Thursday, August 13, 2015

Dinner with Friends : Pita Bread

Every month or so our family and wonderful friends have an International themed feast.  This evening we had Mediterranean so I made some pita bread to go with the lamb, couscous and dips (which was amazing thank you Helen x).

I have successfully made pita bread before without a pizza stone but the results are much better if you have one, the hot stone helps the steam to develop inside the bread and make it inflate. I've included instructions below on cooking both with and without a stone.

I love making breads like this, they puff up like magic.  Just watching my toddlers face as they blew up like balloons was worth the effort.


Pita Bread Recipe
Makes 10 to 12 portions

500g High Grade Bread Flour (I used 350g white and 150g wholemeal)
1 t Salt
375ml Warm Water
10g Active Yeast
1 t Sugar
1 T Olive Oil
Extra flour for dusting

Measure dry ingredients into a large bowl (or bread machine tin).  In another bowl combine yeast, sugar and warm water and leave for 10 minutes to activate (the yeast will start to float and turn foamy).

For a bread maker add yeast mixture and olive oil into the bread tin and set to Dough cycle.

And for the good old fashioned way, add yeast mixture and olive oil to the dry ingredients.  Mix till dough starts to combine and then tip out onto your work surface and knead for 10 minutes.  The dough will be very wet to start, don't add more flour, just keep working the dough, scraping your hands and beach down every now and then.  The dough will transform from sticky mess into a smooth dough.  Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and cover.  Set aside to a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.



Once dough cycle has finished or dough has doubled in size tip dough out onto well floured board.  Punch out any air bubbles and divide dough in to portions (10 to 12 is ideal).  To get nice even pita breads weigh out the portions.  Roll each portion into a ball and place onto a well floured surface, leaving an inch or two between each of them.  When all the portions are rolled sprinkle generously with flour and cover loosely with a clean tea towel.  Leave to relax for 20 minutes (30 minutes if the room is cold).  While dough rests preheat oven, and stone, to 250C.  Fan bake if you have a stone, and just regular bake if you don't.  You must have heat radiating from the bottom of the oven if you don't have a stone.



Once dough has rested gently roll out 2 balls to a 5mm thickness on a floured board (my stone is very large so I could do 4 at a time).

If using a oven stone, lay a disc of dough on the palm of your hand and flip onto the stone.  Flip a second disc onto the stone and shut the door.  The pitas should puff up and be cooked in 3 to 4 minutes.



If you don't have a stone carefully transfer the 2 discs to a cake rack.  Slide the rack onto the very bottom of the oven or bottom rack of the oven and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.  You may need to flip 2 minutes though cooking to get them to cook evenly.

While the first batch cook roll out the next 2 balls.  Transfer cooked pitas to a rack or wrap in a tea towel to keep warm.  Put next 2 in the oven and continue until they are all done.

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