There are many types of pita breads depending on which country makes it. The Israeli pita is usually round and has a pocket which is usually filled with falafel, shawarma or anything you would like to fill it with. It is delicious and soft, outside and inside and white in color unlike other breads.Other pitas like Iraqi pita for instance are larger in size and flatter, they are also very popular in Israel.
But today we’re making the classic pita bread to dip in your delicious hummus, babaganush or to fill with falafel balls and tahini sauce.
This is one of the easiest of all the breads to make with only a few ingredients so it’s a great first time bread to start baking!
Ingredients:
500 grams Bread flour or all purpose flour (plain flour) - about 4 cups but in grams you will get a more accurate amount
1 tablespoon Instant yeast
3/4 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
11/3 cup water
Sieve flour into mixer bowl, add all dry ingredients and mix on low for a couple of minutes. Add oil and water and mix for about 8 minutes or until dough comes away from sides of bowl and is slightly elasticated. It is ready when it is slightly sticky to the hands but not too much.
Spray bowl with oil and place dough in it, spraying the top too. Cover with saran wrap and let it rise for 1½ - 2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.
When dough has risen, take out of bowl and shape into a long piece with hands and cut into 10 equal pieces. Spray a work area with oil and roll each piece into a ball with the palm of your hands. Spray tops of dough balls with a little bit of oil and cover with saran wrap for 15-20. Heat oven to the highest setting, 500 degrees.
Dough should have risen more now. sprinkle a little flour on your work space, take each ball and sprinkle a little flour on top. Roll to a round shape about ½ a centimeter thick and about 12 centimeters round.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay each rolled out pita abound inch apart. you will have to put 2 batches in but do it one sheet at a time on the center row. Bake for about 5 minutes or until the pitas puff up. Don't keep them in any longer than that or they will dry out.
Take out of oven and immediately cover with dish towel for about 15 minutes. This prevents them from drying out.
That's all there is to it! Serve some hummus and babaganush and dip in.
Enjoy home-baked delicious pitas straight out of the oven, you cannot get these in the supermarket!
