Pita bread
A sensational pita bread that will work great when filled with your favourite vegetables or meat. It is extremely easy to prepare and can be served for lunch, dinner or as a snack to munch during the day.
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Ingredients for pita bread.
- 250 g plain flour + extra for dusting
- 3/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil + a little to oil a bowl
- 15 g yeast
- 150 ml lukewarm water
How to make pita bread.
Put the yeast, two tablespoons of lukewarm water, one tablespoon of flour and caster sugar into a cup. Stir and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes to let it rise.
Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the risen yeast, olive oil and water. Stir then add salt. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. I used a food processor for this. I dusted the sides of the bowl with a little flour to prevent it from sticking to its surface.
When the dough is ready, lightly oil the sides of the bowl. Insert the kneaded dough. Cover the bowl with a cloth and set aside for 1.5 hours in a warm place to rise.
Take the dough out of the bowl and shape it into the shape of a rolling pin. Cut it into 8 parts and shape each part into a ball. Place the balls on the kitchen worktop layered with baking paper and cover them with cling film.
Take one ball at a time and roll it out to a thickness of 2 millimetres and a diameter of about 15 centimetres. Arrange the dough cakes on a baking paper and cover them with a cloth. Set them aside for 30 minutes to rise.
Put a non-sticky pan on the heat and preheat it very well. Gently place a risen dough cakes on it (be careful not to puncture it). Bake on the first side until large bubbles of air start appearing on it – it will take up to a minute. At that point, turn the bread over. Bake until the bread is fully risen and slightly browned (about 1.5 – 2 minutes). I turned the bread one more time and baked on the other side again for a few seconds. Bake each bread in the same way. When baking, do it at a high temperature but not the highest one, otherwise the dough will burn. I usually first heat the pan very well and then lower the heat to medium.
Put the baked bread into a basket lined with a kitchen cloth. Keep the breads covered.
Enjoy!
Good to know when making pita bread.
While kneading the dough, it will stick to your hand. Do not sprinkle it intensively with flour, just continue kneading. If you have to sprinkle the dough, use only a little flour. After kneading, the dough should be easy to release from your hands, but it should still be slightly sticky. Press your fingers against the dough and if it is soft but slightly sticks after you lift your fingers, it’s perfect.
The secret of the leavened bread is air. After the bread is turned over from one side to the other, the bread starts rising under the influence of air. If there are holes in the flattened dough, air can escape. In such cases help yourself with a wooden spatula and press it gently on the places where air is escaping. If you see that the bread does not rise on one side, also gently press it with a spatula. Sometimes it may also happen that some pieces just don’t rise. Of course, such pieces can also be used, just brush them with tomato sauce and sprinkle with cheese and bake.
Breads can also be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius. Preheat the baking tray or stone on which the bread will be baked. Place the risen bread on the baking tray. Bake on the first side for 2-3 minutes. Then turn over and hold for another 3-4 minutes.
The baked and cooled down bread should be served by cutting it in half and opening it up. The pockets can be filled with your favourite meat and salad.
Do you like homemade bread? If so, try out recipe for Banana bread.
