Recipe

Pita bread

Experience the true taste of these homemade yeast-leavened flatbread common in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Sep 14, 2020 2:00pm
  • 2 hrs cooking
  • Makes 8 Item
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Combine yeast, sugar and the warm milk in a small bowl; stir until yeast dissolves. Cover; stand in a warm place for 10 minutes or until mixture is frothy.
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture and combined yoghurt, egg, the water and oil until just mixture is combined.
Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large oiled or lightly floured bowl; cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Stand in a warm place for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth. Divide dough into eight portions. Knead each portion into a ball; place onto a lightly floured oven tray. Cover, stand in warm place for 30 minutes or until risen. Roll each ball on a floured sheet of baking paper into a round.

Ingredients

Pita bread
  • 2 teaspoon (7g) dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup (310ml) warm milk
  • 4 1/4 cup (635g) plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) plain yogurt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) water
  • 1 tablespoon oil

Method

Pita bread
  • 1
    Combine yeast, sugar and milk in small bowl, whisk until yeast is dissolved. Cover bowl, stand in warm place about 10 minutes or until mixture is frothy.
  • 2
    Sift flour and salt into large bowl. Stir in yeast mixture and combined yogurt, egg, water and oil. Turn dough onto floured surface, knead about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place dough in greased bowl, cover, stand in warm place about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  • 3
    Turn dough onto floured surface, knead until smooth. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Knead each portion into a ball, place onto lightly floured oven tray, cover, stand in warm place about 30 minutes or until risen.
  • 4
    Preheat oven to highest temperature. Roll each ball into a 25cm round. Heat an oven tray in a very hot oven, place 1 round at a time onto tray, bake in a very hot oven, on top shelf, for about 5 minutes or until bread is lightly browned and rounds begin to expand. Wrap cooked pita bread in a cloth to keep warm before serving.

Notes

Best made on day of serving Freeze for up to 2 monthsFor perfect pita bread ensure you knead the dough long enough to develop the gluten; it should feel soft and stretchy. Roll the pittas out thinly, so that the dough is thin enough for the heat to penetrate the centre, creating steam to make the pitta balloon before the dough becomes too cooked and rigid.

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