I vaguely recall the pitas puffing up when I tried the recipe years ago. This time, my pitas didn't puff up very much - only a little bit, in spots - and I'm not entirely sure why. Still, the pitas were soft and delicious when warm and fresh. A few days later they were not as soft despite being kept in a zipper bag. This wasn't a problem to me, though. I primarily consider pita bread to be an accompaniment to lots of other foods. And this pita bread did its job - scooping up hummus - very well.
These pitas were as good as anything you buy and were pretty easy to make as long as you're okay with the chance of not having pita pockets. They're definitely worth making again.
Serve alongside hummus, or with your favorite fillings for a delicious sandwich. You could serve it alongside Carrot Soup with Sesame and Chickpeas, or perhaps as an accompaniment for Smoky Cashew Dip.
📖 Recipe
Golden Pita Bread
An easy and delicious pita bread.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour (12 ¾ oz)
- 2 teaspoons yeast (original recipe calls for instant - I used active dry)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup water (8 oz)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and knead on medium with the dough hook of your stand mixer for about 5 minutes (10 minutes if by hand), until the dough is smooth and soft. Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise for 1 hour, until dough is puffy.
- Turn out the dough and divide into 8 even pieces. Gently shape each piece of dough into a ball. Roll out pieces of dough into 6-inch rounds. (Use your rolling pin - I don't think patting works well. Also, I wonder if rolling the dough helps your pitas puff.) Place 4 pitas on a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet; cover and let rest for 15 minutes while the oven heats to 500F. (I missed this step; I wonder if the rest is important for the pitas to puff.)
- Bake one sheet of pitas on the bottom rack of your oven for 5 minutes, until they puff up. Move to the middle rack and bake for another 2 minutes. Repeat with the other baking sheet. Eat pitas while fresh. Store cooled pitas in an airtight container or bag.
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