Readers BEWARE – if you make this recipe, you may never be able to enjoy commercially prepared pita bread ever again – even some of the really good brands out there. If you are cool with that – read on.
There is just no comparison between the two, especially when you taste the pita hot out of the oven. Take it a step further as I did and dip the oven-fresh pita into extra virgin olive oil and good balsamic vinegar and welcome to cloud simple perfection nine.
This recipe makes four large pitas and surprisingly, I was able to exercise some willpower and had two leftover. I stored them in a Ziploc bag and put them in the pantry, eying them with desire every time I walked by.
Fast forward to the following evening – I get home from work and I’m famished. Little did the pita bread in the pantry, know, that I had plans for it – pita pizza. I removed the biggest one from the bag, slathered it with ricotta, marinara, mushrooms, thinly sliced (Good Fellas thin) garlic and mozzarella cheese. I threw it under the broiler for 10 minutes and I ended up quelling my hunger with a very respectable pizza. The crust (pita) was airy, chewy and reminiscent of a Neapolitan-style crust.
No matter which way you eat it – as a traditional pita or a pizza crust, you will not be disappointed. We have some friends visiting this weekend and I plan to make another batch to serve alongside an antipasti platter with some hummus.
Use your fingers and hands to gently shape into a round disc.
Roll out on a lightly floured surface. Use a wooden pizza peel when inserting into the oven.
It will puff-up while it bakes.
It’s okay if it is uneven like this one – that’s how you can tell it’s homemade and authentic. Once you remove it from the oven, poke a small hole in it to let out the steam and it will even out.
Homemade Pita Bread
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cup lukewarm water (About 105 – 110 degrees)
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup water – in a small, oven safe dish
Directions:
- In a large bowl, add the yeast and water. Set aside for 15 minutes to let the yeast bloom.
- Add the salt and mix with a fork. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon after each addition. Once all flour has been added, knead the dough in the bowl for 5 minutes until a solid, smooth mass is formed. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside for one hour.
- Place a pizza stone and dish of water in the oven; pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
- After an hour, cut the dough into four portions and form into balls by tucking the four corners underneath, while smoothing the top. (Similar to making mozzarella cheese or pizza dough balls).
- Place one of the balls on a lightly floured surface and gently flatten and stretch the dough with your fingers and hands. Once the dough is shaped into a flat disk, use a rolling pin and roll the dough into a 9 or 10 inch circle. Place into oven, directly on pizza stone. Cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook for another 4 minutes, until pita is puffy and golden brown. Repeat this process with remaining dough balls.
I’m a big fan of pita bread. Looks great Dave!
Thanks! Got your email – thanks for the advice. Looking forward to the coming tips. Love pinchofyum.com!
[…] Whenever I get a craving for gyros but want to eat something healthier and lighter, I turn to these chicken pitas and tzatziki sauce. I marinate boneless, skinless chicken thighs and then roast them off in a hot oven. The chicken gets crispy and browned on the outside and stays juicy and tender on the inside. I slice it thin, pile it into a warmed pita, top with some crisp veggies and slather it with cool, creamy, homemade tzatziki sauce. I just love it. Heaven in a pita. I made this as a quick weeknight meal, so I used store bought pitas, but if you have some extra time on your hands, I recommend making homemade pitas. As luck would have it, I have the perfect recipe right here: Homemade Pita Bread. […]
[…] This recipe was inspired by Ara’yes, a popular Middle Eastern dish on seasoned ground meat stuffed into pita bread and grilled. The bread gets crispy and slightly charred on the outside, while inside, the meat cooks and soaks the bread in rich flavor. The end result is better than any cheeseburger you’ve ever had. Even though traditional Ara’yes are made with ground lamb, I decided to put my own spin on this street food classic by combining ground turkey fused with Middle Eastern and Mexican spices. In place of typical hummus, I made a smoky chipotle cream for dipping. You can use whatever filling you like for your version of Ara’yes and they make a great party appetizers! One note – I used standard pocket-less pitas, which were okay but I recommend a pita with a pocket, Naan or my homemade pita bread, recipe found here! […]