Tip of the Day

"Use the water of boiled vegetables for gravy,doing so you get more flavour and you don't lose the nutrients which otherwise drain off with water.."

Pita Bread

Pita Bread

Pita bread is a popular staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. It is a very simple yet versatile bread,you can serve it with a variety of dips and spreads,make sandwiches and wraps,even make chips out of it. I love it specially with hummus. 

The recipe basically uses white flour,but I have used an equal proportion of white and wheat flour (to make it healthy). The bread turned out very soft,you can change the proportion of the flour according to your convenience.



Ingredients

Warm water - 2 cups
Active dry yeast - 1packet 
Honey - 1Tbs
Wheat flour - 21/2 cups
All purpose flour - 11/2 cup
Salt- 2 tsp
Olive oil/vegetable oil - 1tsp

Method

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add honey and stir until dissolved.Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.

Combine white flour, wheat flour, and salt in large bowl. Making a small depression in the middle of flour add warm yeast water.

Then slowly add the remaining water as needed and mix with a spatula or hand to form an elastic dough.
 
Place the dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elastic, it is done.

Coat large bowl with oil,I used olive oil and place the dough in bowl. Turn it upside down so all of it is coated with oil. Allow to sit,covered in a warm place for about 2-3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Once doubled punch down and knead the dough lightly.

Meanwhile preheat the oven (350 degree F) and lightly oil the baking sheet.

Make small balls out of the dough about the size a bit larger than golf balls.It will make about 10-12 balls. Let the dough balls sit covered for 10 minutes.

Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles to a thickness of about 3/8 to1/4 inch thickness(For larger or smaller pita bread pieces, take more or less dough).
 
Place on baking sheet and bake at 350°F on the lowest oven rack for 4-5 minutes until the bread puffs up and then turn the pitas and bake for another 3-4 minutes 

Remove done pitas with a spatula and bake the remaining similarly.

Take spatula and gently push down the puff.Pita bread is ready. If you plan on storing the pitas for later eating immediately place them in storage bags.

For immediate use serve it with hummus or any other dip and enjoy.(Hummus recipe coming next)



Storing Pita bread

Pita bread can be stored for up to a week in a pantry box, and up to a month in the freezer,take care to use freezer bags

Pita bread dough can also be refrigerated for up to one week in the refrigerator.