Homemade Pita Bread


 
 

Makes 10 units

8 cups + ⅓ cup (1000g) Bread flour

2 tbsp (30g)  instant dry yeast

2 ½ tbsp (40g) sugar

1 tsp (9gr) salt

3 cups (720gr) tepid water

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In a large bowl, mix together flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the water and mix well until a dough is formed. Turn out dough onto a work surface. Knead for 3 minutes.

Return dough to bowl, cover loosely with a clean tea towel and let rest until dough is almost doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 10 (7oz / 200 g) pieces (a bit smaller than a tennis ball) and roll to a ball shape.

Arrange balls on a lightly floured work surface, spaced a few inches apart; lightly dust tops with flour. Very loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise until balls slightly dimple when poked,  20-30 minutes. 

Heat oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Dust both work surface and dough with flour, then roll out each ball to a 1/2-inch thick round. In batches, bake rounds on prepared baking sheet until tops puff up, about 1 minutes, then flip and bake to heat through, about 1 minute more. 

Notes:

Baked pitas freeze well, so if you have any leftovers, wrap well in foil and freeze.


For a slight variation, roll out the dough like you did for the pita, but roll it even thinner and then brush with a Za’atar and olive oil mixture. Brush on the pita before it goes in the oven and after. You will get a wonderful Za’atar flatbread

 
 

Photo by Laura Murray for Cava