Update: My pita bread version 2 is softer—> please proceed to this link
Part 1
Ingredients
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 packet of yeast (7gm) or 2.25 tsp
- 1/2 cup of warm water
Method
- Dissolve 1 tsp of sugar and 1 packet of yeast into 1/2 cup of warm water.
- Stir and let it rest for 15 minutes until yeast activates and start to foam.
Part 2
Ingredients
- 3 cups of plain flour (Or Bread flour or 1 wholewheat flour + 2 cups of plain flour)
- 1 1/2 tsp of salt
Method
Mix 3 cups of plain flour with 1 1/2 tsp of salt into a big bowl
Make a well or hole in the middle of your mix flour and pour activated yeast and mix together.
In another bowl, pour little bit of olive oil at the bottom of your bowl
Coat dough into oil surface and allow it to rise double its size.
Cover with towel
Let it sit and rise for 1 and 1/2 hours / 1.5 hours
Divide your dough into 6 balls
Roll each balls onto a pin board coated with flour
4 -5 inch diameter or 8 inch thick
Preheat oven at gas mark 5 for 7 mins
Place the flattened dough onto the very hot pan.
Bake for 15 mins on gas mark 5 or (500 degree for 4 mins and turn 2 mins)
Overturn your bake pita bread and bake for 15 mins on both sides
Bake on lowest rack
Why does pita bread have a pocket?
The answer: Pita is allowed to proof, generating gas. Then pita is then cooked at a high dry heat. This creats a solid crust/skin on the top. This crust traps a lot of the gas in side the pita, causing the pocket to form. Because the gas is trapped right under the top crust, you will notice that the top if a pita is thinner than the bottom
