bake' as above.
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