Pita Bread

By The Mediterranean Dish · 120 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm water until dissolved. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour and leave uncovered in a warm place for about 15 minutes, until bubbling.
2. Add the salt, olive oil and almost all the remaining flour, keeping about 1/2 cup for dusting. Stir until a shaggy mass forms, dust with a little flour and knead inside the bowl for about 1 minute.
3. Knead on a lightly floured surface for a couple of minutes until smooth. Cover and rest for 10 minutes, then knead for a couple more minutes, adding only a little flour if needed so the dough stays slightly moist.
4. Clean the bowl, lightly coat it with extra virgin olive oil and return the dough, turning it to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then a towel, and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
5. Deflate the dough and divide it into 7 to 8 equal pieces. Shape them into balls, cover and rest for about 10 minutes.
6. Roll one piece on a floured surface into a circle 8 to 9 inches wide and about 1/4 inch thick, lifting and turning often. Rest the dough if it springs back. Repeat with the rest.
7. Oven method: heat the oven to 475°F with a heavy baking pan or large cast iron skillet on the middle rack. Bake the pitas in batches (2 at a time) directly on the hot pan for 2 minutes, then turn with tongs and bake 1 minute more until puffed.
8. Stovetop method: heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles immediately. Wipe in a little olive oil, then cook one pita for 30 seconds until bubbles form. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes until large toasted spots appear, flip again and cook 1 to 2 minutes more until puffed into a pocket.
9. Keep the baked pitas covered with a clean towel while you cook the rest.

Summarized from The Mediterranean Dish's video. Watch it for the details.