Thursday, June 28, 2012

PITA BREAD

Pita bread is, as all skillet breads are, a very simple bread dough - flour, yeast, water. You can make it in the oven or on the stovetop. If you bake it on a large baking sheet, you can do more of them at once, and if you use a skillet, it will take a bit more time, but they will be crispier. Basically, it's your choice and preference. Pita breads are excellent for sandwiches of any sort, as they have a large pocket and are easy to transport (for picnics and gatherings).

Homemade pita bread tinascookings.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
400 grams flour
300 ml warm water
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Reserve about 50 grams of flour and combine the rest of ingredients in a large bowl. Mix first with a wooden spoon, then with your hands, until the dough comes together. Tip the dough out on a floured surface (use the reserved flour) and continue kneading, adding the flour as you knead, for about 10 minutes, until the dough is elastic. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let it rise for about an hour.
After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, divide into 12 parts, shape them, and let them rise again, for about half an hour. Flatten the dough balls into 5 mm (¼-inch) thick discs and bake in a preheated oven on a baking sheet that was heating with the oven, at 200˚C, for about 4 minutes. They should just puff up, but not brown. Serve them warm, with a topping (or a filling) of your choice.