Pita Bread / Paine arabeasca

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water to proof the yeast*. Let it stand for only 5 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture. Blend the dough by hand and add more water if needed.

3. The dough should be very stiff. Keep kneading the dough until combined and smooth in texture.

4. Place the dough into a bowl, covered by a clean cloth. Place dough in a warm, draft-free place and let it rise until it has doubled in size.

5. Once the dough has had time to rise, punch it down and separate the dough into balls that are three inches in diameter. Place each ball onto a baking sheet and allow to rise for another hour, covered with a clean cloth.

6. Pre-heat oven to high. Roll out each of the dough balls until flat, about 8-9 inches in diameter.

7. Bake in a high temperature oven until the pita puffs up slightly and forms brown spots on top. Remove them from the oven and place them on a towel to cool. Repeat this until all the dough balls are cooked. Serve stuffed with a favorite filling or serve plain with hummus.

                                                              

Notes: Pita is great for making sandwiches. Be careful how you store pitas, they dry out easily and get hard or leathery. Don’t cook them to much, or you’ll end up with pita crisps (which are ok too). Falafel** is a super accompaniment for pitas!

 

References: *Info about preparing YEAST can be found in the Food Tips section. **See the Falafel recipe.