Pita Bread

Makes 30 Rounds

Ingredients

  • 7 cups all-purpose flour + additional for dusting
  • 1 pkg active dry yeast (2¼ tsp)
  • 32 oz warm water (divided as ½ cup + added gradually as needed to bring dough together
  • 1 tbsp sugar (or honey)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

How-to

  1. In a large mixing bowl, add flour and make a well
  2. Add yeast, ½ cup of the warm water, sugar, salt and oil
  3. Mix with hands from the outside of the flour into the well, and continue to add water a little at a time, mixing until the dough comes together
  4. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment can be used, and kneading time will be less)
  5. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it has doubled in size, 2½ - 3 hours
  6. Cut dough into portions and roll out one portion at a time into an 8-10" log. Cut into portions and shape into rounds. Dust rounds with flour, cover with a towel and let rise for 10 minutes
  7. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500º
  8. Dust each dough ball with flour again. Roll each round into 8" circles, about ¼" in thickness
  9. Lay on baking sheets that have been lightly dusted with flour. Bake until they have began to puff up, and are lightly brown, 4-5 minutes (do not allow pitas to get golden brown). Turn over and bake an additional 3-4 minutes

Excerpted from: Breaking Bread: Recipes and Stories from Immigrant Kitchens by Lynne Christy Anderson