How to Make Pitas
We admit—we like to impress people. We admit—we like to impress people. It’s fun to see peoples’ faces when they It’s fun to see peoples’ faces when they see these
see these pitas: pitas: “How did “How did they do they do that?”that?” Make these for a Saturday afternoon Make these for a Saturday afternoon get-together.
get-together. Your Your friends will friends will have nohave no clue how you made these puffy little clue how you made these puffy little bread
bread pockets. pockets. You You can can tell thetell them m if if youyou want
want—it’s—it’s the the watewaterr in in the the doudoughgh turnturninging to steam in the hot oven that makes the to steam in the hot oven that makes the pitas puffy—or you can just let them pitas puffy—or you can just let them think that you’re magic.
think that you’re magic.
Just as homemade bread is much better Just as homemade bread is much better than store bread, so are homemade than store bread, so are homemade
pitas better. And they are really quite easy to make. Once your family has had fresh pitas better. And they are really quite easy to make. Once your family has had fresh homemade pitas, you’ll never get by with store pitas again.
homemade pitas, you’ll never get by with store pitas again.
Homemade pitas are easy to make with just a few ingredients and basic kitchen Homemade pitas are easy to make with just a few ingredients and basic kitchen
equipment. To make your pitas, you will need a mister, a rolling pan, and a heavy baking equipment. To make your pitas, you will need a mister, a rolling pan, and a heavy baking sheet or baking stone.
sheet or baking stone. Homemade Pita Recipe Homemade Pita Recipe Ingredients
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups bread flour 2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 7-gram packet of instant yeast 1 7-gram packet of instant yeast 1 1/4 cups warm (105 degree) water 1 1/4 cups warm (105 degree) water 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup stone ground whole wheat flour 1/2 cup stone ground whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons salt Directions
Directions 1.
1. With your With your stand stand type mixer, type mixer, combine combine about 2/about 2/3’s of 3’s of the white the white flour, the flour, the yeast, yeast, andand the warm water. Mix with a dough hook for about 30 seconds. (This mixes in and the warm water. Mix with a dough hook for about 30 seconds. (This mixes in and hydrates the yeast.) Add the rest of the flour, the whole wheat flour, and then the hydrates the yeast.) Add the rest of the flour, the whole wheat flour, and then the olive oil and salt. Knead with the dough hook for about four minutes on medium olive oil and salt. Knead with the dough hook for about four minutes on medium speed or until the gluten is formed. Add a little more flour or water if
speed or until the gluten is formed. Add a little more flour or water if needed toneeded to get the right consistency. The dough should be a little wetter than bread dough. get the right consistency. The dough should be a little wetter than bread dough. 2.
2. Remove thRemove the doue dough to a gh to a greased greased bowl abowl and let snd let sit for it for about an about an hour or hour or until theuntil the dough has doubled in size and is puffy.
dough has doubled in size and is puffy. 3.
3. Place a Place a rack on rack on the lowthe lowest shelf est shelf in the oin the oven and ven and remove the remove the second second rack so thrack so thatat you can reach into the oven with the formed pitas. Place a heavy cooking sheet you can reach into the oven with the formed pitas. Place a heavy cooking sheet or baking stone on the rack. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
4.
4. Form the Form the dough dough into 2-inch into 2-inch balls. balls. With a rollWith a rolling pining pin, roll the , roll the balls flat balls flat to ato a
thickness of about 3/8 inch. Let these discs sit on the counter uncovered for ten thickness of about 3/8 inch. Let these discs sit on the counter uncovered for ten to fifteen minutes.
to fifteen minutes. 5.
5. Spray the Spray the disks wdisks with water ith water from a misfrom a mister, so ter, so that ththat the tops e tops are just are just damp. damp. Fold theFold the dough over to trap the moisture and roll out to 3/8 inch thick again. If the disks dough over to trap the moisture and roll out to 3/8 inch thick again. If the disks are out-of-round, that’s okay. Let them rest for ten minutes.
are out-of-round, that’s okay. Let them rest for ten minutes. 6.
6. Place two oPlace two or three or three of the flat disf the flat disks on the ks on the hot bahot baking sheet in king sheet in the oven. Bthe oven. Bake foake for 3r 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. The pitas should be puffy but not browned. Remove the pitas 1/2 to 4 minutes. The pitas should be puffy but not browned. Remove the pitas from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.
from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack. 7.
7. Let the Let the oven heaoven heat recovt recover for er for five minutefive minutes and s and bake the bake the next next two or thtwo or three pree pitas.itas. Continue until all are baked.
Continue until all are baked.
Baker’s notes:
Baker’s notes: If your pitas do not puff, there is not enough moisture trapped in the If your pitas do not puff, there is not enough moisture trapped in the dough. They will still taste good and you can split them with the end of knife but they will dough. They will still taste good and you can split them with the end of knife but they will not have that puffy, hollow interior.