Home-made pitas

Preparing the pita dough -- 15 minutes + waiting time

The water needs to be warm, but please do keep in mind that it's not meant to be too hot. This basically means only a little bit warmer than lukewarm. Mix the water, dry yeast and sugar to activate the yeast.

Wait for about 5 to 10 minutes, the mixture will get foamy. This means the yeast is doing its job very well. You can choose to knead the dough by hand, or as we did, knead in a stand mixer. 

Combine flour, salt and olive oil. Carefully pour the yeast mixture into the mix and knead the dough on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until it forms a ball.

Remove the ball from the bowl, so you can brush the bowl with a little bit of olive oil. Place the dough ball back in the bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for about an hour, it should be doubled in size. 

Baking the pita bread -- 30 minutes

LIGHTLY flour your working area and divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Then form them into little balls about 6 to 8 inches in diameter (roughly 20 cm). LET rest for about 15 minutes uncovered.

PRE-HEAT your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit or 230 degrees Celsius. When 15 minutes have passed, place the pitas directly on the baking stone (or baking tray) until they begin to puff.

This usually takes up to 3 minutes, so make sure you keep an eye out for them while baking. Flip them over to the other side and bake for another 3 to 4 minutes. For example, you can fill them with home-made falafel, or chicken shawarma. Enjoy!