Pita Bread
Pita bread is one of those foods that makes such a big difference when you make it yourself. I can't even eat store bought pita bread anymore. How does it stay soft for a month straight? The additives in it scare me. Plus, why buy it when it's so easy to make?! I think most people think its very hard and time consuming, but it's actually very easy and they freeze well.
I've done a couple variations of this recipe but have finally figured out the best way to do this. It cooks best if you have a pizza stone, but no worries if you don't. I've also seen people cook it straight on a cast iron pan, which I haven't tried before. If you do try this, let me know how it turns out!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp or 1 packet of active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the bowl
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 - 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
DIRECTIONS
- Mix water, sugar, and yeast in your stand mixer bowl. Let stand for until foamy, about 10 minutes
- Add in 1 tablespoon olive oil, whole wheat flour, and salt. Stir with your hook attachment and slowly add in your all purpose flour. Once all your flower is incorporated, mix on low-medium speed for 8 minutes
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it's smooth. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise until it doubles in size, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
- Place a large pizza stone on the bottom rack of your oven and preheat to 500 degrees F
- Punch down your dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each of them into a ball and keep covered with a damp towel for about 10 minutes. This will make it easier to roll out
- Roll each ball out to be no thicker than 1/4 inch thick. If you make it too thick, your pita bread will not puff up during the cooking process. Cover each round disk with your damp towel as you are rolling them out, but do not stack them
- Very carefully, put 2 pita rounds on the stone at a time and bake for 3-4 minutes or until the bread puffs up. Watch closely, because this happens fast. Once they puff out, remove it from the oven and wrap the finished pitas in a towel
- Once they all bake, you have the option of charring your pitas. Heat up your cast iron skillet and heat up each side of the pita until charred to your liking.
