During these difficult times, Passion for Spices™ Team has put together beautiful illustrated recipes for you and your family to enjoy. Our first series is Classic Breads from Around the World, a five part series including Country Loaf Bread, Focaccia, and Flatbreads from Around the World.
Part 4: Pita Bread
Ingredients
3¾ cups bread flour
1¼ tsp fine sea salt
1⅓ cups room temperature tap water, about 75°F
2¼ tsp fine granulated active dry or instant yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
A baking stone or a large cookie sheet or inverted jellyroll pan
Procedure
Step 1:
Stir the flour and salt together and set aside. Whisk the water and yeast together with a mixing bowl. Wait 30 seconds, whisk again, and whisk in the oil. Use a large rubber spatula to stir in the flour and salt a little at a time until it is completely absorbed.
Step 2:
Turn onto a floured work surface, and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place the dough into an oiled bowl and turn it over so that the top is oiled. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough ferment until it is almost double in bulk, about 30 minutes. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and use a bench scraper to divide it into 12 equal pieces, each about 65 grams. Cover the pieces of dough with a towel and round each to a tight sphere. Cover the pieces of dough as they are rounded and after they’re all rounded, let them rest for 10 minutes.
Step 3:
Set a rack in the middle level of the oven, place a baking stone, heavy cookie sheet (or two) or an inverted jelly roll pan on the rack and preheat to 500° F. Place a rounded piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface, flour it and use the palm of your hand to press it to a fat disk. Use a small rolling pin to roll over the disk of dough, without rolling over the end in the same direction, and moving it frequently, to a 6-inch disk. Set the rolled dough aside covered. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Once all the pitas have been formed, bake them starting with the first ones rolled: Open the oven and quickly slide as many as will fit on the stone or pan. Bake the pitas until they are nicely inflated and look like little spheres, about 3 minutes. Use a wide spatula to remove them from the oven and let them cool on a rack where they’ll deflate but not stick back together. Continue baking the remaining pitas the same way.
Enjoy the Pita Bread!
Compliments from Passion for Spices™ Team