Friday, August 12, 2011

Pita Bread


My first Yeast Baking project. Total success!

Italian Flavored Pita Bread
Adapted from The Brown Eyed Baker
Makes 8

1 Cup Bread Flour
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tsp Italian Seasoning
3/4 tsp Sea Salt
3/4 tsp table salt
1 Packet Yeast
1 Tbs Sugar
1 1/4 Room Temperature Water
2 Tbs Olive Oil

Mix both flours & salts, italian seasoning, yeast, sugar.  Add olive oil and water and mix until it forms a sticky ball.  Knead the dough by hand for 10 to 11 minutes.  It will become less sticky and more like a play-dough or chewed gum. I know that sounds gross but I've yet to come across someone that is unaware of the consistency of chewed gum!

Lightly coat a bowl with olive oil.  After the dough has been kneaded, place it in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel.  Allow dough to rise for 40 minutes to an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 450 and put in a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan upside down. This will be your pita cooking surface.
On a lightly floured surface punch down the dough to get out the trapped gasses. Now separate into 8 equal balls of dough and let rest, covered for 20 minutes.

Again on the lightly floured surface stretch each dough ball out to about 5-6 inches. Think a little wider than a stick of butter.  Set each one aside for about 10 minutes to rise, however you will not see an increase in size.


Once the oven is heated, carefully put the flattened dough on top of the upside down cookie sheet. I have a tiny oven, therefore a tiny cookie sheet. I only fit one at a time.  If you have a normal size oven and even a pizza stone that would be preferable.

Each pita needed about 4 minutes of cook time. It was pretty spot on for each!
I promise to upload more photos soon. I have them. They currently reside in-camera. I'll get to it. Eventually. Photos posted!

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