Pitta Bread
Pitta Bread
Steve Lister
This Cyprus/Greek Style Pitta bread is a flat wheat bread, extensively eaten in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. It is very similar to the Indian nan bread. It is made with white or whole wheat flour and yeast.
Ingredients
4 cups (coffee mug) strong white bread flour
1 sachet of dried yeast (7 grams)
1 tsp. Salt
6 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 Cups (coffee mug) of warm water.
Instructions
Mix the flour, yeast, salt and olive oil (use an electric mixer its much easier) and add the warm water. You are aiming at a soft dough that is not sticky.
Once mixed leave in a large bowl for about an hour in a warm place. This will allow it to rise and double in size.
At this point you need to put a flat baking tray near the top of a very hot oven (as hot as it goes) allowing it to heat up.
Take some dough and roll into a ball (about the size of a golf ball) and then roll into a long oval shape. You want to make it quite thin, about 4-5 mm. thick, otherwise it won't expand and cook properly. Roll out about 4 at a time.
When the baking tray is nice and hot take it out and put your rolled out pitta breads on it. Work quickly and splash a little extra water over the top to stop it burning before its had time to cook and expand. Place in the oven and keep an eye on it as its only going to take a minute or so. You only want it to expand and brown a little.
Allow them to cool before putting them into a container such as a freezer bag to stop them drying out.
Notes
Store in fridge for use over the next few days, reheating in toaster, grill or oven.
Can be eaten hot or cold either just like eating bread with something or opened up and stuffed with fillings.
Wholemeal Pitta bread:
Use the same recipe as before, but use 2 cups strong white and 2 cups of wholemeal flour.
Sesame seed Pitta bread:
Again, use same recipe as before, only add 100 gm. of sesame seeds to the dough. You can press a few seeds on the top during rolling out.
Tahini Pitta BreadAdd a couple of big tablespoons of tahini (the runny type) to the dough.