Have you ever had homemade pita before? If your answer is no, then stop what you are doing right now and let’s make some! Those half stale store bought pitas may seem like that’s what a pita should be, but it is not even close! Believe me, freshly cooked pita is so light, fluffy, chewy, and crisp all at the same time. When do you ever get that from a brand at the store?!
I know what you’re thinking: “isn’t it hard to cook pita?!” The answer friends is no! It’s so ridiculously easy that you’ll laugh once you’ve tried it. It’s a very simple yeast dough that only requires mixing, a little kneading, and resting. Then you just cook then in a pan, and you’re set! It’s more so the waiting game than a lot of work. If you want your pita quickly, you can always make dough ahead of time and Freeze it. Then when you’re ready, you just defrost and cook it.
The best part? Your time will be rewarded because you’ll end up saving money! To make 8 pitas, it cost me approximately 50 cents. Yep, that’s right! Instead of getting 5 pitas at the store for $5.
All positive reasons why you should make your own.
Let’s see how to make them!
Homemade Pita Bread
What you’ll need:
+ 1 cup hot water
+ 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
+ 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (may need more depending)
+ 2 teaspoons salt
+ 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast and pour the hot water on it. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Attach the dough hook to your mixer, and add in the flour a cup at a time. Along with the salt and olive oil. Mix with the dough hook until a sticky dough is formed, about 5 minutes. Dust a flat surface with more flour and pile the dough out on the counter. Knead the dough with your palms for another 5 minutes, adding more flour until the dough is elastic and smooth. It should not stick all over your hands anymore. Coat the inside of a bowl thinly with olive oil and place dough in. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour. Once the hour is up, carefully remove dough and did Ive it into 8 balls. Heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Roll out the dough balls into thin 6 inch rounds. Fry, one at s time. Flip once it begins to bubble up and the bottom is golden in spots. Serve with one of many tasty dish options. Enjoy!
A Pinch Here, A Dash There 