Homemade pita bread? Impossible, you say. Well, believe it or not it's easy to make pitas with this quick recipe. They puff up nicely in the oven and have a lovely golden color. The best part is these pitas taste waaaaaay better than anything you'll find in the store. Enjoy!
Here's how to do it.
In a mixing bowl add:
3 cups of flour
1 packet yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup room temperature water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Let the dough come together then continue mixing with your electric mixer for 5 minutes (you can do this by hand for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface).
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic, and let rest 1 hour. It likely won't double but it will puff up a bit.
Turn the dough onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 balls. Roll the first batch (4 balls) into a pita-shaped disc and let rest on a lightly greased baking sheet for 15 minutes. Cover the remaining balls with a towel. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Place the baking sheet on the bottom rack in your oven. When the oven is very hot at 500, bake for 5 minutes until the pitas are puffed up, then move the baking sheet to the middle rack and bake 2-3 minutes more till browned. Remove from oven and wrap the stacks of pitas in a dish towel to keep them from getting stiff as they cool.
During the baking time, roll out the next batch and repeat baking when the oven is free.
Makes 8 pitas.
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