Pita Bread - Attempt #1

I labelled this post as an attempt because it was just that - an attempt at making pita breads. A pocket was supposed to form in the individual breads, but that didn't happen so the attempt was a bit of a fail! But they tasted good and were great toasted and dipped in homemade hummus, so I guess they weren't a complete fail! I apologize for the quality of the photos - since this recipe wasn't a full-on success, I wasn't sure if I was going to post about it, so they are lacking a little bit!

Now that I'm done with my excuses, I should tell you about the recipe! They were quite easy to make and didn't require a lot of time, which is a bonus for most of you because I know you're often pressed for time. They're quite simple so you can add any flavourings you want and they should turn out just fine.


Pita Bread
Recipe from Bread for Beginners Handout - Well Seasoned Gourmet Foods

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/4 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Stir yeast into water and let sit 5 minutes to disslove.
2. In large bowl, measure flour, yeast/water mixture, olive oil and salt. Stir til dough starts to form. Dump out onto counter and knead about 5 minutes or until smooth. Add more flour only if necessary. Put dough in lightly greased bowl and cover loosely. Let rise til doubled (about 1 hour)
3. Preheat oven to 500F. Get out two baking sheets. Dump dough onto floured counter. Divide into 6 even pieces and form into balls. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7" circle about 1/8th inch thick. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Cover and let rest another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse salt if desired. Bake one pan at a time for 4-5 minutes till puffed and just barely browned. Remove from pan, stack and wrap in tea towel to cool.
4. Wrap airtight. Freeze if not using within a couple of days.

So there you have it - first attempt at making pita breads... definitely not impressive, but at least they were tasty. Stay tuned for more attempts in the future - hopefully eventually I can get the pockets to form! If anyone has any tips I would love to hear them!

Happy Baking my Friends!