Pita bread is a yeast-leavened flatbread common in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. Delicious on its own with hummus or olive oil, served alongside soup or stew, or used to form a traditional gyro or falafel sandwich, there are tons of tasty ways to enjoy pita bread. It’s also quite simple to make your own pita bread at home! Here is a satisfying recipe for Homemade Pita Bread.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Instructions:
1. Place a pizza stone or large cast-iron skillet in your oven and preheat to 500°. In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in ½ cup flour and let sit for 15 minutes, until mixture foams.
2. Add oil, salt, and 2 cups flour (reserving ½ cup) and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy mass forms. Dust a clean surface with some of the reserved flour and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes, adding more of the reserved flour if the dough is too sticky. The dough should be soft and moist. (You can cover the dough and let rest 10 minutes if you need a rest from kneading.)
3. Place dough in a clean large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Lightly dust a clean surface with flour. Punch down dough and turn it out onto the surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll into balls. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes.
5. Working one at a time, roll each round into a ¼”-thick circle about 8” wide, sprinkling dough with extra flour if it starts to stick.
6. Working quickly, open your oven and place as many pitas that will fit on your skillet or stone without touching. Let bake until an air pocket balloons and the pita begins to brown (3 to 5 minutes). Repeat with remaining rounds. Cover pitas with a kitchen towel to keep warm.
Mix-up something scrumptious tonight with this special recipe provided to you by Oxford at Medical Center Apartments in San Antonio, Texas, and put our updated, fully equipped kitchens to good use!