Pita (also called and less commonly known as pitta or pide (Turkish), pitka (Bulgarian) and pronounced "pitta" in Greek is an often round, brown, wheat flatbread made with yeast.
Similar to other double-layered flat or pocket breads, pita is traditional in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. It is prevalent from North Africa through the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula, possibly coinciding with either the spread of the Hellenistic world or that of the Arab expansions under the banner of Islam.
In Greek cuisine, pita may refer to thicker breads made with yeast, for example souvlaki pita.
It may also refer to foods using many layers of dough of thickness less
than 1mm, usually with many different ingredients in between, forming
savoury pies such as tyropita and spanakopita or sweet pies such as baklava.
The Indian flatbread form of roti is sometimes referred to as "Indian pita".
Pita bread
Serves: 4
Difficulty: easy
Prep and Cook time: 4 hours
3 cups flour + 1 cup flour for kneading
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 packet yeast (7 grams or 1/4 oz)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water
olive oil
In a small bowl mix yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup warm water and let sit for
10-15 minutes. In a large bowl mix 3 cups flour with salt and make a
well or whole in the middle. Slowly stir in yeast mix and 1 cup warm
water until well combined. IN a large bowl add 1 tbs olive oil and
spread all over to keep dough from sticking, place dough in oiled bowl,
cover with a blanket, and let sit for 3 hours in a warm place. After 3
hours and dough has risen, add flour on to table surface and knead
dough for 10 minutes, add flour to surface to keep it from sticking.
Form dough into small balls and let sit in a plate for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll our balls to 1/8 inch thick and
place on flat cookie sheet or pan, cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or
until lightly brown and dough puffs up. If the dough does not puff up
all the time, that is ok, you'll still have a pita pocket.
hello... my question this time is... how can keep the dough to put in the oven for example the next day at breakfast (i don want yo wake up 4 hour before to prepare the bread )
r.vanorden@myactv.net
|24.170.244.xxx
|2010-07-18 06:48:37
Dede:
Can the dough be made in a bread machine?
shiny
- is it Celsius or Farenheit?
|122.166.155.xxx
|2010-07-13 04:29:06
Thanks for the recipes. I love Lebanese food
mausi
- Thank you
|69.123.209.xxx
|2010-06-18 07:09:19
Hello Dede,
I made pita bread for the first time by watching your video. For some reason, I did not puff up but it tasted really good. I loved it! Thank you so much for your recipe. I have a food blog and wrote about it and linked your site on my post.
If you have a chance, come check my post out at www.7thkitchen.com
Thank you again and I know I will be coming back here more often
DedeMed
|Registered
|2010-06-20 21:06:15
hi Mausi,
Thank you so much for writing about my site, I really appreciate it and I'm glad you like my recipes. I will add your site to my "sites that I like" section, Happy Cooking!
j_brown8705
|68.201.104.xxx
|2010-05-10 07:27:50
hey dede, love pita bread and have made it a couple times, but both times the bread came out a a little tough or it became a tough not long after i baked it, wut might i be doing wrong or wut could i do to make them more tender
Pita Bread 
)
Thanks for the recipes. I love Lebanese food
